Did You Know for Years Texans Weren't Allowed to Own Pistols Without a Judge's Approval?

Texans might be surprised to know state law once prohibited a person from purchasing a pistol without a “certificate of good character” from a judge.

In fact, owning a pistol without a judge’s approval was a crime in Texas for nearly 30 years.

“No person may purchase a pistol unless said purchaser has secured from a Justice of Peace, County Judge, or District Judge in the county of his or her residence a certificate of good character,” said the law, which was enacted in 1931.

A person who got a pistol without a character reference could be found guilty of a misdemeanor.

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