Governor Greg Abbott recently signed House Bill 1927 into law, which will allow qualified Texans to carry a handgun without first obtaining a license or undergoing any safety training. This constitutional carry bill applies to anyone who is not prohibited from possessing a handgun under federal or state law, and it goes into effect on September 1, 2021.
Previously, Texas law prohibited carrying a handgun outside of your property or vehicle without a license. Over the years, many people have been arrested and convicted of unlawful carrying weapons (UCW). This charge is generally a Class A misdemeanor, though, in some circumstances, it could be a felony of the third degree.
Now that the UCW law is being amended to allow unlicensed handgun carry, if you have a UCW conviction on your criminal record, you can qualify to have your record expunged. An expungement means that:
- The offense will be removed from your record
- No private parties will have access to information about your offense through a background check
- You can answer honestly that you have never been convicted of this offense on job, rental housing, educational, or professional license applications
An expungement can improve your personal and professional life in many ways, so it is certainly worth it to discuss the matter with a Texas expungement attorney.
Generally, any conviction cannot be expunged under Texas law, as convictions are only eligible for an order of nondisclosure. However, because unlicensed carry will no longer be an offense in Texas, the law will allow for the full expungement of past UCW convictions.
Contact a Texas UCW Expungement Lawyer Right Away
The Gilbert G. Garcia Law Firm will be assisting many people with the expungement of past UCW convictions, and you should not hesitate to reach out to our office to discuss how we can help you with this process. Contact our office for more information today.