Can I Carry A Gun Without A Concealed Weapons Permit in Florida?

Can I Carry A Gun Without A Concealed Weapons Permit in Florida? Well, in April, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill. 

It authorizes the concealed carry of firearms and other weapons in the state without requiring background checks, training, or a concealed license.

However, what does “permitless concealed carry” entail? In light of these modifications, where can you have your weapon? 

How do the Federal gun laws affect such rulings? Lucky for you, the article breaks down these questions and provides comprehensive answers.

Before going shopping, there are a few points you should be aware of before carrying your pistol with you.

Can I Carry A Gun Without A Concealed Weapons Permit in Florida?

Yes, you can carry a gun without a concealed weapon permit in Florida. As of July 1, 2023, concealed weapon carrying without a permit will be legitimate in Florida. 

Concealed firearms will no longer require a permit for Florida residents. Training, fees, or background checks are no longer prerequisites for concealing a gun.

The New Permitless Carry Bill

Concealed carry refers to hiding from view a legally possessed firearm while carrying it in public. 

Presently, concealed carry is legal in all fifty states; however, FL, before the passage of this legislation, required special training and a license.

“Permitless carry,” also known as “constitutional carry,” allows both without obtaining permits, licenses, or training. 

While meeting all other prerequisites for gun ownership, carrying a firearm on your person or in your vehicle in Florida was contingent. This was upon passing a background check and completing firearms training school.

An additional provision of the legislation permits private schools to request assistance from the local constable in establishing a guardian program. It also mandates establishing an active assailant response policy by law enforcement.

It also required an operational process and threat management portal for behavioral threat management by the Office of Safe Schools, Emergency regulations by the state Department of Education, and the Department of Education itself are also required.

Other factors about the bill:

• Machine guns, fully automatic weapons, short-barreled rifles, and “destructive devices” such as explosives, grenades, and other objects that “carry an explosive, incendiary, or poisonous gas” remain illegal.
• The minimum age to carry a concealed firearm remains 21 years old, except for individuals employed by the government, serving in the military, or being police officers.
• Carrying a firearm in public is a prohibited act in Florida. It is a second-degree offense punishable, though not always, by a $500 fine or up to sixty days in prison. 

The bill prohibits the display or possession of firearms in the following locations:

• Food Establishments

It is permissible to conceal a licensed firearm beneath one’s clothing while in a restaurant, so long as the establishment’s primary activity is eating. Concealed firearm carrying is strictly prohibited in taverns and restaurant bar areas.

It is unequivocally prohibited by Florida law to possess a concealed handgun within “any area of an establishment authorized to serve intoxicating beverages for consumption.”

• Worship Places

It is generally permissible to carry firearms inside synagogues, mosques, churches, and other sacred buildings in Florida.

Previously, the law prohibited the arming of individuals for the same reasons that religious organizations and institutions are permitted to do so.

Conversely, in 2021, DeSantis endorsed House Bill 259, which authorizes individuals holding concealed-weapons licenses to transport firearms within religious structures, including churches, situated on school property.

• Malls

A concealed firearm is permissible in Florida stores.

Many establishments have “no firearms” signs posted online, in their entryways, or on their doors before your visit. 

Regardless of one’s carry-as-a-license status, a business proprietor may instruct the gun owner to permit the firearm to remain outside.

• Airports

It is impossible to carry a concealed handgun into the passenger entrance or sanitary area of any airport in Florida.

In Florida, transporting a firearm to an airport constitutes a second-degree offense punishable by sixty days in prison, a $500 fine, or six months of probation.

Weapon concealment within an airport is a prohibited act in Florida, including the public carrying of a handgun. 

Nevertheless, “no individual shall be prohibited from transporting into the terminal any lawful firearm. 

Only if enclosed in a container suitable for shipment to be lawfully transported on any aircraft as checked baggage.”

• Schools

Florida prohibits the carrying of any firearm into schools.

One may not conceal a handgun at a collegiate, professional, or high school sporting event that does not feature firearms, according to Florida law. 

They further emphasize the critical nature of abstaining from possessing firearms within any elementary, secondary, or government edifice.

Other restricted places include the following;

• Section 823.05 defines a nuisance location as one that endangers the health of individuals, “obviously harms the morals or etiquette” of the community, or “provokes irritation among the community.”

