Are you looking to get your Texas License to Carry – Texas Concealed Carry?
A lot of people find firearms training tiring, time consuming and difficult to understand. However, license to carry skills are important for daily living. So, in order to acquire the necessary skills, you need to be permitted to carry concealed weapons or firearms in Texas, we have put together stress-free personalized courses you can always go through at your pace and convenience, to get the quality knowledge and permission you want. Read on to find out more about Texas License to Carry.
What Do We Mean by Texas License to Carry - Texas Concealed Carry?
Today, it is necessary to first get a license before you can freely carry a gun in Texas, be it openly or concealed. To get this license, you must go through a six-hour training in-person or four-hour online training, write, and pass an exam, and must also excel in a shooting proficiency test or exams. Expectant licensees nowadays must also have their fingerprints submitted and must not be found wanting in a background check before they are given a Texas license to carry – Texas concealed carry. With this license, you no longer must go through a background check before you are allowed to purchase a firearm. The license to carry in Texas makes the process of self-security and personal defense a whole lot easier than it has ever been, with the right laws.
Texas Gun Laws
Texas is a state that has concealed firearms or handgun licenses, which are usually issued at the state level by the Department of Public Safety (DPS).
It is necessary to note that when purchasing a handgun from any private individual, there may be no permit, no background checks, or requirements of firearms registration. This may sound like an easy route, but it is in fact a set up for destruction because being caught roaming without a license to carry firearms would land you in a very unpleasant situation you may never get to forget.
As of 1st September in the year 2021, permit less concealed carry and open carry was made fair for persons who are twenty-one years old and above to lawfully possess a firearm or handgun. This law has been applicable to all open carry in a firearm case (holster) and concealed carry, where the firearm is kept totally hidden. However, Texas law is clear-cut and definite that openly carried guns must be inside a holster or leather case. Apart from this, eighteen-year-old to twenty-year-old are covered by certain court orders which may be related to cases such as family violence. They are therefore permitted to apply for a license to carry because of the situation.
Why Should You Own a Texas License to Carry - Texas Concealed Carry (LTC-CHL)?
1 You get to cut off unnecessary checks and inconveniences when you need to purchase a firearm.
2 You can still have your firearms with you and have access to locations where firearms are prohibited.
3 You have the permission to carry your firearms in gun-free schools.
4 You have all the legal backup you need to carry your firearms in open meetings with top government officials.
5 You have the luxury of airport protection.
Requirements for Texas License to Carry Firearms.
Anyone can wish to carry firearms in Texas, but below are requirements that must be met by people who seek a Texas License to Carry a handgun:
- He/she must not have been convicted of any criminal offense or lawbreaking act.
- He/she must be up to 21 years of age or must be at least 18 years if they're a part of the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guards, Reserves or must have been honorably discharged.
- He/she must not be a drug addict of any kind.
- He/she must be tested to have good knowledge of a handgun especially how and when it should be used, as well as how it must be kept.
- He/she must be totally qualified to purchase a handgun and must check the applicable federal and state laws.
- He/she must not be delinquent and must clear necessary taxes recognized by the state or federation.
- He/she must not be subject to a restraining order that has to do with a spouse.
- Summarily, he or she must meet all the requirements as stated in Federal Law Requirements.
Requirements for Firearm Training in Texas.
The requirements for firearms training in Texas are:
Six lecture hours in an actual classroom or 4-hour online courses that cover:
Constitutions that have to do with weapons, firearms, or handguns.
The use of handguns and its safety tips/precautions. Also, the handling of restraint holders as well as secure ways to carry a handgun, be it openly or concealed.
Resolution of disputes without using violent acts of any kind.
Best storage procedures for firearms and ways to avoid accidentally injury of children and other adults.
The physical or range training aspect of the course must be a proper demonstration by the prospective gun owner. This will require him or her to handle every required aspect of a handgun safely and satisfactorily. An application might not get to be certified until they have at least demonstrated the required level of usability to proficiently operate a handgun.
The Shooting Test.
To pass the shooting test, fifty rounds of ammunition must be fired at three distances. This must be supervised by a trained instructor to avoid all forms of accidents or misfired shots. The three major distances to be fired at are:
- Three (3) yards. Twenty (20) rounds are to be fired at this distance.
