How to Renew Your Texas CHL: Fees, Steps & Grace Period

Renewing your Texas License to Carry costs $40, is done entirely online through the Department of Public Safety portal, and does not require a training class, range test, new fingerprints, or a new photo. Here is how to renew a Texas CHL (now called an LTC), what the deadlines are, and what can slow the process down.

When You Can Renew and the One-Year Grace Window

You can submit a renewal application up to the first anniversary of your license’s expiration date.1State of Texas. Texas Government Code Chapter 411 – Section 411.185 That gives you a full year after expiration to renew without starting over. DPS recommends starting at least 60 days before your expiration date so the new card arrives before the old one lapses.

Miss the one-year window and you lose the ability to renew at all. At that point DPS treats you as a new applicant: full training course, proficiency test, fingerprints, photo, and the original application fee. This is where most people get caught. They assume the license quietly “stays good,” and by the time they act they have crossed the deadline.

While your renewal is processing, your expired LTC will not satisfy anything that specifically requires a current license, such as campus carry or out-of-state reciprocity. Permitless carry still lets you carry a handgun in Texas during that gap if you are 21 or older and not otherwise prohibited.

Renewal Fees

The standard fee is $40, charged at the time you file and nonrefundable whether or not your application is approved.2Department of Public Safety. Application FAQs Reduced fees apply to several groups:

  • Seniors age 60 and older: $35
  • Honorably discharged veterans: $25
  • Active-duty military, including Texas military members: $0

If you qualify for a discount, you will upload supporting documentation during the application itself, such as a DD-214 for veterans or a military ID for active-duty members.3Department of Public Safety. LTC Fee Chart

What to Have Ready Before You Log In

Gather these before starting so you can finish in one sitting:

  • Your current LTC number
  • Your Texas driver’s license or state ID number
  • Your legal name, date of birth, residential address, and contact information
  • Any updates to report: new address, name change, or changes to your criminal or psychiatric history
  • A valid email address
  • A credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express)4Texas.gov. License to Carry a Handgun
  • Documentation for a legal name change, if applicable (marriage license, court order, or certificate of naturalization) along with your updated government-issued ID

One thing you do not need: the five-year residential and employment history. That requirement applies only to new applicants.

No Class, No Range Test, No New Fingerprints or Photo

Renewal is deliberately lighter than the first-time application. There is no continuing education course, no classroom hours, and no shooting proficiency test to complete before renewing.5Department of Public Safety. Training Requirements FAQ DPS also does not ask for new fingerprints or a new photo. It reuses the fingerprints on file and pulls your photo from your Texas driver’s license or state ID record.6Department of Public Safety. LTC Fingerprint and Photo Information

One exception. If you hold an out-of-state driver’s license or ID card, DPS has no Texas photo for you, so you must submit an LTC-6 photo form with a current photograph.6Department of Public Safety. LTC Fingerprint and Photo Information

The Online Renewal, Step by Step

The whole thing runs through the DPS online portal and generally takes 10 to 15 minutes once your documents are at hand.

  1. Go to the License to Carry a Handgun portal at txapps.texas.gov and log in as a returning user.4Texas.gov. License to Carry a Handgun
  2. Enter your Texas driver’s license or state ID number, your date of birth, and either your phone number or email address.
  3. Review the personal information on file. Update your address, contact details, and employment status if any have changed. Updating your Texas driver’s license address does not update your LTC, because they are separate records. Failure to notify DPS of a change in address, name, or license status is grounds for suspension.7Department of Public Safety. Licensing and Registration8State of Texas. Texas Government Code Chapter 411 – Section 411.187
  4. Answer the eligibility questions covering criminal history, protective orders, mental health adjudications, and other disqualifying factors.
  5. Upload any required documentation, such as proof for a discounted fee or a name-change document.
  6. Pay the renewal fee with a credit or debit card. The charge posts immediately and is nonrefundable.9Texas.gov. Texas Handgun License

Processing Time and Checking Status

By statute, DPS has 45 days from the date it receives a complete renewal application to either issue the renewed license or notify you in writing of a denial.1State of Texas. Texas Government Code Chapter 411 – Section 411.185 Many renewals clear faster. The 45-day clock does not start until DPS has everything it needs, so a missing document resets your timeline.

You can check status anytime through the same DPS portal where you filed. The tracker shows whether your application has been received, is in background check, has been approved, or has been printed and mailed. If DPS needs more information, the system flags it there. Once approved, the physical card is mailed to the address on your application.

What Can Block Your Renewal

DPS runs a fresh background check on every renewal, and the eligibility rules from your original license still apply. A few situations will stop a renewal cold.

Your license will be revoked if you:

  • Were not actually eligible when the license was first issued
  • Made a false statement or left out important facts on the application
  • Became ineligible under Section 411.172 of the Government Code, which covers felony convictions, certain misdemeanor convictions, court-ordered mental health commitments, and similar disqualifiers
  • Were suspended twice for the same conduct and engaged in that conduct again

Your license will be suspended rather than revoked if you:

  • Are charged with a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or a felony
  • Fail to notify DPS of changes to your address, name, or eligibility status
  • Are the subject of an active protective order related to family violence
  • Are arrested for family violence or stalking and an emergency protective order is issued against you

A suspension lifts when the underlying issue is resolved. A revocation is permanent, and getting another license means waiting the required period and reapplying from scratch.10State of Texas. Texas Government Code Chapter 411 – Section 411.186

Why Renew At All Under Permitless Carry

Since September 2021, most Texans 21 and older who are not otherwise prohibited can carry a handgun in public without any license. The LTC still does things permitless carry does not: it supports reciprocity in more than 30 other states,11Department of Public Safety. State Reciprocity Information it substitutes for the federal NICS background check when you buy a handgun from a licensed dealer, and it is still required to carry on a public university campus or in an open government meeting.12Department of Public Safety. LTC Benefits If any of those matter to you, renewal is worth doing before the one-year grace window closes.