Pepper Spray /Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) can be carried by any private citizen in the state of Texas at any time, however the state of Texas recently passed a House Bill which requires that anyone performing any type of security-related work (Non-commissioned, Commission, Bodyguard, Bounty Hunter, etc.), must take a Pepper Spray class and be able to provide such proof to law enforcement on request. As many point out, security officers are “private citizens” and private citizens are already allowed to carry pepper spray, but the House Bill overrides that and specifically states “security” – so security officers must take the class. To add, there currently are no restrictions as to the heat of the OC (SHU) or the concentration or percentage level, to include the size of container that can be carried by security officers in the state of Texas.
A question that often comes up from students is “what about the use of pepper ball rounds?”
At TCTA, we always practice and stress the importance of safety first! If you’re using Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) Pepper Balls, regardless if they are loaded up in a shotgun, paintball gun, or some conductive energy weapon, if it is “OC” then it would apply the new House Bill and you should take the OC class, as it is the same chemical compound with the same effects. You will not want to “war-game” or play semantics with Texas laws.
At TCTA, we want to point out that you should always try to take some type of class or certification for anything that you’re going to carry or use on duty, as it will become a liability issue if you use something that you haven’t received training for and you know that training exists. We provide pepper spray training which does not require that you be sprayed or exposed to pepper spray in order to be certified. You will receive a wall certificate and a pocket card to present to law enforcement upon request.