Florida concealed carry laws and reciprocity

Licensees and permitless carriers must carry valid identification while in actual possession of a concealed weapon or firearm and display it on demand by a law enforcement officer, a $25 noncriminal violation (ss. 790.06(1)(c), 790.013(1), F.S.); there is no duty to volunteer that one is armed.

A person 18 or older in lawful possession may keep a handgun in a private vehicle if it is securely encased or not readily accessible, without a license; anyone authorized to carry concealed under s. 790.01(1) may carry on their person in the vehicle (s. 790.25(4), F.S.).

A person who is not licensed may carry a concealed weapon or firearm if they meet the licensing criteria in s. 790.06(2)(a)-(f) and (i)-(n), including being a U.S. resident (s. 790.01(1)(b), F.S.); nonresidents qualify on the same terms. The statute still sets the age at 21 (s. 790.06(2)(b)), but the Fourth DCA held that requirement unconstitutional for 18-to-20-year-olds in Eubanks v. State (June 17, 2026), the Attorney General did not appeal, and FDACS now issues licenses at 18; CarryShield therefore uses 18.

FDACS shall issue a license to an applicant who meets the criteria in s. 790.06(2), F.S. After Eubanks v. Florida (Fla. 4th DCA, June 17, 2026) held the age-21 requirement unconstitutional, FDACS states it issues licenses to otherwise eligible applicants 18 and older.

Florida licenses are available to any resident of the United States who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien and meets the other criteria; Florida residency is not required (s. 790.06(2)(a), F.S.).

Not being enforced

Florida's statutory open-carry ban (s. 790.053, F.S.) was struck down in McDaniels v. State (Fla. 1st DCA, Sept. 2025); the Attorney General called the ruling effectively the law of the state, told police and prosecutors not to arrest or prosecute law-abiding people carrying visibly, and said his office will no longer defend such prosecutions. The places listed in s. 790.06(12)(a) and a private owner's order to leave still apply. However, in Eubanks v. State (Fla. 4th DCA, June 17, 2026) the Fourth District said the statute "remains presently valid and potentially enforceable" in that district, so enforcement may differ by appellate district.

Chapter 790, Florida Statutes, contains no provision making it an offense to carry past a posted no-firearms sign; the value rests on the absence of such a provision. Under s. 810.08, F.S., a person who is warned by the owner to depart and refuses commits trespass in a structure or conveyance, which is a third-degree felony when the offender is armed with a firearm.

Carry is barred in any portion of an establishment licensed to serve alcohol for on-premises consumption that is primarily devoted to that purpose, such as a bar area; restaurant dining areas are not listed (s. 790.06(12)(a), F.S.). This applies to licensees and permitless carriers alike (s. 790.013(2)).

State parks are not among the places listed in s. 790.06(12)(a), and s. 790.33 preempts any administrative rule adopted by state or local government on possessing or carrying firearms.

Notwithstanding any other law, a licensee may carry concealed on property owned or lawfully used by a church, synagogue, or other religious institution, subject to the institution's right to control its property (s. 790.06(13), F.S.).

Carry is barred in any college or university facility (s. 790.06(12)(a)), and possessing a firearm on the property of any school, including postsecondary schools, is a third-degree felony, except for firearms kept in a vehicle under s. 790.25(4) (s. 790.115(2), F.S.).

Under s. 790.06(12)(a), F.S., which also binds permitless carriers, carry is barred in police, sheriff, and highway patrol stations; jails and prisons; courthouses and courtrooms; polling places; meetings of local governing bodies and the Legislature; school, college, or professional athletic events not related to firearms; K-12 schools, administration buildings, and career centers; bar areas of establishments licensed for on-premises alcohol; college and university facilities; airport passenger terminals and sterile areas; places of nuisance; and places barred by federal law. School property and school-sponsored events are also barred under s. 790.115.

A person justified in using or threatening deadly force has no duty to retreat and may stand their ground if not engaged in criminal activity and in a place where they have a right to be (s. 776.012(2), F.S.).

Florida's weapons and firearms chapter (Chapter 790, F.S.) contains no magazine capacity limit, and the state preempts all local firearm and ammunition regulation (s. 790.33, F.S.).

Chapter 790, F.S. contains no assault weapons ban, and s. 790.33 preempts local governments from regulating the possession or sale of firearms.

Florida's weapons and firearms chapter (Chapter 790, F.S.) contains no prohibition on possessing firearm silencers or suppressors.

Possessing a short-barreled rifle is a second-degree felony unless it is lawfully owned and possessed under federal law (s. 790.221, F.S.).

Possessing a short-barreled shotgun is a second-degree felony unless it is lawfully owned and possessed under federal law (s. 790.221, F.S.).