Florida Gun Laws 2026: Carry, Open Carry, Buying and Storage Rules Explained

Florida Gun Law · 2026 Guide

By GunSafety4U · Tampa Bay, Florida · November 5, 2026 · Last reviewed against the 2026 Florida Statutes

Florida gun law has changed fast since 2023. Permitless concealed carry arrived in 2023. An appeals court struck down the open carry ban in 2025. A second appeals court opened concealed weapon licenses to 18- to 20-year-olds in June 2026. Meanwhile, the age to buy a gun stayed at 21 and the waiting period is still in force.

This guide pulls the current rules into one place, with a link to the statute or ruling behind each one. It is written for Florida residents and visitors who want a straight answer, and it is maintained by NRA-certified firearms instructors in Tampa Bay.

Florida gun laws at a glance

Do you need a permit to carry a gun in Florida?

No, not if you qualify. Under § 790.01(1), you may carry a concealed weapon or concealed firearm if you either hold a Florida license or meet the criteria for getting one under § 790.06, even without applying. That second path is what people call permitless or constitutional carry. It took effect on July 1, 2023.

The criteria you must meet are the license eligibility rules: U.S. citizen or permanent resident, no disqualifying felony, drug, mental-health, domestic violence or injunction history, and no other state or federal bar to owning a gun. Two license requirements do not carry over: you don’t have to apply, and you don’t have to prove firearms training.

For a side-by-side of the terms people use, see CWFL vs. CWP vs. CCW in Florida and our explainer on permitless carry vs. a concealed carry permit.

Is open carry legal in Florida?

Yes, in practice. On September 10, 2025, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal held in McDaniels v. State that the state’s open carry ban was unconstitutional. Five days later, Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a guidance memorandum telling prosecutors and police that the decision is effectively the law of the state.

Two cautions. First, the ban itself, § 790.053, is still printed in the 2026 statutes; what changed is that courts and prosecutors treat it as unenforceable. Second, open carry did not erase the rest of Florida law. Off-limits locations still apply, brandishing in an angry or threatening manner is still a crime, and private businesses can still prohibit guns on their property. A year on, employment lawyers at Jackson Lewis describe Florida as generally permitting open carry by people legally entitled to have firearms, subject to those person, place and conduct limits.

How old do you have to be to buy or carry a gun in Florida?

Buying: 21. Florida raised the purchase age to 21 for all firearms in 2018, after the Parkland shooting. The House has voted to lower it to 18 every year since 2023, including HB 133 in January 2026, but the Senate again declined to take it up, so the age stays at 21.

Carrying with a license: 18. On June 17, 2026, the Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled in Eubanks v. Florida that the statute barring 18- to 20-year-olds from concealed weapon licenses is unconstitutional. The Attorney General did not seek further review, and FDACS now issues licenses to applicants 18 and older who meet every other requirement. We cover what that ruling does and doesn’t change in Florida concealed carry age: the 18-20 ruling explained.

Is a Florida concealed weapon license still worth getting?

For most people who carry, yes. Permitless carry made the license optional, not useless. What it still gets you:

• Carry in other states. FDACS lists reciprocity agreements with 37 states. Permitless eligibility means nothing outside Florida.
• No waiting period. License holders are exempt from the three-day wait under § 790.0655.
• Proof, not a defense. The license shows you were screened and eligible on the day you carried.
• Church carry clarity. § 790.06(13) expressly lets licensees carry on property used by a religious institution, subject to that institution’s own property rights.

The requirements are set out in § 790.06. You apply through FDACS or an approved tax collector’s office with fingerprints, a photo, a fee of up to $55 for a new license (up to $45 to renew), and proof of firearms competence. FDACS must issue or deny within 90 days of a complete application, and the license is valid for seven years.

Competence can be shown several ways, including completing any National Rifle Association firearms safety or training course or a class taught by an NRA-certified or state-certified instructor. The instructor must observe you safely handle and fire a gun with live ammunition. Our NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting class and NRA Basics of Concealed Carry course are NRA courses, the kind the statute names, and our Florida concealed weapon license resources page walks through the application.

Where can’t you carry a gun in Florida?

