Get used to seeing visible holsters when open carry goes into effect on Jan. 1.

Open carry in Texas becomes effective on Jan. 1 — we’ll have to get used to it.

If you decide to take a stroll around your neighborhood park after the new year, don’t be alarmed to observe a young woman, perhaps a neighbor, sitting on a bench casually reading on her mobile electronic device, a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun strapped to her hip. Or, don’t get nervous if you see a man walking his Bichon on a leash while carrying a .45-caliber pistol in a holster on his shoulder. Welcome to the new Texas.

At the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, a new law passed by the 84th Texas Legislature and later signed by Gov. Greg Abbott allows Texans to carry any handgun openly or concealed as long as they are licensed by Texas or a state with reciprocity. Under the new law, the handgun must be carried in a shoulder or belt holster.

There should be no cause for alarm or reason to call the police. “It’s going to take some getting used to by all of us,” Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland Jr., said at a recent open-carry information meeting that attracted 200 people, mostly concealed-carry license holders.

We applaud McClelland, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson and City Attorney Donna Edmundson for participating in the meeting, and we suggest they hold more before the end of the year. A video of the meeting can be accessed on the HPD website and is well worth watching.

The trio acknowledged that the open-carry law is complex, with nuances and scenarios that can unfold when people are strolling around with guns on their hips.

The good news, according to Anderson, is that licensed gun owners — the only ones who will be permitted to carry their weapons openly — are generally law-abiding citizens, having already cleared the legal hurdles to win approval for a gun license.

First, some perspective: While historic in scope, the new law reflects the evolving nature of public policy. It was 145 years ago in 1871, just six years after the Civil War, when the Texas Legislature first outlawed the carrying of pistols outside the home. It was just 20 years ago when the Legislature passed its landmark Concealed Handgun License law in 1995. Now, come January, Texas will join a majority of states that allow open carry of handguns, and Houston will become the largest U.S. city where open carry is permitted.

Texas indeed will be more gunfriendly, something the Chronicle editorial board has opposed because of the atrocities wrought by gun violence across this country and the reluctance of Texas lawmakers to consider even modest restrictions on lawful access to guns and gun ownership. However, that debate will be muted until the next tragedy, and the focus now needs to be directed to understanding the do’s and don’ts under the new law.

There are things that CHL holders and the unarmed need to keep in mind:

• CHL holders can’t open carry everywhere. Private businesses and public buildings and spaces have varied open-carry restrictions.

• Police are allowed to stop someone openly carrying a handgun to check for identification and a gun license. Be cooperative.

• Private property owners can prohibit open carry weapons by displaying proper signage or if the owner asks the person with the gun to leave the property.

The bottom line is this: The law is new, so there is a learning curve we all have to negotiate. Keep yourself safe and make the situation safer for an inquiring police officer.

As far as the woman sitting on a bench and casually reading on her mobile device, a .380 on her hip, just wave and say good afternoon. She’s probably not someone you need to worry about.