- Seven (7) yards. Twenty (20) rounds must also be fired at this distance.
- Ten (10) yards. Fifteen (15) yards are to be fired at this distance.
The proficiency examination or test must involve a written or computer-based test in the subject areas that have been listed above. Apart from that, a physical assessment or demonstration must be carried out to tell the expertise of the applicant and how well he or she has learned the lessons on handling handguns.
Self-Defense in Texas.
***DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT LAWYERS SO DON’T TAKE ANY ADVICE GIVEN BELOW AS LEGAL ADVICE***
Texas has always been a state where everyone needs to be able to defend themselves in one way or the other. There is no stated law that requires anyone to retreat from any place he or she has every right to be, even if that person is encounters an unpleasant issue which requires him or her to use force, or deadly force to protect himself or anyone else around.
Using Force in Texas
A person is always free and encouraged to apply force when that force happens to be greatly needed and ultimately necessary to protect himself or herself against an attempted use of unlawful force (that is dangerous to him/her). Force is therefore necessary to protect one’s life, property, or environment.
There are three major situations in which Texas permits you to use force against someone else:
-If someone tries to unlawfully and forcefully break into your home, get on your vehicle, or gain access into your business premises.
-If someone attempts to unlawfully and forcefully kidnap you or take you out of your home, your vehicle or business premises against your will.
-If someone seems to be carrying out or attempting to carry out a kidnap, a killing or murder, sexually assault you, steal from you or rob you.
It is important to note that an assault can only be considered as a form of self-defense in any of the above-mentioned situations when the individual who tries to defend himself or herself never angered or instigated the person the force was used against. Also, the individual must never have any criminal history more than a traffic violation during that period.
These being stated, if anyone attempts to unlawfully and forcefully get into your home or where you reside, it is lawful to use deadly force against the imposter. Sometimes, this can be said to be the Castle Rule or the Castle Law. However, in common law, the ultimate important place anyone can fight for is his residence. We are expected to protect and fight for our homes and the law gives us the right to do this while protecting our privacy too.
So, whenever someone tries to force their way into your home or forcefully break into your home against your will, the law permits you to apply deadly force. This is because you can presume that the person trying to break into your property will have weapons and is using deadly force to get in, to harm to you or your family.
Also in other cases, if you realize that someone is trying to take you out from your home against your will or carry out any aggravated crime to harm you, you have the legal right to use deadly force in a bid to protect yourself from every form of instant threat or danger that may have been posed by the perpetrators. They may have been attempting to enter your residence with a weapon or attempting to harass you sexually and you must always try to defend yourself.
Also take note that in Texas, you have the right to employ force to oppose an arrest or a seeming search if a peace officer or someone who is acting according to the command of a peace officer applies too much force just to carry out an arrest or a search. This happens to be a very sensitive issue because the entire situation will be properly analyzed to conclude whether the force was for self-defense or not.
This brings us to the Penal Code.
The Penal Code states that you are justified to use force against someone else when you know the force, you’re applying is necessary for you to be able to protect yourself. To be, you have the right to use force up to the very same degree as the other person uses it or tries to use the force unlawfully against you.
In a situation where someone has the right to be at a certain location where force is being used and did not provoke or instigate anger in the individual, they used force against, and neither is there any other criminal actions taking place at the moment: it is not lawfully required of that person to retreat before he or she uses force. Read on to understand this better.
For instance, Steve drives into his house and encounters Harold who aggressively grabs Steve and has his other hand behind his back while threatening Steve. All this happened as soon as Steve pulls into his parking lot. However, Steve is lucky to be a concealed firearm carrier, so he swiftly pulls out his handgun and tries to stop Harold by scaring him off with his own handgun. But Harold does not stop. Rather, Harold becomes more serious and starts to make more threats and at the same time, begins to pull out something behind his back. At this point, what does Steve have to do to defend himself? Is it advisable to pull his handgun while pointing it to Harold? Absolutely! The answer is yes! In such a circumstance, it can be rightfully believed that Harold has a handgun concealed and is going to either badly inflict injury on Steve or even kill Steve since he was threatening Steve at that point. Pointing his own handgun towards Harold would always be an understandable effort to protect himself now.
How to Lawfully Stand Your Ground in Texas.
