You can take a concealed carry class in Florida from an NRA-certified instructor, a law enforcement or security course, a hunter safety program, or any firearms course taught by a state-certified instructor, and you only need to complete one of them to qualify for a Florida concealed weapon license. Since July 1, 2023, you do not need a class or a license at all to carry concealed inside Florida if you are 21 or older and legally eligible to possess a firearm.1Florida Senate. House Bill 543 (2023) Most people who sign up for a class are doing so because they still want the state-issued license for the benefits it carries outside Florida and at the gun counter.
Do You Still Need a Class?
Legally, no, not to carry concealed within Florida. Florida’s permitless carry law removed the requirement that you hold a license before carrying a concealed weapon or firearm in the state. You still must be at least 21, otherwise eligible under Florida law, and carrying valid identification.
You do need a qualifying class if you want the formal Concealed Weapon License issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Three practical reasons push most carriers toward the license:
- Reciprocity. Florida’s license is honored by 37 other states. Permitless carry stops at the state line.2Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Concealed Weapon License Reciprocity
- No waiting period on gun purchases. Florida imposes a three-day wait (excluding weekends and holidays) between buying and receiving a firearm. License holders are exempt.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.0655 – Purchase and Delivery of Firearms; Mandatory Waiting Period
- A documented training record. If you ever use the firearm in self-defense, the license shows you completed formal safety training on file with the state.
Courses That Qualify
Florida Statute 790.06(2)(h) sets out seven ways to demonstrate firearm competence for the license.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm Satisfying any one of them is enough:
- A hunter education or safety course approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or a comparable agency in another state.
- Any firearms safety or training course offered by the National Rifle Association.
- A firearms safety course open to the general public and offered by a law enforcement agency, college, or private training school, provided the instructor is certified by the NRA, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, or FDACS.
- A firearms training course designed for security guards, investigators, or law enforcement personnel.
- Evidence of equivalent firearm experience through organized shooting competition or U.S. military service. A DD-214 qualifies.
- A current or previous Florida concealed weapon license that was not revoked for cause.
- Any firearms training course taught by a state-certified or NRA-certified instructor.
When people search for a “concealed carry class,” they usually land in one of three categories: an NRA course, a general public course, or a course run by a certified instructor. Those three come with a live fire requirement.
What Live Fire Means in Practice
For the NRA, general public, and certified-instructor paths, the statute requires the instructor to keep records showing the student safely handled and discharged a firearm in the instructor’s physical presence, using live ammunition. In practice that means firing at least one round of live ammo at a range while the instructor watches.
The obligation is written on the instructor, but the effect falls on you: no instructor will certify your completion unless you actually fire the weapon. Classroom-only or video-only courses do not satisfy these three categories. If an online course advertises that it meets Florida’s requirements, read carefully. Most legitimate ones still schedule an in-person range session for the live fire component.
Live fire is not required on every path. If you qualify through military service, organized shooting competition, hunter safety, or a prior Florida license, the statute does not impose that same recordkeeping requirement.
What the Certificate Must Show
Your instructor will issue a certificate of completion at the end of the class. That certificate is what you submit with your application, and FDACS will reject incomplete paperwork. The certificate must clearly include:5Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Acceptable Firearms Training Documentation
- Your name
- Your instructor’s name
- Your instructor’s qualifications (for example, NRA instructor, law enforcement firearms instructor, or Class K Firearms Instructor licensed by Florida)
- Your instructor’s license or certification number
Check your name against the ID you plan to use for the application before you leave the classroom. A misspelling or a missing certification number is easy to correct in the room and a hassle to fix after the application is in the system. FDACS accepts a clear photocopy or a legible digital scan.
What the Class and License Cost
Class prices vary by provider; the state does not set a fee for private instruction. The state fees for an initial license application are fixed: $55 for the license and $42 for fingerprint processing, totaling $97.6Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Applying for a Concealed Weapon License Filing at a county tax collector’s office adds a convenience fee of about $22, bringing the typical in-person total to around $119. All fees are non-refundable even if your application is denied.
You can file in three ways:
- In person at a tax collector’s office, which usually handles fingerprinting, photos, and submission in one visit.
- Online through the FDACS portal, if you already have fingerprints taken and a passport-style photo ready to upload.
- By mail directly to FDACS, which is generally the slowest route.
Florida law gives FDACS 90 days from receipt of a complete application to issue or deny the license.7Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. How Long Will Processing Take Most licenses arrive sooner, but high volumes can push turnaround toward that deadline. The physical card arrives by mail.
Before You Pay for the Class, Check Your Eligibility
Florida is a shall-issue state: FDACS must grant the license if you meet every statutory requirement, and must deny it if you fall into any disqualifying category.8Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. Eligibility Requirements for a Florida Concealed Weapon License You must be at least 21 and able to show firearm competence. Common disqualifiers include:
- Any felony conviction unless your civil and firearm rights have been fully restored by the convicting authority.
- A conviction for a misdemeanor crime of violence within the past three years, or an unfinished probation or suspended sentence on a violent offense.
- A documented record of drug or alcohol abuse, a controlled substance conviction, multiple drug-related arrests, or two or more DUI convictions within the previous three years.
- Having been committed to a mental institution or found incompetent or mentally defective.
- A currently active domestic violence injunction or injunction against repeat violence.
- A dishonorable military discharge, renunciation of U.S. citizenship, or fugitive status.
If any of these apply, FDACS will deny the application and keep the fees. Review the full eligibility list on the FDACS site before you pay for a class.
One Thing the License Does Not Do
A Florida concealed weapon license does not let you carry everywhere. Section 790.06(12)(a) bars licensees from carrying concealed inside law enforcement facilities, courthouses and jails, polling places, school and college buildings, athletic events, the bar portions of alcohol-serving establishments, and the secure side of airport passenger terminals, among other locations. Carrying into any of these is a second-degree misdemeanor. Private property owners can also post signage barring firearms on their premises. The one steady carve-out is your vehicle: you may keep a firearm stored in it for lawful purposes regardless of where it is parked.