Campus carry for Texas community colleges goes into effect Tuesday

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Across the state on Tuesday, students are allowed to carry concealed handguns on Texas community colleges if they have a license.

Senate Bill 11 is commonly referred to as the campus carry law. It goes into effect for all public junior colleges August 1.

It allows anyone to conceal carry on junior college campuses.

Community colleges have had a year to get ready for the law to go into effect.

In a video, Lone Star College reiterated what the law means.

"It is illegal to display a gun out in the open on campus and you must have license to carry," the video stated.

SB11 does come with some restrictions. You can not open carry handguns on campus, you must have a concealed license to carry and a concealed carry license.

Other requirements include being at least 21 years old, have no felony convictions on your record and you can't be a chemically dependent person.

The law has been very controversial. Critics say it will increase violence on campuses and make them unsafe. Supporters of the bill say it will do the opposite.

Colleges are allowed to designate gun-free zones on campus. Lone Star College has a number of them, including child care centers.

For a list of zones where you can't carry a concealed weapon, visit the Lone Star College website.

The University of Houston has similar exclusion zones on its campus.

To find out the areas where you can and cannot have a concealed handgun at your college, check your school's website.

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