It is true that one’s home is one’s castle, and the law does not demand that anyone should run away from anyone else or situation that has no right to show up or take place in one’s home. This is applicable in a lot of states because an individual is expected to act as the king or queen of his own castle.
Very importantly, Texas Penal Code allows the actual use of up to equal force (and includes deadly force too) force and finds it lawful when you understand that the trespasser is trying to use force to unlawfully force his or her way into your habitation.
However, what may be said to be someone’s habitation can be limited to several factors: it is the “structure or vehicle adapted for the overnight accommodation of persons; and includes each separately secured or occupied portion of the structure or vehicle; and each structure appurtenant to or connected with the structure or vehicle.”
For instance, Texas would not always count your detached garage as part of your “castle”. However, if anyone tries to unlawfully or forcefully get into your veranda, you have every right to strongly “stand your ground.”
Legal Forces for Protection of Property in Texas.
What is the best thing to do if anyone tries to temper with or destroy your belongings/ property? It could be that they’re trying to steal your property, ruin or take advantage of your belongings in one way or the other. You may try to yell at the destroyer, but it doesn’t work. What is the best thing to do to legally protect your property?
In Texas legal law, you must not apply deadly force in a bid to protect your property. It is not permitted. What this tells you is that you do not have any legal grounds to shoot at anyone in order to protect your property. However, it is understandable if you employ a certain amount of
force to protect your property. You don’t have to use any deadly force to prevent anyone from destroying your property, but you can utilize a non-deadly force to curb the destruction and hinder the criminal from going ahead with the crime.
Say Joan is in her home tending to her personal issues, then her security cameras send an alert and notifies her that someone is sneaking into her home through her driveway.
What is the first action that Joan must take? JOAN MUST CALL THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY! She should inform the police about the threat at hand and ask for immediate help. As Joan keeps observing the criminal, what should she do if breaks into her car and tries to steal it away?
It is completely wise for Joan to go out with her handgun and confront the criminal. So yes, she can go out with the gun to scare him. But can Joan kill or shoot the intruder if he refuses to stop? NO! That is the difference. It okay to step out and confront the criminal with the use of non-deadly force so as to make him stop what he was trying to do BUT Joan must not shoot at him in a bid to fight for her car.
However, if the perpetrator took Joan’s child with him, that is a totally different issue because at that point, the criminal wants to kidnap or harm her child. She may now apply a more aggressive force to save life.
Texas Self-defense Laws and Confusing Situations.
A lot of times things happen, and we take actions we quickly wish to undo, but it doesn’t always go how we planned. Join me as we take a close look at specific kinds of situations that brings a little bit of confusion when it gets to the self-defense laws in Texas.
– If someone provokes someone else, and later puts the provocation aside to plainly explain why they did what they did to the person they provoked, but the provoked person keeps trying to use an unlawful force against him or her, a case of self-defense might take place according to the law.
-Apart from that, under a section of Texas self-defense law called “Protection of Life or Health,” an individual can be right to use force (not a deadly force though) so as to save someone from committing suicide or intentionally injuring himself or herself. It is also justifiable for an individual to use force, deadly or not deadly, against someone else when the situation warrants them to use it to save someone’s life.
What To Do When Faced with A Criminal Charge.
Anyone who has been wrongly charged or accused of assault or a firearm’s charge when the person was only trying to defend himself or herself must seek the expert services of an experienced attorney for criminal defense. This attorney will in turn listen to the accused side of the story then go ahead to prepare an effective strategy to defend the accused.
Apart from that, if a certain pending criminal charge is a felony assault or a charge for gun felony, the attorney for the accused may expertly provide and present contextual evidence to defend the accused in a grand jury. It is important to note that the grand jury is a panel of persons who has what it takes to filter out unfair situations to further hinder such a case from developing into a jury trial.
Any law firm that deals on aggressive criminal defense could also ensure that a clear illustration of what truly took place gets to the grand jury. This will explain to the grand jury that an individual is being wrongly charged because he or she was only trying to defend himself or herself. During this presentation at the grand jury, they charge may end up as a felony by judgement, it may also be lowered to a less serious offense, or the case might just get dismissed. The ultimate aim of the accused’s attorney would be a no bill from the grand jury, which would also mean a complete dismissal of the charge. If this happens, the accused gets cleared.