Illustrative instances include establishments that facilitate prostitution, illicit wagering venues, specific massage parlors, and locations frequented by criminal gang operations.

• Polling stations
• A meeting of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district; a committee of the legislature or the legislature itself; or a non-gun-related school, college, or professional athletics competition.
• Every elementary or intermediate school structure, in addition to every office building
• Every workstation
• Any police station, sheriff’s office, or highway patrol station
• Any location of confinement, such as a penitentiary or jail. Within a courthouse, Every courtroom, although judges may permit or prohibit the carrying of firearms in public.
• Throughout an establishment that primarily provides intoxicating beverages for consumption on the premises.
• Any building belonging to a college or university. Except for situations where the license holder is a registered student, employee, or staff member. 

Or possesses a stun gun or another nonlethal electric device designed solely for defensive purposes, devoid of dart or projectile propulsion.

• Passengers’ entrances and sterile areas of any airport, unless adequately sealed to allow for transportation and baggage check-in.
• In all areas where federal law prohibits the carrying of firearms

Carrying Concealed Weapons in Florida

HB 543 mandated that most individuals desiring to carry a concealed firearm obtained a permit before its enactment in Florida.

In the past, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stated that Floridians desiring to register for a concealed carry permit were required to meet the following minimum requirements:

• Applicants must be at least 21 years old unless they meet the requirements of Section 250.01 of the Florida Statutes or have been honorably discharged from the United States Armed Forces.
• You mustn’t possess a criminal record or any other circumstance that could impede your ability to obtain a license.
• It would be best to satisfy the legal prerequisites for citizenship and residence in the nation.
• You must provide evidence that you can operate a firearm, such as a training course completion certificate or another valid training document.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office detailed the essential regulations individuals must abide by. One of these is a sign informing individuals that concealed carry of firearms requires a minimum age of 21.

Naturally, one must possess a valid identification and legally reside in the United States. Carrying individuals cannot have a health condition that renders their firearm use hazardous.

A convicted felon is not permitted to possess a concealed firearm.

Those with risk protection orders prohibiting firearms possession, purchase, or attempted acquisition are also ineligible to apply for concealed carry permits.

In addition, individuals who have been convicted, found guilty of, had their guilt denied of, or had their sentences suspended for one or more misdemeanor crimes of violence are ineligible for Department licenses. 

This restriction does not apply if three years have elapsed since the completion of probation, any other court-ordered conditions, or if the record has been sealed or expunged.

By the application, the Department must grant or deny a license within ninety days. 

The temporal constraint may be extended until the Department receives conclusive evidence of restoring civil and weapon rights or information regarding a person’s criminal history.

But not a definitive determination regarding a crime that could render them ineligible.

The Florida Safety Training

A person seeking a concealed weapons license in Florida must demonstrate proficiency with a firearm in one of the following ways:

• Having completed and obtained approval from a Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or an equivalent organization in another state for a hunter safety or education course;
• Possessing completed a firearms safety or training course or class taught by a firearms instructor who holds either a state or National Rifle Association certification;
• Engaging in and completing a firearms safety or training course or class specifically designed for law enforcement or security personnel, including security guards, investigators, special officers, or any other relevant professional category or
• Acquire evidence of equivalent firearms proficiency through participation in organized shooting competitions or military service.
• Possessing completed a firearms safety or training course or class offered in public via the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the National Rifle Association, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, or any other authorized institution with instructors holding certifications from the organizations mentioned above or stations;

You may carry a concealed firearm within Florida for seven years after obtaining a concealed weapons license. 

The Department must mail a renewal form to the user within ninety days before incense expiration. 

An individual with their license permanently revoked may reapply but must do so by submitting a complete application and undergoing a background check.1

Conclusion

Can I carry a gun without a concealed weapons permit in Florida? Florida continues to prohibit the public carrying of firearms regularly. 

Open carrying of a gun is exclusively permissible in the following circumstances: fishing, camping, hunting, target or test shooting, or commuting to or from one of these activities.

The new legislation does not alter the eligibility requirements or waiting period for firearms acquisition. 

Licensed vendors are required to complete all requisite documentation for the transaction and provide the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with the buyer’s information.