State Rep. Diego Bernal
If a business owner doesn't want to allow open carry at their establishment, they have to post a sign announcing it at their entrance.
Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature legalized open carry.
So State Rep. Diego Bernal decided to create signs that adhere to sections of the Texas Penal Code describing the requirements for concealed and open carry and hand them out to any business owners who don't want guns in their establishments.
"By providing these signs, I hope to help give customers and business owners peace of mind. I believe it is important to do all we can to help business owners create the atmosphere that best suits them," Bernal said in an email blast to constituents.
The law allows handgun license holders to carry a handgun on their hip or shoulder.
However, not everywhere has to post a sign to prohibit open carry because they are already open carry-free. The following places are exempt from the law:
- Any place a governmental entity is meeting;
- Amusement parks;
- Churches, synagogues, mosques or established places of religious worship;
- Anywhere that makes 51 percent of their profit through booze sales;
- Anywhere a high school, collegiate, or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking place, unless the license holder is a participant in an event where a handgun is use.
Signs can be picked up at Bernal's office, which is located at 126 W. Rector, Ste. 114. Call Bernal's office at (210) 308-9700.
The open carry law becomes official on January 1, 2016.