Now this is the point that most people who are accused wish for, whether they were wrongly charged or not. This is because nobody wants to be ladened with the stigma that comes with having a criminal case on their record such as missed employment opportunities or societal discrimination. After the statute of
limitations finally gets to be passed, a criminal defense attorney can go ahead to file a petition for expunction. The purpose of this is to ensure that the criminal case gets to be completely destroyed from the person’s criminal record. It will involve a quick hearing by a felony judge so that the expunction can be approved and forwarded to every agency or office that may have a record of the arrest. They are Texas Department of Public Safety, FBI, local police departments, publicdata.com, etc.
When Does Texas Say It Is Not Self-Defense?
Below are a few instances in which someone’s use of force can never get justified by legal grounds in a law court.
First, if a person was only provoked with words(verbally), was never physically threatened, or touched and wasn’t threatened with any firearm or weapon, the use of force in such a situation is a complete assault and is punishable by law.
Furthermore, if an individual simply waves a weapon of any kind or just has a weapon in possession in a discussion between himself and another party, using force against him or her can never be justifiable or regarded as self-defense.
Most importantly and no matter the manner of any situation or circumstances, the law permits you to claim self-defense if you get charged with a violent offense. Ultimately, the law court will get to decide whether your action was out of self-defense or plain assault.
Issuing Authority in Texas.
Texas License to Carry a firearm is issued on a non-discretionary (shall-issue) ground to everyone who is eligible to have the license and applicants who have been qualified by the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Texas License to Carry Validity Timeline.
The Texas License to Carry a firearm can be valid for four years, when calculated from the licensed date. During this period, one is expected to abide by the federal and state laws which apply to handguns and plan for an early renewal when the previous license expires.
How To Renew Your Texas Concealed Carried Permit.
Like most licenses, the Texas License to Carry also has need for renewal from time to time.
Normally, a license holder would be notified about six (6) months ahead of its expiration, so it can be adequately planned for and renewed. A firearm license renewal can be sent in six months from the actual expiration date of the license. However, any application that is submitted twelve months after a license gets expired will be handled as a fresh license registration.
Permit Application Timeline.
The time needed to process an application for a new License to Carry Permit takes up to sixty days from the date your application was concluded and handed to the DPS. Eligibility or accuracy questions sometimes increases the time spent in the requirement process, but it never takes more than 180 days.
License to Carry Permit Denial:
Several reasons can lead to denial of license to carry such, and it covers issues like crime histories and in a nutshell, not meeting the requirements that are necessary to get a license to carry handguns.
Residents who are refused a License to Carry permit in Texas are allowed to make a request for an appeal within thirty (30) days. It must be a written request for a chance to be heard and it should be addressed to the Texas Department of Public Safety within the said location. After getting a request for a hearing from a prospective license holder or applicant, the department shall go ahead to schedule a hearing in the appropriate justice court or in the county of residence of the applicant.
Transportation of Handguns.
A license to carry permit might not be needed if you happen to be carrying a firearm in a private vehicle or a personal vessel. If you ever must transport a handgun or firearm, ensure that it is totally unloaded and secured in a case. Ammunition should also be stored separately. Never transport a firearm displayed in a gun rack.
CONCEAL CARRY ACADEMY (A SMOOTH JOURNEY TO GAINING PROFICIENCY IN USING FIREARMS AND HAVING YOUR LICENSE TO CARRY HANDGUNS).
At Conceal Carry Academy, we offer training that is tailored and planned for busy adults in America, who may be searching for a better training course in firearms that are preferred to the usual boring and time-consuming firearms training that has existed long before now. The coaches at Conceal Carry Academy devote their time, energy, resources, and experiences to achieve a learning atmosphere where every student feels comfortable, safe, and confident. This process also gives students an empowered feeling about being able to subsequently put their second Amendment Rights to complete practice.
Our Texas License to Carry Online Courses.
Conceal Carry Academy is a certified and recognized organization that conducts firearm training for as many as adults who meet our requirements and wish to proceed with learning how to use a handgun expertly and getting a license to carry firearms in Texas. Our firm is fully approved by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to bring standard and quality firearm training to the residents of Texas. It doesn’t matter the part of Texas you reside in or how shallow your knowledge of handguns is, we have our courses specially tailored and personalized for your absolute satisfaction.
