Texas License to Carry (LTC) - Fees & Costs

Bottom Line

The Texas LTC application fee is $40 under Tex. Gov't Code § 411.174(a)(6), and the renewal fee is also $40 under § 411.185(a)(2). § 411.195 reduces renewals by $5 for applicants 60 and older - a senior pays $35 to renew - and cuts duplicate or modified-license fees by 50% for the same age group. § 411.1951 waives the original, duplicate, modified, and renewal fees ($0) for active members of the U.S. armed forces, the reserves, the National Guard, the Texas State Guard, and any veteran honorably discharged within 365 days of the application. Veterans more than 365 days past honorable discharge pay a flat $25 for an original or renewed license under § 411.1951(c)(1), with duplicate or modified fees cut by 50%. Out-of-pocket cost for a new LTC, including the $40 state fee, fingerprint capture, and the required 4 to 6 hour course, typically runs $125 to $200 for most applicants.

Statutory Fees Paid to DPS

The LTC fee under § 411.174(a)(6) is nonrefundable and is paid to the Texas Department of Public Safety as part of the application packet. The renewal fee under § 411.185(a)(2) is also nonrefundable and is paid when the renewal application is mailed in or submitted through the DPS online renewal portal.

Senior Discount (60+) - § 411.195

Tex. Gov't Code § 411.195 carves out two reductions for applicants who are 60 years of age or older:

• § 411.195(2): Reduces any renewal fee by $5. Combined with the $40 statutory renewal under § 411.185(a)(2), a senior pays $35 to renew.
• § 411.195(1): Reduces any duplicate-license or modified-license fee by 50%.

The senior discount does not apply to the original-license fee in § 411.174(a)(6). A 60-year-old applying for a first-time LTC pays the full $40. The reduction only attaches at renewal and to duplicate/modified-license fees. There is no separate application form for the senior reduction - DPS applies it automatically based on the date of birth on file.

Military and Veteran Waivers - § 411.1951

§ 411.1951 is the most generous fee waiver in the LTC scheme.

Full waiver - $0 (§ 411.1951(b)). DPS must waive any fee for an original, duplicate, modified, or renewed license if the applicant is:

1. A current member of the U.S. armed forces, including the reserves, the National Guard, or the Texas State Guard (§ 411.1951(b)(1)); or
2. A veteran who, within 365 days preceding the date of the application, was honorably discharged from the branch of service in which the person served (§ 411.1951(b)(2)).

The 365-day window is measured from the date of separation/discharge to the date of the LTC application, not the date of issuance.

Reduced fees (§ 411.1951(c)). A veteran whose honorable discharge was more than 365 days before the application pays:

• $25.00 for an original or renewed license (§ 411.1951(c)(1)) - a $15 reduction off the standard $40.
• 50% of any duplicate or modified-license fee (§ 411.1951(c)(2)).

"Veteran" defined (§ 411.1951(a)). The waiver definition reaches service in the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps; the Texas military forces as defined by Tex. Gov't Code § 437.001; and any auxiliary service of those branches, provided the applicant was honorably discharged. A general or other-than-honorable discharge disqualifies the applicant from the § 411.1951 reduction or waiver, though the person may still apply at the standard fee if otherwise eligible under § 411.172.

The military/veteran waivers stack with the senior discount in § 411.195 only in the sense that DPS will apply whichever is more favorable to the applicant - the waiver fully zeros the fee, so the senior discount has nothing to subtract from once the § 411.1951(b) waiver applies.

Fingerprint Costs

Fingerprints are a separate, non-DPS cost. § 411.174(a)(5) requires "two complete sets of legible and classifiable fingerprints" taken by an approved law-enforcement agency or a DPS-designated private vendor. In practice, applicants schedule a digital-capture appointment with IdentoGo (Idemia), the state's fingerprint contractor:

• Capture fee: approximately $10.00 for the LTC fingerprint service, plus a small processing/convenience fee depending on payment method.
• Total typical fingerprint cost: $10.00 to $15.00.

There is no statutory cap on what the fingerprint vendor can charge, and the fee is not part of the § 411.174(a)(6) $40 license fee. Some sheriff's offices and police departments will roll fingerprints for a comparable fee, but the DPS LTC system requires the digital capture through IdentoGo for most applicants.

Course and Range Costs

§ 411.174(a)(7) requires evidence of handgun proficiency, and § 411.188 requires a 4-to-6-hour classroom-and-range course taught by a DPS-certified instructor. Course pricing is not regulated by statute - instructors set their own prices.

Most certified instructors quote an "all-in" course price that bundles the classroom block, the proficiency demonstration on the range, the range fee, and the qualification target. Some bundle ammunition; many do not. Applicants without their own handgun should confirm whether the course price includes a rental.

