HB668

Regular Session

Relating to the renewal of a license to carry a handgun.

LowStandard timeline

Low Cost

Effective:2025-06-20

Enforcing Agencies

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediate).
Compliance Deadline: Immediate. You must immediately audit all armed personnel files. Any employee carrying on a license that expired within the last 12 months is currently unauthorized to carry, even though they are now eligible for renewal.
Agency Rulemaking: The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) must update the Regulatory Services Division (RSD) online portal to accept late renewals without triggering a "new application" workflow. Expect technical delays in the portal's logic for the first 30-60 days.

Immediate Action Plan

1. Audit Active Rosters: Immediately identify any armed employee operating on a license that expired less than one year ago.
2. Issue "Stop Carry" Orders: Remove identified employees from armed posts immediately. They may not resume armed duties until they possess the physical, renewed license.
3. Process Retroactive Renewals: Direct eligible employees to the DPS portal to pay the $40 fee and submit the renewal application.
4. Notify Liability Carriers: Confirm with your insurance broker that your coverage requires *active* licensure and that "renewable status" is insufficient for coverage.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Vendor Agreements (Security/Logistics): Amend Master Service Agreements (MSAs) to explicitly define "Qualified Personnel" as holding a *current, active* LTC. Explicitly exclude licenses in the "HB668 renewal grace period" to prevent vendors from staffing your sites with officers holding expired, albeit renewable, credentials.
Employment Agreements: Review termination clauses. If your policy mandates termination upon license expiration, consider amending this to "Unpaid Suspension" or "Reassignment to Unarmed Duty" for up to one year to retain talent while they process the late renewal.

Hiring/Training

Reinstatement Opportunities: Review personnel files for staff terminated in the last 11 months solely due to license expiration. Under Section 2 (Retroactivity), these individuals are now eligible to renew immediately ($40 fee) rather than restart the entire application/training process.
Training: No new training is required for renewals submitted within the one-year window.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

HRIS Configuration: Update Human Resources Information Systems to flag the exact expiration date as a "Hard Stop" for armed duty. Do not program the system to view the license as "Active" during the 1-year grace period.
Documentation: Retain the electronic acknowledgment of the "Informational Form" required by Subsection (c) as proof of valid renewal submission.

Fees & Costs

Renewal Fee: $40 (nonrefundable).
Cost Savings: This legislation eliminates the cost of new fingerprinting and proficiency courses for licenses expired less than one year, representing a savings of approximately $100-$200 per affected employee.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

The "Gap" Liability: The statute allows for late renewal but does not grant "interim authority" to carry. Until DPS issues a specific rule or the Attorney General issues an opinion to the contrary, you must operate under the strict legal presumption that an expired license provides zero legal protection against Unlawful Carry charges, even if the renewal application is pending.
Portal Functionality: The statute references "procedures adopted" for internet renewal. It is unclear if the DPS system will automatically recognize the retroactive eligibility for licenses that expired prior to June 20, 2025. Manual intervention or paper filing may be required for retroactive cases until the IT infrastructure catches up.

Need Help Understanding Implementation?

Our government affairs experts can walk you through this bill's specific impact on your operations.

Schedule Consultation

Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.

Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsWeapons Public Safety, Department of

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 668

By: Bell, Cecil

Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law, a law-abiding handgun license holder who forgets to renew the license by the license's expiration date must undergo the application process for a new handgun license. This process involves complying with all of the requirements applicable to new applicants, including handgun proficiency training, fingerprinting, and identity documentation submissions, all of which are already on file for a renewal applicant. H.B. 668 seeks to prevent this from occurring by establishing a grace period after the expiration of a handgun license during which a license holder can renew the license.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 668 amends the Government Code to establish a one-year grace period after the expiration date of a handgun license during which the license holder may still renew the license. The bill applies to a handgun license that expires before, on, or after the bill's effective date.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.

House Authors

Rep. Cecil BellRepublican · Primary Author

Joint Authors

Senate Sponsors

Sen. Lois KolkhorstRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Cosponsors (3)

Bill Text(with markup)

H.B. No. 668

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to the renewal of a license to carry a handgun.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 411.185(a), Government Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(a) To renew a license, a license holder must, on or before
	the first anniversary of the date the license expires, submit to the
	department by mail or, in accordance with the procedure adopted
	under Subsection (f), on the Internet:
	(1) a renewal application on a form provided by the
	department;
	(2) payment of a nonrefundable renewal fee of $40; and
	(3) the informational form described by Subsection (c)
	signed or electronically acknowledged by the applicant.
	SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to a
	handgun license that expires before, on, or after the effective
	date of this Act.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


March 11, 2025

TO:	Honorable Cole Hefner, Chair, House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	HB668 by Bell, Cecil (Relating to the renewal of a license to carry a handgun.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

It is assumed that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

313 Department of Information Resources, 405 Department of Public Safety

LBB Staff:

JMc, MGol, CSh, KVEL

Related Legislation

Explore more bills from this author and on related topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about HB668

What does Texas HB668 do?

HB668 amends the Texas Government Code to extend the grace period for renewing an expired License to Carry (LTC) to one year, effective immediately. While this reduces the administrative burden of retraining staff with lapsed licenses, it creates a significant liability risk: a license is legally invalid for carry purposes from the moment of expiration until the renewal is issued, regardless of the extended application window. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediate).

Who authored HB668?

HB668 was authored by Texas Representative Cecil Bell during the Regular Session.

When was HB668 signed into law?

HB668 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce HB668?

HB668 is enforced by Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

How urgent is compliance with HB668?

The compliance urgency for HB668 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of HB668?

The cost impact of HB668 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does HB668 address?

HB668 addresses topics including weapons and public safety, department of.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

Need Strategic Guidance on This Bill?

Need help with Government Relations, Lobbying, or compliance? JD Key Consulting has the expertise you're looking for.