Do I still need a Texas LTC if Texas has permitless carry?

Legally, no. But the LTC provides reciprocity in dozens of other states, can help avoid background-check delays when purchasing a firearm, and license holders are generally afforded more trust by law enforcement, which is why many people still pursue it.

Is the shooting range indoor or outdoor?

Outdoor, on 55 acres. This tends to be quieter and less intimidating for first-time shooters than an indoor range.

Can a first-time shooter go straight to the LTC class?

No, the LTC class assumes basic firearm proficiency. First-time shooters should start with a Learn to Shoot class before attempting the LTC proficiency test.

What does firearms training cost near Plano, TX?

A 2.5-hour Learn to Shoot session is $90 (plus $30 for a rental handgun and ammunition if needed). The Texas LTC class, including online classroom and in-person range qualification, is $90 combined, or $45 for proficiency testing only.

Do I need to return on a separate day for the LTC shooting qualification?

No. The online classroom module is completed independently, and the in-person range qualification is handled in a single visit.

Firearms Training for Plano, TX Residents

If you live in Plano and you are looking for a Texas License to Carry class or a beginner-friendly place to learn to shoot, McKinney Firearms Training has been teaching Collin County residents - including a large number of Plano students - for about twelve years. Plano is actually one of our most common student origins; you will see that reflected in the reviews below. This page covers what to expect from training here, what Plano-area students have said about their experience (with us and elsewhere), and answers to the questions we hear most often from people searching from Plano.

We're not located in Plano itself; our private outdoor range sits a few miles east of Plano, near Lake Lavon, but a large share of our students come from Frisco, Little Elm, Prosper, Anna, and the rest of northern Collin County. It's an easy drive, and most Plano students tell us the range time (quiet, outdoors, no echoing indoor bays) is worth the trip. There are also cows on the property.

Why Plano Has So Many Training Options - and How to Sort Through Them

Plano has one of the deepest concentrations of gun ranges and firearms instruction in Collin County, from long-established retail ranges like Bullet Trap (operating in Plano since 1989, with an 18-lane indoor range) to newer range and retail combinations and independent instructors teaching out of Plano gun shops. That is useful in the sense that you have plenty of choices, but it also means class quality and format vary widely, from large group classroom sessions to genuine one-on-one instruction.

One thing worth knowing if you are comparing options: a Texas LTC is not just a legal formality. Local instructors point to a few concrete reasons people still pursue it even though Texas no longer requires a license to carry: it lets you skip the federal background check delay when buying a firearm from a dealer, it is honored as a form of ID in some contexts, and it gives you carry reciprocity in 37 other states.

What Changed: Permitless Carry and Why Training Still Matters

Texas has allowed permitless (constitutional) carry since September 1, 2021, meaning most adults 21+ no longer need an LTC to carry a handgun in public. That has not made training optional in any practical sense. When the law took effect, even gun range owners who supported the change publicly encouraged customers to get trained anyway - removing the legal requirement does not remove the need to actually know how to safely handle, store, and, if it ever comes to it, use a firearm. (NBC 5 DFW)

The LTC itself still carries real, practical value even under permitless carry: it is honored through reciprocity in dozens of other states, and license holders tend to get more benefit of the doubt in interactions with law enforcement simply because they have been vetted and trained. We cover this in more detail on our FAQ page.

Worth knowing if you are comparing online options: some companies market "concealed carry permits" that are actually non-resident licenses from other states (commonly Virginia), obtained entirely online with no shooting portion at all. Texas law requires an in-person shooting proficiency test for a Texas LTC, so if a class does not include one, it is not producing a Texas license. (WFAA)

What to Watch For When Choosing an Instructor

One of our own Plano students put it directly in her review: friends who qualified at local indoor ranges had complained to her about large class sizes and a lack of knowledge and teaching experience in their instructor, and her own experience with us was exactly the opposite. That tracks with what we hear most often from Plano-area students who compared options before choosing us:

Large classroom sizes with little individual attention, especially at busy retail ranges
Having to return on a separate day to complete the shooting qualification instead of finishing everything in one visit
Instructors who read straight from slides for four hours with no real-world context or examples
Noisy, crowded indoor ranges that are harder on true beginners than an open outdoor setting
Inconsistent instructor knowledge or experience at larger, higher-turnover facilities

Our classes are intentionally kept small, the online classroom module and the range qualification happen as part of the same overall process (no second trip required), and the range itself is a quiet outdoor setting rather than an indoor bay. If you want to see what a typical beginner session looks like, our promotional video below walks through the training options we offer.

