Penal Code 30.06: Valid Signs, Penalties, and Exceptions

Texas Penal Code Section 30.06 makes it a criminal offense for a concealed handgun license holder to enter private property after receiving proper notice that concealed carry is forbidden. The statute applies only to people who hold a license to carry. Since Texas adopted permitless carry in 2021, that distinction has become the single most important thing to understand about these signs: a 30.06 posting, on its own, does not legally exclude an unlicensed carrier.¹

Who the Law Actually Covers

A license holder commits an offense under 30.06 only when two things line up: they are carrying a concealed handgun on someone else’s property without effective consent, and they received notice that concealed carry was forbidden. Both elements have to be present. Walk past the sign without a gun, nothing. Carry a gun past a property with no valid notice, nothing under this statute.¹

The term “license holder” is tied back to the handgun licensing framework in Government Code Chapter 411. If a person is carrying without a license under House Bill 1927, the 2021 permitless carry law, Section 30.06 does not reach them at all.² To exclude unlicensed carriers, a property owner needs a separate sign under Section 30.05, the general criminal trespass statute, posted at each entrance.³ That is why many Texas businesses now post multiple signs together: a 30.05 for unlicensed carriers, a 30.06 for concealed license holders, and a 30.07 for open-carry license holders.⁴

License holders retain one quiet advantage even where only a 30.05 sign is up. If the only reason entry was forbidden was that handguns were prohibited, a license holder carrying concealed or in a holster has a statutory defense to a 30.05 prosecution. Section 30.06 is the specific statute that closes that defense and creates a standalone offense for licensed concealed carry.³

What Makes a 30.06 Sign Legally Valid

A 30.06 sign has to meet precise formatting standards to count as notice. Miss any requirement and a license holder has a strong argument that no effective notice was given. The sign must satisfy all of the following:¹

Include the exact statutory language, which references Section 30.06 and the handgun licensing law under Government Code Chapter 411. Shorthand like “No Guns Allowed” does not satisfy the statute.
Appear in both English and Spanish.
Use block letters at least one inch tall.
Use contrasting colors, such as dark text on a light surface.
Be displayed in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public.

The Texas Department of Public Safety restates these requirements in its handgun licensing FAQ.⁵ A paraphrased sign, a sign only in English, or small lettering that fails the one-inch rule can all undercut a prosecution.

Other Ways Notice Can Be Given

Signage is the most familiar method, not the only one. A property owner or someone acting for the owner can hand a license holder a card or written document containing the same required statutory language. Useful for private events at rented venues, or for a homeowner who wants to give individualized notice.

Verbal notice counts too. A property owner or representative can simply tell a license holder that concealed carry is not allowed. Oral notice is what triggers the heavier penalty tier described below.

Penalties for Ignoring a 30.06 Notice

The base offense is a Class C misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $200. No jail time attaches at this level. This is the penalty for walking into a properly posted property while carrying concealed, without any further interaction.¹

The offense jumps to a Class A misdemeanor if the license holder is personally told to leave by the owner or a representative and fails to depart. A Class A misdemeanor carries up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to $4,000, or both.⁶ The gap between the two tiers is large. A sign violation alone is a ticket. Refusing to leave after being told in person is a jailable offense.

The statute builds in a safety valve: if a license holder receives oral notice and promptly leaves the property, that timely departure is a defense to prosecution. A Class A conviction can also create collateral problems, including complications with license renewal and, for non-citizens, exposure to removal proceedings under federal immigration law for firearms-related convictions.

Where 30.06 Signs Don’t Work

A 30.06 sign is not enforceable in every setting a property owner might try to post it.

Government Property

Section 30.06(e) excepts most government-owned and government-leased property. If the property belongs to a state agency or political subdivision, and firearms are not separately prohibited there under Section 46.03, a license holder has an exception to prosecution for carrying concealed. Most government offices, public parks, and government buildings cannot be converted to gun-free zones with a 30.06 sign.¹

Government Code Section 411.209 backs this up with civil penalties against agencies that improperly post. Fines run $1,000 to $1,500 for a first violation and $10,000 to $10,500 for each subsequent violation, with each day of a continuing violation counted separately. A Texas resident or license holder can start the process by sending a written notice; if the entity does not correct the problem within three business days, the complainant can file with the Attorney General.⁷

Condominiums

Section 30.06(e-1) gives license holders a defense to prosecution in condominium settings. Even if the association posts a 30.06 sign in common areas, a license holder who is a unit owner, tenant, or guest of one can still carry inside the unit, while traveling directly to or from the unit, and while going to or from a vehicle in the parking area. A condo association’s sign cannot override a resident’s right to a firearm in their own home.¹

Employee Parking Lots

Under Texas Labor Code Section 52.061, employers cannot prohibit an employee who holds a carry license or otherwise lawfully possesses a firearm from storing it in a locked, privately owned vehicle in the employer’s parking area. A business can post a 30.06 sign and ban concealed carry inside the building. It cannot extend that ban to firearms locked inside employees’ personal cars outside.⁸

Places Guns Are Banned Regardless of Any Sign

Section 30.06 is a trespass statute. It sits apart from Section 46.03, which lists places where firearms are prohibited for everyone, licensed or not, and where violations are felonies rather than misdemeanors. Those locations include schools, polling places on election day and during early voting, courts and court offices, racetracks, secured areas of airports, bars that get 51 percent or more of their income from on-premises alcohol sales, high school, collegiate, and professional sporting events, correctional and civil commitment facilities, and hospitals and nursing homes.⁹ Federal facilities and post offices are prohibited under federal law, which state carry rights do not override.

How 30.06 Differs From 30.07

Section 30.07 is the parallel statute for openly carried handguns. The sign requirements are nearly identical, with two differences: the required language references Section 30.07 and “a handgun that is carried openly,” and the sign must appear at each entrance to the property.¹⁰ A 30.06 sign alone does not prohibit open carry, and a 30.07 sign alone does not prohibit concealed carry. Owners who want to exclude both have to post both. The penalty structure matches 30.06: Class C misdemeanor at the sign level, Class A if the license holder refuses to leave after personal oral notice.

1
State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 30.06 – Trespass by License Holder With a Concealed Handgun
2
Texas Legislature. 87(R) HB 1927 – Enrolled Version
3
State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 30.05 – Criminal Trespass
4
Texas State Law Library. Businesses and Private Property – Gun Laws
5
Department of Public Safety. Laws That Relate to Carrying a Handgun FAQs
6
State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 12.21 – Class A Misdemeanor
7
State of Texas. Texas Government Code 411.209
8
State of Texas. Texas Labor Code 52.061 – Restriction on Prohibiting Employee Access to Firearm or Ammunition
9
State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 46.03 – Places Weapons Prohibited
10
State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 30.07 – Trespass by License Holder With an Openly Carried Handgun