This guide provides information on Texas and federal gun laws including: background checks, open carry, concealed carry, handgun licenses, restrictions for felons, and local regulation of firearms and shooting ranges.
Some of the provisions within this subchapter, "Protection of Persons," are often referred to as the "stand your ground" laws. This section discusses some circumstances under which a person may use deadly force to defend themselves or others.
Statutes in this subchapter, "Protection of Property" are sometimes referred to as the "castle doctrine" laws. This section discusses the use of deadly force for the protection of property.
This private attorney's blog post breaks down the concept of "the castle doctrine" as it appears in Texas law. The blog post also includes discussions of justifications of the use of force in various scenarios.
Chapter 5 (starting on p. 123) of the State Bar of Texas's book Texas Perspectives on Firearms Law, 2014 provides a history and overview of Texas's "Castle Doctrine" laws and cites to relevant court cases. The chapter discusses in detail legislation passed in 2007 that affected a person's "duty to retreat" and defined the terms "habitation" and "vehicle."
This video explainer from US Law Shield, a private legal defense company, explains the possible criminal consequences of shooting a trespasser on your property.
This page from FindLaw discusses "castle doctrine," "stand your ground," and "duty to retreat" laws. They provide a list of states with "stand your ground" statutes.