Section 790.06(12) lists places where a license does not authorize anyone to carry concealed or openly carry a handgun. Permitless carry is built on the same eligibility rules and gives you no rights a license holder lacks, so treat this list as the floor:

Knowingly violating the list is a second-degree misdemeanor. Private property is a separate layer: businesses and employers may set their own rules, with one important exception covered in the next section.

Can you keep a gun in your car in Florida?

Yes. There are two routes. If you are eligible to carry under § 790.01(1), with or without a license, you may carry on your person in the vehicle. And under § 790.25(4), any adult 18 or older who lawfully possesses a handgun may keep it inside a private vehicle if it is securely encased or otherwise not readily accessible for immediate use; under that second route, the gun can’t be on your person.

“Securely encased” is defined in § 790.001(15): a glove compartment, whether or not locked; a snapped holster; a gun case, whether or not locked; a zippered case; or a closed box or container with a lid. Long guns may be carried anywhere in a vehicle for a lawful use.

At work, § 790.251 generally protects employees and invitees who keep a lawfully owned firearm properly secured in their motor vehicle in a business parking lot.

Buying a gun in Florida: background check and waiting period

Retail purchases go through a background check, and § 790.0655 adds a mandatory waiting period: three days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, or until the records check is complete, whichever is later. The waiting period applies to all firearms.

Permitless-carry eligibility does not count; the exemption is for license holders. A federal lawsuit challenging the wait is pending in Tampa, and in October 2026 the judge declined to end it by agreement. Details and holiday timing are in Florida’s gun waiting period stays in place.

Stand your ground: when Florida law allows deadly force

Under § 776.012(2), a person is justified in using or threatening deadly force if they reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves or another, or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony. A person who does so has no duty to retreat and may stand their ground, if they are not engaged in criminal activity and are in a place where they have a right to be.

Every word in that sentence matters, and most self-defense cases turn on “reasonably believes” and “imminent.” This is where carriers benefit most from structured instruction. The NRA’s Personal Protection Outside the Home and Personal Protection Inside the Home courses are built for people who carry or keep a gun for defense.

Florida’s safe storage law and children

If you leave a loaded firearm where you know or reasonably should know a minor under 16 is likely to get it, § 790.174 requires a securely locked box or container, a location a reasonable person would believe is secure, or a trigger lock, unless the gun is on your body or within immediate reach.

The penalties escalate with the outcome. If a minor gets an improperly stored gun and possesses or exhibits it in public, or in a rude, careless, angry or threatening manner, it is a second-degree misdemeanor. If the minor uses it to injure or kill someone, § 784.05(3) makes it a third-degree felony. When a child dies, prosecutors may bring heavier charges.

Florida’s red flag law (risk protection orders)

Florida’s red flag law, § 790.401, lets a court temporarily remove firearms and ammunition from a person who poses a significant danger to themselves or others. Key points:

• Only a law enforcement officer or agency can petition. Family members cannot file directly.
• A temporary ex parte order can be heard the day the petition is filed or the next business day.
• A full hearing must be held within 14 days, and the court must find danger by clear and convincing evidence.
• A final order lasts up to 12 months and can be extended. The respondent must surrender firearms, ammunition and any concealed weapon license.
• The respondent may request one hearing to vacate the order, and another after each extension.

Visiting Florida, and carrying in other states

According to FDACS, a nonresident 21 or older may carry concealed in Florida if they meet Florida’s eligibility criteria or have a valid concealed carry license from their home state in their possession. Servicemembers and honorably discharged veterans qualify at 18. Residents and nonresidents follow the same restrictions while here.

Going the other way, a Florida license is recognized under reciprocity agreements with 37 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Each state’s own rules apply once you cross the line, so check before you travel.

Training that matches Florida law

Florida no longer requires a class to carry, which makes good training a choice rather than a box to check. GunSafety4U is led by NRA-certified instructors in Tampa Bay, and our courses cover the skills behind every section of this guide: safe handling and storage, marksmanship, carrying in public and defending your home. Start with the GunSafety4U course catalog, or contact us to find the right class.

This guide is general information about Florida firearm law as of November 5, 2026 and is not legal advice. Court rulings and legislation can change these rules quickly. Confirm current requirements with a Florida attorney, FDACS or FDLE before you rely on them.