The journey to your license to carry a handgun isn’t as difficult as you imagine, you’ll get to learn all you need in bits and according to your pace, to become fully skilled in the handling and storage of firearms.
Who Can Benefit from Our Online Texas License to Carry - Texas Concealed Carry Classes?
One as advantage of being a participant or our online classes is the fact that distance can never be a barrier to learning. So long you are available and reside within any of the cities of Texas or Nationwide, you have every right and reason to be a part of our training community and benefit from our online classes. These classes have a lot of benefits which may range from gaining critical understanding and required knowledge to analyze situations around you that has to do with your safety plus the extra advantage of owning a license to carry over permit less carry.
What Does It Take to Get Your Texas LTC?
You would think getting your Texas License to Carry firearms involves a lot of time, energy, and resources, but the good news is that getting this priceless knowledge only takes about four hours of your time to go through specific lessons. You may decide to take the lessons little by little due to your tight schedule, the nature of your work or even the sheer decision to take it a step at a time. However, you totally have the right to also take all the lessons without delay, so long it is convenient for you. After completing all your classes that are required for your license to carry, your LTC101 training form will be made available and ready to be downloaded. This form can be taken to any nearest local LTC instructor who can walk you through the completion to complete the qualification familiarization range portion.
Getting Started.
The process that is involved in getting a Texas License to Carry (formally called Texas Concealed Carry) is pretty straight-forward. Texas permits you to go through The License to Carry (LTC) class (course) 4 hour virtually (online) and/or take the 8 hour course in-person.
You can check out our website here to find out about other online and in-person NRA and non-NRA trainings. We also teach the Oklahoma Concealed Carry SDA Class. If you are in Oklahoma and wishing to obtain your Oklahoma Concealed Carry License through O.S.B.I.
√ Get enrolled in a course.
– Enrollment into the Texas License to Carry class requires you to simply enroll or register, and you’ll automatically land at the page where you can successfully complete your purchase.
√ Complete the Course.
So long you have the aim to complete the course, it is very straightforward. Attend your classes, take your exams, download your certificate, and get to print your certificate for all online courses.
√ Submit Required Documents.
As soon as you complete your course and get your certificate printed out, endure that you have met all the criteria required for the course you went through. Once you have done all these, proceed to submit your documents to the right offices of the state.
Start your Texas Concealed Carry (LTC) Application click here.
√ Get Your License.
At this stage, you need to be very patient with the process.
To get the Texas License to Carry firearms or for your Texas LTC permit, after you must have submitted your documents to the state, the DPS will look at all your certifications and paperwork and begin the final process to get your license to carry. This process sometimes can take up to sixty days to be completed. Then you watch out for your physical license in your mail before you can begin to openly carry your handgun.
Also, to get your Oklahoma Concealed Carry SDA License, OSBI has sixty to ninety days to complete the license application process. Even if it involves physical classes, you can process your application for your license online using mail order forms. Applications are also available at all county sheriffs’ offices.
Oklahoma Concealed Carry SDA Class.
Enrollment into the Oklahoma SDA or any other in-person classes you choose to go through, simply click on enroll and it will automatically land you on a class page. There is a calendar displayed at the bottom of a page, simply pick a comfortable date you will prefer, and click to enroll for the class available for your chosen date.
The enrollment procedure is easy and straightforward. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us anytime, any day.
The process that is involved in acquiring the Oklahoma Concealed Carry SDA License and the process that is involved in getting a Texas License to Carry (formally called Texas Concealed Carry) are not so different from each other. But one major difference that is glaring enough between both processes is that Texas permits you to go through The License to Carry (LTC) class (course) virtually (online) while the Oklahoma SDA Concealed Carry License requires you to be physically present in class.
You can check out our website here to find out about other online and in-person NRA and non-NRA trainings.
Our classes are mostly held during the weekends when you are free from the busy=ness that occupy weekdays and especially when it is most convenient for you. We deliver a hands-on, personalized, and quality learning course or program at your comfort to ensure that you get acquainted and used to the various laws and skills you need to acquire your carry permit. The moment you get to successfully complete our training; we hand our Oklahoma SDA certification to you to proceed with obtaining your permit.
