Panola College Campus Carry Regulations

Handgun – any firearm that is designed, made, or adapted to be fired with one hand.

Concealed Handgun – the presence of a handgun is not openly discernible to the ordinary observation of a reasonable person.

1. Open carry of a handgun is NOT permitted by a license holder on Panola College owned or leased locations (including all buildings, driveways, streets, sidewalks or walkways, and parking areas of the institution) regardless of whether the handgun is holstered. Only licensed peace officers are authorized by law to open carry firearms on campus.
2. A license holder, under Chapter 411 of the Texas Government Code, may carry a concealed handgun while on Panola College owned or leased locations unless prohibited by state or federal law or by the exceptions described by the regulations.
3. A license holder will not be subject to prejudice for lawfully expressing the right to carry.
4. Panola College expects license holders to store lawfully the handgun when going to a place on campus where concealed carry is prohibited. The college will not provide general storage.
5. A license holder may be asked to show proof of license to a college police officer but no other college employee may ask to see the license.
6. A license holder may transport and store a concealed handgun in a locked, privately owned vehicle while on Panola College owned or leased locations.
7. A license holder who carries a concealed handgun on his or her person must secure the handgun in a holster that covers the trigger guard.
8. A license holder may not carry a handgun if he or she is intoxicated.
9. A license holder may not carry a handgun on the premises where a high school, collegiate, or professional sporting event or interscholastic event is taking place, unless the license holder is a participant in the event and a handgun is used in the event.
10. A license holder may not carry a handgun into a polling location on campus.
11. A license holder may not intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carry a handgun into the Sid B. Turner Memorial Chapel during a religious service.
12. The concealed carry of a handgun into formal disciplinary or appeals hearings is prohibited.
13. License holders who reside in or visit campus housing may carry a concealed handgun. Handguns must be either concealed on the license holder’s person, stored in a locked vehicle, or stored in a locked safe inside the resident’s room.
14. An employee of the college who is a license holder may store a handgun in a locked drawer in his or her assigned office.
15. These regulations will be enforced through the involvement of police in criminal infractions. Penalties may include a Class C citation and an offense report and/or arrest.
16. These regulations will be distributed widely to faculty, staff, and students through the college’s website, The Student Handbook, and faculty/staff handbooks.
17. Panola College will comply with the placement of required signage as described by Texas Government Code section 30.06.
18. An ad hoc committee appointed by the president may review these regulations based on requests filed by college departments.
19. The Panola College president may amend these rules as necessary for campus safety.