The course must be completed before the application is submitted, and the CHL-100 proficiency certificate must be uploaded with the application. The certificate has no statutory expiration tied to the LTC application, but DPS expects a recent course completion.

Replacement and Modified Licenses

DPS issues a duplicate license when a card is lost, stolen, or destroyed, and a modified license when name, address, or other information changes. The duplicate/modified-license fee is set by DPS rule rather than by a fixed statutory dollar amount, but the § 411.195(1) and § 411.1951(c)(2) 50% reductions apply for seniors and post-365-day veterans.

Address changes can be submitted through the DPS LTC online portal at no fee in most cases - DPS treats a notification of address change separately from issuance of a modified card. An applicant who wants a reissued physical card with the new address pays the duplicate/modified-license fee.

Total Realistic Cost - New LTC

For a typical first-time applicant (not a senior, not military, not a recently discharged veteran):

For a 60-year-old renewing: $35 under § 411.195(2), plus any course refresher the instructor recommends. Texas does not require a renewal training course under § 411.185, so the renewal cost can be the $35 statutory fee alone.

For an active-duty service member or a veteran within 365 days of honorable discharge: $0 in DPS fees under § 411.1951(b), plus fingerprints and course costs only - typically $60 to $165 out of pocket.

For a veteran more than 365 days past honorable discharge: $25 under § 411.1951(c)(1), plus fingerprints and course - typically $85 to $190.

Indigent and Hardship Waivers

Subchapter H of Chapter 411 of the Texas Government Code does not include a general indigency waiver for the LTC fee. The only fee reductions and waivers in the statute are:

• § 411.195 - age-based ($60+) renewal/duplicate reductions, and
• § 411.1951 - military/veteran waivers and reductions.

Applicants who cannot afford the $40 application fee under § 411.174(a)(6) do not have a statutory hardship waiver path; the fee is described as nonrefundable in § 411.174(a)(6) and there is no separate provision in § 411.195 or § 411.1951 covering income-based waivers. Applicants in genuine hardship should contact DPS directly and inquire whether any administrative discretion applies, but no statutory entitlement exists.

Refundability and Re-application

The LTC application fee is "nonrefundable" by the express text of § 411.174(a)(6). If DPS denies the application, the $40 stays with the department. Applicants who are denied and wish to reapply must pay another $40 at the time of the new application - there is no statutory "credit" for a prior denied filing.

The renewal fee under § 411.185(a)(2) is also nonrefundable. If DPS denies the renewal because the holder no longer meets the § 411.172 eligibility requirements, the $40 stays with the department.

Practical Cost-Planning Notes

• Bundle the course and range. Most DPS-certified instructors charge less per applicant when the classroom and range qualification are taken together rather than booked separately at a public range.
• Schedule fingerprints once. IdentoGo charges per appointment; do not split the LTC fingerprint capture across multiple visits.
• Submit online. The DPS LTC online application accepts the $40 § 411.174(a)(6) fee by credit card and avoids a separate paper-processing path. Renewals under § 411.185 may also be submitted online or by mail.
• Track the 365-day veteran window. The fee waiver under § 411.1951(b)(2) is calendar-day strict - apply within 365 days of the honorable discharge date to claim the $0 original-license waiver. Day 366 and later, the fee jumps to $25 under § 411.1951(c)(1).
• Renewal grace period. § 411.185 does not impose a fee penalty for renewing late, but a holder whose license has lapsed too long may have to apply as a new applicant at the full $40 plus a fresh course, depending on DPS rules.

Statutory References

• Tex. Gov't Code § 411.174(a)(6) - Sets the $40 original LTC application and license fee; describes the fee as "nonrefundable."
• Tex. Gov't Code § 411.185(a)(2) - Sets the $40 LTC renewal fee.
• Tex. Gov't Code § 411.195 - Senior (60+) fee reductions: $5 off renewal (§ 411.195(2)); 50% off duplicate or modified license (§ 411.195(1)).
• Tex. Gov't Code § 411.1951(a) - Defines "veteran" for purposes of fee waivers (honorable discharge from listed services).
• Tex. Gov't Code § 411.1951(b) - Full fee waiver for current members of the armed forces, reserves, National Guard, Texas State Guard, and veterans within 365 days of honorable discharge.
• Tex. Gov't Code § 411.1951(c)(1) - Veterans more than 365 days from honorable discharge pay $25 for an original or renewed license.
• Tex. Gov't Code § 411.1951(c)(2) - Veterans more than 365 days from honorable discharge get a 50% reduction on duplicate or modified-license fees.