Florida’s Second Amendment tax holiday runs from September 8 through December 31, 2025, and suspends the state’s 6% sales tax along with county discretionary surtaxes on firearms, ammunition, bows, crossbows, and a specific list of accessories.1Executive Office of the Governor. Governor Ron DeSantis Announces First-Ever Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday County surtaxes range from 0.5% to 1.5%, so the combined rate waived is typically 6.5% to 7.5%.2Florida Department of Revenue. Discretionary Sales Surtax On a $600 firearm in a county with a 1% surtax, that’s about $42 you keep.
When the Holiday Runs
The window opens Monday, September 8, 2025, and closes Wednesday, December 31, 2025. Any purchase made before or after those dates pays the full state and local rate.
Layaway purchases get a useful break. If you place an eligible item on layaway during the holiday, the exemption still applies even if your final payment lands after December 31, as long as you take delivery during the holiday period.3Florana Department of Revenue. 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday
What Qualifies
The holiday covers pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Florida defines a firearm here as any weapon capable of firing a projectile using an explosive charge as a propellant, which captures nearly everything on a gun store shelf.4Florida Department of Revenue. 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday
Bows and crossbows qualify as well. A crossbow must use a non-hand-held locking mechanism to stay in a drawn position. Archery accessories are also exempt, including arrows, bolts, quivers, releases, sights, optics, and wrist guards.4Florida Department of Revenue. 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday
Ammunition is tax-exempt, with a narrow definition. Florida treats ammunition as a fixed hull or casing containing a primer, one or more projectiles or shot, and gunpowder. All three components must be present in a single unit. Loose primers, empty brass, or bulk gunpowder sold on their own don’t count.4Florida Department of Revenue. 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday
Firearm accessories are covered, but only six categories make the Department of Revenue’s list:
- Charging handles
- Cleaning kits
- Holsters
- Pistol grips
- Sights and optics
- Stocks
Anything not on that list stays taxable.4Florida Department of Revenue. 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday
The holiday also extends to fishing and camping supplies for individual recreational use, building on Florida’s earlier Freedom Month exemptions. Commercial fishing equipment is excluded. Check the Department of Revenue’s current Tax Information Publication for the specific items and any price caps that apply.
What Does Not Qualify
This is where buyers get caught. The Department of Revenue explicitly states that silencers, suppressors, and magazines are not exempt, along with any item not on the eligible accessory list.4Florida Department of Revenue. 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday
Rentals are also out. Renting a firearm at a range still carries sales tax. Purchases made for commercial use don’t qualify either; the exemption targets individual recreational buyers, not businesses stocking inventory.
Bundled merchandise is another trap. When a tax-exempt item is normally sold together with a taxable item as a set or single unit, the full set is taxable. A starter kit that packages a cleaning kit with a magazine would likely be taxed because the magazine isn’t exempt on its own.4Florida Department of Revenue. 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday
Buying Online or Out of State
Orders from online retailers and marketplaces qualify as long as the seller accepts your order during the holiday window for immediate shipment, even if the item arrives after December 31. Acceptance means the company assigns an order number, confirms by email, or stamps a date-received on a mailed order. Backordered items still qualify. The exemption only breaks if you ask the seller to delay shipment past the holiday.4Florida Department of Revenue. 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday
Buying a firearm online works differently from buying a tent. Federal law requires firearms purchased from an out-of-state seller to be shipped to a federally licensed dealer in Florida, where you pick it up in person after the required paperwork and background check. The dealer’s transfer fee is a separate charge and is not covered by the tax holiday.
Background Checks Still Apply
A tax holiday doesn’t change any federal or state purchase requirement. Buying from a licensed dealer still means completing ATF Form 4473 and passing a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check before you can take possession.5Federal Bureau of Investigation. Firearms Checks (NICS)
If NICS doesn’t return a determination within three business days, federal law permits the dealer to complete the transfer, though some dealers choose to wait longer. During a nearly four-month holiday, expect heavier demand and plan around possible delays, especially in late December.
What You’ll Actually Save
Florida’s base rate is 6%, and local surtaxes run from 0 to 1.5% depending on the county.2Florida Department of Revenue. Discretionary Sales Surtax At a combined 7% rate, the arithmetic is straightforward:
- $500 handgun: $35 saved
- $800 rifle: $56 saved
- $200 in ammunition: $14 saved
- $150 optic: $10.50 saved
A buyer walking out with a rifle, a few boxes of ammunition, and an optic can save $80 to $100 on a single trip.
Will It Return in 2026?
This was Florida’s first Second Amendment sales tax holiday. No legislation has yet been enacted to repeat or extend it for 2026. Florida’s tax holidays are passed each year through the state budget, so a return depends on the next legislative session and the governor’s signature. If you’re reading this after December 31, 2025, the Florida Department of Revenue’s sales tax holiday page is the place to check for any newly enacted exemption period.