When a church starts thinking about forming a security or safety team, one of the first questions that usually comes up is, “What are the legal responsibilities, and can our security team carry firearms?”  The short and simple answer is, your volunteer church security team does not need special licensing and they may carry a firearm as long as they are not currently prohibited by law from currently carrying a firearm (i.e. convicted felon).Texas House Bill 891 and Texas Occupation Code 1702.333 states that Texas law allow churches, synagogues, and other established places of worship to establish security teams without obtaining a license or permission from the state, if the following is met: 1) are unpaid volunteers, 2) are providing the services on church property, and 3) do not wear a badge or uniform that identifies them as security or creates the impression that they are law enforcement officers (does not apply to licensed Texas Peace Officers).

Another common question is “Can I carry a firearm if my church meets at a school?”  Many churches across Texas meet at locations other than a traditional church building.  Whether it be because the church is a new start up and they are waiting to acquire the funds for a permanent building or they are a smaller congregation and can’t justify the expense of a permanent property, many churches meet in what are called mixed use locations.  These locations may be anything from a hotel ballroom, to a school, to someone’s home.  This is somewhat of a gray area, but the simple answer is no, if you meet on the property of a school district, then you may not carry a firearm on their premises without written permission or are a Texas Peace Officer.  This does not apply to the school parking lot, where it is legal to possess a firearm (this allows an individual to secure the firearm in their vehicle when entering the school).  If you are meeting somewhere other than a school, such as a hotel ballroom, recreation center, a private residence, or other public building, then you may carry your firearm there unless otherwise prohibited (exceptions would be a federal building or other place where possessing a firearm is prohibited).

If your church does have its own building, but also has a school on its premises, then church members/guests would be able to carry a firearm in the portions of the building that are being utilized for church purposes, but not on the school portion of the church.

These laws are specific to Texas and before exercising your right to carry, it is your responsibility to make sure you are up to date on all laws and regulations.  http://www.onlinetexasltc.com  is a good source for up-to-date information on Texas License to Carry laws and regulations.