Gun Laws/Texas/Reviewed October 3, 2026

English

Are forced reset triggers legal in Texas?

Quick answer

Yes

Texas: No state statute reaches them as of our last review.

4 of Texas's 4 neighboring states have the same status. Check each one before you cross a state line with forced reset triggers.

Not legal advice. Source: Tex. Penal Code §§ 46.01(9), 46.05, checked October 3, 2026

Forced reset trigger laws by state

Alabama: No state banAlaska: No state banArizona: No state banColorado: RestrictedFlorida: UnsettledGeorgia: No state banIndiana: No state banKansas: No state banMaine: No state banMassachusetts: RestrictedMinnesota: RestrictedNew Jersey: RestrictedNorth Carolina: No state banNorth Dakota: No state banOklahoma: No state banPennsylvania: No state banSouth Dakota: No state banTexas: No state banWyoming: No state banConnecticut: RestrictedMissouri: No state banWest Virginia: No state banIllinois: RestrictedNew Mexico: No state banArkansas: No state banCalifornia: RestrictedDelaware: RestrictedHawaii: RestrictedIowa: UnsettledKentucky: No state banMaryland: RestrictedMichigan: No state banMississippi: No state banMontana: No state banNew Hampshire: No state banNew York: RestrictedOhio: No state banOregon: RestrictedTennessee: No state banUtah: No state banVirginia: UnsettledWashington: RestrictedWisconsin: No state banNebraska: No state banSouth Carolina: No state banIdaho: No state banNevada: RestrictedVermont: No state banLouisiana: No state banRhode Island: RestrictedALAKAZARCACOFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMIMNMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVAWAWVWIWY
No state ban (32)Unsettled (3)Restricted (15)Forced reset trigger laws by state. Tap a state
Map legend: clear means No state ban; caution means Unsettled; restricted means Restricted

Forced reset triggers you can buy in Texas

Legal in Texas.Federally allowed since the 2025 Department of Justice settlement, and unrestricted here.

Not legal advice. Confirm your own configuration before you buy. All Texas gun laws

Which forced reset trigger fits your gun?

Pick your platform. Each one lists what the gun needs to run a forced reset trigger and the ones the catalog carries for it, in stock first.

Forced reset triggers for the AR-15: 11 in the catalog, 7 in stock

  • Full auto profile bolt carrier (M16 cut) for a forced reset trigger; most binary triggers run on a semi carrier
  • Mil-spec lower with standard 0.154" pin holes
  • H2 or H3 buffer and a fresh spring so the carrier does not outrun the reset

Ranked by what builders add most, in stock first. One listing per model.

See all 11 for the AR-15 →

What the Texas statute says

Texas's two shot machine gun definition

Tex. Penal Code §§ 46.01(9), 46.05

“‘Machine gun’ means any firearm that is capable of shooting more than two shots automatically, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.”

Texas counts a gun as a machine gun only above two shots per function of the trigger, and possession is a third degree felony unless it is in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Conversion parts are not in the definition, and 2025 bills to add a conversion device crime died in committee.

Statute text checked October 3, 2026. Quotes are the statute's own words.

Texas law in detail

  • Texas has no statute reaching forced reset triggers as of the last review, and no trigger activator or rate of fire provision that we read as covering them.
  • Federally these are legal after the 2025 Department of Justice settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, which also required ATF to return seized units to owners who asked by September 30, 2025.
  • The settlement does not protect a device modified into an actual auto sear. That is a separate federal felony and nothing here changes it.

The federal rule

Under the 2025 Justice Department settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, ATF no longer treats a forced reset trigger that fires one round per trigger function as a machine gun. That settles federal law only; a state can still ban FRTs under its own machine gun, rapid fire device or multiburst trigger statute.

FRTs in neighboring states

Next steps

Frequently asked questions

Are forced reset triggers legal in Texas?

Yes. Texas: No state statute reaches them as of our last review. The statute: Tex. Penal Code §§ 46.01(9), 46.05. Reviewed October 3, 2026.

What is the federal rule on forced reset triggers?

Under the 2025 Justice Department settlement with Rare Breed Triggers, ATF no longer treats a forced reset trigger that fires one round per trigger function as a machine gun. That settles federal law only; a state can still ban FRTs under its own machine gun, rapid fire device or multiburst trigger statute.

How many states restrict forced reset triggers?

Nationwide by our review: 32 states: no state ban; 3: unsettled; 15: restricted.

More Texas gun laws

Legal disclaimer: This page summarizes state law for general information and is not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can be stricter. Confirm with the Texas statutes, the state attorney general or a licensed attorney before buying, building or traveling.