SB890

SB890 expands the judicial-officer definitions used for Texas handgun licensing to expressly include statutory probate court judges and additional visiting judges. It adds statutory probate courts to the active-officer court list. For retired judicial officers, it replaces the visiting-judge category limited to appointments under two specified county-court provisions with visiting judges appointed to serve constitutional county courts, statutory county courts or statutory probate courts. It does not make every retired judge eligible solely by having once held office. Final act; Prior definitions.

The existing judicial licensing process still requires an application, identifying materials, evidence of handgun proficiency and a $25 nonrefundable application/license fee. Retired applicants also face the section’s eligibility conditions and a background investigation. The special classroom treatment for active judicial officers is not a blanket exemption from handgun proficiency. SB890 changes the definitions, not these application requirements. Licensing framework; Proficiency requirements.

The definitions matter beyond the application process: Penal Code Section 46.15(a)(4) makes the unlawful-carrying and prohibited-place provisions in Sections 46.02 and 46.03 inapplicable to an active or retired judicial officer as defined in Section 411.201 who holds the required handgun license. The added groups therefore fall within that existing cross-reference when licensed. This is not blanket permission to disregard every weapons law or carry without a license. Existing judicial-officer exception; Unlawful-carrying provision; Prohibited-place provision.

Signed June 20, 2025, the act took effect September 1, 2025. Its transition rule concerns offenses: the changed law applies only to offenses committed on or after that date. If any element occurred earlier, the former law governs. This is not an application-submission cutoff. Sections 2–3; History.