To get trained at Conceal Carry Academy is an opportunity to let a state-approved firearm training organization walk you through your journey to firearm handling and expertise. All our experts and instructors are certified SDA instructors. The benefit of having certified SDA instructors is that you’ll be taught first class firearm education on how to carry a handgun and use it to defend yourself and your loved ones rightfully.
Our classes are well structured, strategically broken down and easy to understand to ensure that you’re adequately schooled or informed on how to carry firearms in Oklahoma. Our classes also cover the responsibilities, rights and restrictions that come with having a license to carry firearms.
Why you should not miss out on our SDA Classes.
As an important part of the Oklahoma Self Défense Act (SDA), it is necessary for you to go be trained in basic firearm usage before you can be able to file for an Oklahoma Concealed Carry permit. Other added benefits of our SDA training include:
You get to freely and comfortably interact with law enforcement officials.
You have the advantage of carrying a firearm in some areas where it is not permitted.
You get maximum knowledge and in depth understanding of the laws, rights and responsibilities that surround lethal force.
You also get acquainted with the restrictions to carrying firearms. And lots more!
Be aware that at Conceal Carry Academy, our richly planned and well-structured classes are open for all individuals who reside in the state. If you want to take the learning process slowly, you can split it into eight (8) hours of lectures so that you can get to learn only when it is convenient for you.
You can go to our Conceal Carry Academy Website to see available dates and times for the Oklahoma Concealed Carry SDA Class. You can also check out our website to find out about other online and in-person NRA and non-NRA trainings.
Texas LTC Questions and Answers / Frequently Asked Questions
Texas License to Carry (Formally Texas Concealed Carry) is issued by Texas (DPS) Department of Public Safety.
Your Initial license is valid for four years. Texas License to Carry Renewal Licenses are valid for five years
Yes, Texas recognizes Constitutional / Permitless Carry
Texas Concealed Carry Requirements are You must be at least 21 years old (18 if Active-Duty Military), have a valid government-issued identification card (such as driver’s license from Texas), and meet all qualifications to purchase handguns. You can take an approved classroom or online training course that will teach you about the safety rules for carrying one.
Yes, you can reference the Motorist Protection Act for more details
This depends on the instructor; it can range anywhere from $75 to $150 dollars. That is why we built the online version for the working family. Our class is on$40. We are the most affordable in the state.
Yes, minus Range Portion of training if needed, and getting fingerprints / Passport photos done. Everything can be taught online at your own pace with our Texas License to Carry Class LTC CHL. You can go to the Texas Department of Public Safety website here to start your Texas License to Carry Application. Everything these days is submitted online, though there is an option to mail some things in but DPS frowns on that.
No Active-Duty Military get the same rights as any other Texan. They can open carry if the wish (NOT ON BASE, DIFFERENT LAWS THERE). I highly encourage active duty get their License to Carry Concealed Carry Texas though. Texas is a very Military friendly state. Active-Duty members pay $0 for the LTC License. All they pay for is the class (Ours is online and $40) and their fingerprints / passport photo.
No, you do not have to take a class for Texas Constitutional Carry, but I highly recommend taking the Texas Online LTC, or at least do your research, learn the laws, and protect yourself from liability.
In-person classes can range from 8-12 hours depending on instructor. Our Online course is a minimum of 4 hours for the Texas LTC Class.
Given that legislature voted for the change of the Concealed Handgun License (Concealed Carry) to License to Carry Texas. One could argue that with a vote it could be changed. Given that a lot of time and money was spent to change to LTC from a CHL. So highly unlikely that things will change anytime soon. Others reference a Texas DPS Handgun License also but they all are a Texas License to Carry.
Take our Online Class – 4 Hours
Range – 1-2 hours
Fingerprints 30 minutes
However long it takes you to fill out the paperwork and payment online
Then about 8 weeks for License to Carry to mail to you.
Now Texas issues a Texas License to Carry, in the past it was a Texas Concealed Carry through training of a Texas Concealed Carry Course.
Texas License to Carry Class
The Texas License to Carry Online Class is the perfect way to earn your permit to carry a concealed weapon in Texas. This comprehensive online course covers all the topics required by the State of Texas
Course Provider: Organization
Course Provider Name: Conceal Carry Academy
Course Provider URL: https://concealedcarryintexas.com/single-class-page/
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