What Plano Students Are Saying

These reviews are from students who identified their city as Plano when leaving a review on our reviews page:

"I cannot recommend Sandy enough! He was such a great instructor. I went in terrified but left feeling confident. He is incredibly knowledgeable, very methodical and thorough in his gun education and safety." - April P., Plano

"Hit 90% of all bullets within the target circle in the very first class. Highly recommend Sandy. Very experienced and very friendly." - Soris E., Plano

"As a first-timer who has never been in the same room as a gun, I left the class feeling immensely more comfortable with a gun and more confident in choosing a gun for myself." - Anastasia D., Plano

"I thoroughly enjoyed the LTC class. Sandy was accommodating, is knowledgeable, and very responsive to emails... I highly recommend anyone, particularly any women who are beginners, to learn with Sandy." - Jasmin M., Plano

"Having taken both the Learn To Shoot and LTC courses offered by Sandy, I feel well informed of the law and responsibilities that come with gun ownership and concealed carry. Friends who have qualified at local indoor ranges complain about large classes, a lack of knowledge and teaching experience in their instructor. My experience with McKinney Firearms was exactly the opposite." - Alan L., Plano

Read all 212+ student reviews →

Training Options for Plano Residents

Learn to Shoot - for absolute beginners, or anyone who wants a foundation before attempting an LTC proficiency test
Texas LTC Class - online classroom plus in-person range qualification, handled as one continuous process
Defensive Shooting - for students who already know the fundamentals and want practical self-defense skills
Ladies Gun Training - our beginner classes typically run 80%+ women; this option is 100%
Defensive Shotgun - home-defense-focused shotgun instruction
Church Security Training
Choosing a Pistol - guidance if you do not yet own a firearm

Frequently Asked Questions - Plano Students

Where exactly is the range?: We operate a private outdoor range in Collin County. We do not publish the exact address on the website; you will receive full directions once you register for a class.
Do I still need an LTC if Texas has permitless carry?: Legally, no - but the LTC still gets you reciprocity in dozens of other states, can help you skip background-check delays when purchasing a firearm, and license holders are generally treated with more trust by law enforcement. Many Plano students take the class for those reasons alone, separate from any legal requirement.
Is the range indoor or outdoor?: Outdoor, on 55 acres. It is quieter and less intimidating than an indoor range for most first-time shooters, though you will need to work around weather occasionally.
I have never shot a gun. Can I go straight to the LTC class?: No - the LTC class assumes basic proficiency already. Start with a Learn to Shoot class first; most students who do are well prepared for the LTC proficiency test afterward.
What does training cost?: Learn to Shoot is $90 for a 2.5-hour session (add $30 if you need to rent a handgun and ammunition). The LTC class is $90 for the combined online classroom plus range qualification, or $45 for proficiency testing only if you have already completed the online portion elsewhere.
Do I have to come back on a different day for the shooting test?: No. The online classroom module is completed independently on your own schedule, and the range qualification happens in one visit - no separate trip required.
Is there a minimum age?: 14 for public pistol classes, accompanied by an adult. Younger students are often better served by a private family class, which we also offer.

Service Area: Communities Near Plano

In addition to Plano, we regularly train students from these nearby Collin County communities, which do not yet have a dedicated page of their own on this site:

Murphy, TX
Parker, TX
Wylie, TX
Sachse, TX
Lucas, TX
Richardson, TX
Garland, TX
Carrollton, TX

(McKinney is covered throughout the rest of this site as our home base, Frisco has its own dedicated page, and Allen is covered on that page as well.) If you are in one of the communities above, everything on this page applies to you too - get in touch and we will get you scheduled.

View the class schedule → | Contact us →