You may be held up in the future before buying a firearm. We just received a letter that in order to make sure buyers are not using suspended licenses that we first check a website to make sure your LTC is valid.

Two of the perks to having a LTC is not waiting for NICS and no one but the seller knowing you just bought a firearm. This recommendation makes those perks moot. It is not required by law but it wouldn't surprise me if DPS and the ATF put the blame on a FFL if we sell to a suspended license.

Honestly I fail to see how this is a bad thing

This is why I only buy from gun shows...because you know, loop hole.

Honestly not terrible for the buyer. Much more burden on the seller/FFL. LTC holders breeze through, as they should, because they have already been vetted.

Now we have to basically run a background check on you to make sure your license is valid. You're also no longer anonymous. Is the state tracking who is validated? Doubtful, but now it's easier.

This isn't required by law, but what scares me is that the DPS and ATF are recommending that we perform this check. What happens if we don't and we sell a firearm to an individual with a suspended LTC?

What worries me worse? That this slope becomes so slippery that all Texas FFL's will be pressured into running a NICS check on you regardless if you have an LTC.

How long does this website search last? I can get on the Texas Board of Nursing website and verify a license in about 2 minutes or less. And that's just by name and birthday. I don't even need to see the license.

I only need a name to verify Texas Real Estate Salesperson or Broker licenses. As simple as a google search.

Imagine if Mohammad Atta had forged a Texas LTC and shot the pilot on his way to the WTC

I believe that the POS should have never been in this country

but I am OK with someone verifying that I am and making sure that my Texas LTC is valid

We still have to fill out the form

First off, I get it, slippery slope. However, in this case, I'm rather surprised something like this wasn't in existence already. I'm glad they put it together, honestly.

Look, I just tried it out. Took about two seconds to do. On top of that, it doesn't ask for any information outside of the number and all it does is return whether it is valid or not.

In fact, I'll say this is actually a good thing as it makes it harder for someone to fake having an LTC for buying a gun whether in a gun store or for FTF sales (a lot of private sales require an LTC). I have no clue if there's a much if any LTC fraud out there, but this does give one extra level of protection.

Hell, here's the link. It's public.

http://www.dps.texas.gov/rsd/ltc/LTCChecker/

It's very innocuous and is the definition of instant. I don't see how this would slow someone down. That being said, I don't think it's actually working correctly yet. I tried a few fake numbers and every time it came back as good to go. So, either the database it's checking is only a list of those who have been suspended or whatever, or someone fubarred something.

TSRA sent an email on this a few days ago.

Not a requirement. Not a big deal, just another example of a solution looking for a problem. It said "although this never happened" we built the site anyway.

03ki11erAG said:

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Is the state tracking who is validated? Doubtful, but now it's easier.

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I checked the site EyeGuy threw up... changed my number by the last couple of digits and received this wonderful notification:

Quote:

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License to Carry Number: 06204583
This license is not valid and may not be used as an alternative permit under 18 U.S.C. 922(t) to purchase a firearm as of 11/16/2019.

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so that's good.

That being said, this site doesn't ask who is checking, but assume it tracks IP and LTC # ... while it could easily be tweaked to record additional information I wouldn't be concerned as a seller until you are required to login with license specific credentials... that's when someone has started tracking you as a seller. Since licensed gun owners commit such a percentage of gun related crimes there is little need for this function.

As a buyer there is nothing going on here currently that should give immediate concern. No seller name, no information about what you want to purchase, if you actually make said purchase, yadda yadda.

Now, If my LTC number pops with 100 different IP's in a short period of time and their geographically unique then that may be a concern worth flagging, depending on the time frame the occurrences happen. I don't know.

Let us know how it goes the first time you catch someone using a suspended or fake LTC though, would like to know how that goes.

My BS numbers came back as clean. Hope it's working right, because if it's not, and someone uses this to validate a bad license and that person kills someone.....that's not going to be great for the state...or at least I wouldn't think it would be. I would DEFINITELY use this for my own sales, just because I like doing at least a little homework before selling a weapon FTF.

I am surprised it took this long for something like this (especially if it is simple). I am sure that most of the checks will comeback with out an issue, but I am OK with catching the occasional who is skirting the system.

I also expect that the "bad guys" probably already have a way to get their guns and probably did not use LTC very often.

TheEyeGuy said:

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First off, I get it, slippery slope. However, in this case, I'm rather surprised something like this wasn't in existence already. I'm glad they put it together, honestly.

Look, I just tried it out. Took about two seconds to do. On top of that, it doesn't ask for any information outside of the number and all it does is return whether it is valid or not.

In fact, I'll say this is actually a good thing as it makes it harder for someone to fake having an LTC for buying a gun whether in a gun store or for FTF sales (a lot of private sales require an LTC). I have no clue if there's a much if any LTC fraud out there, but this does give one extra level of protection.

Hell, here's the link. It's public.

http://www.dps.texas.gov/rsd/ltc/LTCChecker/

It's very innocuous and is the definition of instant. I don't see how this would slow someone down. That being said, I don't think it's actually working correctly yet. I tried a few fake numbers and every time it came back as good to go. So, either the database it's checking is only a list of those who have been suspended or whatever, or someone fubarred something.

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I don't disagree with your points however I do not think this is a good thing. At no point has given the government more information been a good thing. I hope Texas doesn't make it mandatory but I'd be lying if I thought they weren't.

I am gonna run mine every single day so I get the first knock when the boogaloo starts. Get my chances before they get smart.

03ki11erAG said:

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You may be held up in the future before buying a firearm. We just received a letter that in order to make sure buyers are not using suspended licenses that we first check a website to make sure your LTC is valid.

Two of the perks to having a LTC is not waiting for NICS and no one but the seller knowing you just bought a firearm. This recommendation makes those perks moot. It is not required by law but it wouldn't surprise me if DPS and the ATF put the blame on a FFL if we sell to a suspended license.

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This may sound stupid, but I'm wondering: what is the actual text of the statute with respect to allowing the LTC to bypass NICS? Does it say "valid" LTC? I'd just like to know if a suspended LTC truly does not comply with the actual statute.