How easy is it to buy an AR-15 rifle in the state of Texas? Here’s what the law says
Mauricio Garcia dressed in black tactical gear lay dead on a bloody pavement at the Allen Premium Outlets mall on Saturday after killing eight people and injuring seven. A few feet from his bloodied body lay a black AR-15-style weapon.
Texas is all too familiar with the AR-15. Only 10 days ago 39-year-old Francisco Oropeza walked into his neighbors’ house and killed five of them because they had earlier complained about him shooting his rifle in his front yard.
A year ago, the 18-year-old shooter who killed 19 students and two teachers at a Uvalde elementary school used two AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles. Salvador Ramos had posted photos of both guns on his Instagram account, one of which was a $1,870 Daniel Defense DDM4 V7 rifle purchased online. Ramos had sent messages, including a receipt screenshot, to someone he met online about the high-end gun manufactured in Georgia.
How easy is it to buy this military-style rifle in Texas” The age requirement to purchase a rifle such as an AR-15 in Texas is currently 18. A bill, which would raise the age requirement from 18 to 21, advanced out the Texas House Community Safety Select Committee on an 8-5 vote. It now goes to the full House for consideration.
How old do you have to be to buy an AR-15 rifle in Texas?
In Texas, residents only have to be 18 years old to purchase a rifle or long gun.
A long gun is described as a firearm that takes two hands to wield and is typically braced upon one’s shoulder, according to Ammo For Sale. The long gun description includes rifles, shotguns, carbines and even submachine guns.
This means that Texans 18 years of age can legally purchase an AR-15.
How easy is it to buy an AR-15 rifle in Texas?
Besides being 18 years old, there’s only a few steps needed before a rifle can be purchased:
- Arrive at licensed gun dealer.
- Show identification, such as driver license.
- Complete a Firearms Transaction Record from the ATF.
- Wait for dealer to complete background check. (If you are buying from a federally licensed gun dealer. Private and gun show sales do not require background checks.)
- Pay for the firearm.
Buying guns online in Texas
When ordering a gun online in Texas, it doesn’t ship directly to the buyer. The gun is shipped to a federally licensed dealer for pickup. When the buyer picks up the purchased firearm, the dealer runs a background check before the buyer can leave with the gun.
How many guns are sold in Texas?
Just over 1.6 million guns were sold in Texas in 2021, according to Safe Home.
That number puts Texas on the top of the list of states recording the most gun purchases, followed by Florida with 1.4 million. California and Pennsylvania rounded out the states with at least a million guns purchased in 2021.
Since 2002, gun sales in Texas have jumped 167% in the next 20 years.
