Florida Concealed Carry Law: Permitless Carry, Limits, and Licensing

Florida concealed carry law lets most adults 21 and older carry a concealed firearm without a permit, a change that took effect on July 1, 2023, when House Bill 543 became law.¹ The permit is optional now. Everything else — who qualifies, where you can carry, and how you must handle the firearm — is still enforced exactly as it was before.

Who Can Carry Without a Permit

You can carry concealed in Florida if you meet the same eligibility criteria the state uses for its concealed weapon license.² Florida residency is not required. Any U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident at least 21 years old who is not otherwise disqualified can carry without applying for anything.

Carrying while ineligible is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.³ You are disqualified if you:

Have a felony conviction, or were adjudicated delinquent for an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult
Are subject to a domestic violence or repeat violence injunction⁴
Were convicted of a controlled substance offense within the past three years, or have been committed for substance abuse treatment⁵
Have two or more DUI convictions, or have been deemed a habitual offender under state alcohol-related statutes
Have been committed to a mental institution or adjudicated as mentally incapacitated
Are a prohibited person under federal law, including anyone restricted by 18 U.S.C. 922⁶

In any prosecution, the state must prove the carrier was both unlicensed and ineligible for a license.² That is a defense raised in court, not a shield against arrest. Resolve any doubt about your eligibility before you carry.

Open Carry Is Still Illegal

The permitless carry law covers concealed firearms only. Openly carrying a firearm or electric weapon in public remains a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail.⁷ This surprises visitors from open-carry states. If your firearm is visible on your person, you are committing a crime no matter how eligible you are otherwise.

One narrow exception: if you are lawfully carrying concealed and the firearm is briefly and unintentionally exposed, that momentary visibility is not a violation unless you display it in an angry or threatening manner.⁷ A shirt riding up over a holstered pistol will not land you in handcuffs. Deliberately showing the firearm will.

Where You Cannot Carry

Florida bans concealed weapons in a specific list of locations, and this list applies whether you have a license or are carrying under permitless authority. Violating any of these restrictions is a second-degree misdemeanor with up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.⁸ Section 790.06(12)(a) prohibits carry in:⁵

Elementary and secondary school buildings and administration buildings; college and university facilities, except that registered students, employees, and faculty may carry a nonlethal self-defense stun gun
Courthouses, courtrooms, polling places, meetings of local governing bodies, and legislative sessions or committee meetings
Police stations, sheriff’s offices, highway patrol stations, jails, and prisons
Any portion of an establishment primarily devoted to serving alcohol for on-premises consumption (the dining area of a restaurant that also serves drinks is fine; the bar section is not)
Passenger terminals and sterile areas of airports (airport parking areas and roadways are allowed, and checked luggage follows TSA rules)
School, college, and professional sporting events not related to firearms, and career centers
Any place declared a nuisance under Florida law, and any location where carrying is banned by federal law

The school rule is the one parents miss. Walking inside the building for pickup or drop-off while carrying violates this provision. Leaving the firearm securely stored in your vehicle is the standard workaround.

Carrying in a Vehicle

Separate from permitless carry, Florida has long allowed anyone 18 or older to keep a concealed firearm in a private vehicle without any license, provided the firearm is “securely encased” or not readily accessible for immediate use.⁹ This provision covers people between 18 and 20 who cannot carry on their person.

“Securely encased” is defined by statute: the firearm must be in a glove compartment (locked or not), snapped into a holster, in a gun case (locked or not), in a zippered gun case, or in a closed container that requires opening a lid for access.¹⁰ A handgun loose under the seat does not qualify, and that mistake is one of the most common ways drivers end up charged with carrying concealed illegally.

Interactions with Law Enforcement

Florida has no duty-to-inform rule. You are not required to volunteer that you are carrying when a police officer stops you. You are, however, required to carry valid identification whenever you have a concealed weapon on you, and you must show that ID if a law enforcement officer asks.¹¹ If you hold a license, you must display that as well. Failing to produce identification is a noncriminal violation with a $25 fine.

There is a practical reason to volunteer the information even without a legal duty. If your firearm is near your registration or insurance paperwork, reaching into the glove compartment without warning can escalate a traffic stop fast. Telling the officer before you reach is self-preservation.

Private Property and No-Weapons Signs

Florida does not give “No Weapons” signs on private businesses the automatic force of criminal law that some states do. A posted sign by itself does not make your concealed carry a crime. The moment changes if an owner or employee asks you to leave because you are armed. Refusing and remaining on the premises with a firearm is armed trespass, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.¹² The sign is not the statute; ignoring a direct request to leave is.

Improper Display and Self-Defense

Carrying concealed means keeping the weapon concealed. Displaying a firearm in a rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner in front of others is improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon, a first-degree misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.¹³ The charge does not require proof you intended to threaten anyone. The standard is what a reasonable bystander would perceive. Flashing a weapon in a road rage incident or an argument is the classic fact pattern.

Drawing a firearm in genuine self-defense is covered by a separate set of rules. Under Section 776.012, you are justified in using deadly force when you reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm, or a forcible felony, and you have no duty to retreat as long as you are not engaged in criminal activity and are somewhere you have a right to be.¹⁴ If a court finds your use of force justified, you are immune from criminal prosecution and civil suit arising from the incident.¹⁵

Why Keep a License Anyway

Permitless carry stops at the state line. When you cross into another state, that state’s laws apply, and many states that recognize a Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License do not recognize permitless carriers from other states at all. Without the physical license, you may be breaking the law the moment you drive into a neighboring state carrying concealed.

Florida also recognizes licenses from states that honor Florida’s own license.¹⁶ If you travel regularly, keeping an active Florida license gives you legal concealed carry in a long list of other states. Reciprocity agreements change, so verify the laws of each destination before you travel.

Applying for the License

Applications are handled by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. You can apply in person at an FDACS regional office or at a participating county tax collector’s office, where staff handle fingerprints and your photo on-site.¹⁷ Bring a government-issued photo ID, proof of firearms competency (such as a hunter safety certificate, NRA firearms safety course certificate, law enforcement training record, or proof of honorable military discharge), certified court documentation of any prior arrests, and, for applicants born outside the United States, proof of citizenship or lawful permanent resident status.¹⁸

The state license fee is up to $55, plus a $42 fingerprint processing fee, for a base cost of $97.⁵ Tax collector offices may add a convenience fee of up to $22. FDACS has 90 days from receipt of a complete application to issue or deny it,¹⁹ and the license is valid for seven years. Renewal runs up to $45 in state fees, with up to $12 in tax collector convenience fees; non-Florida residents pay the $42 fingerprint fee again on renewal.

1
Florida Senate. House Bill 543
2
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.01 – Carrying of Concealed Weapons or Concealed Firearms
3
Florida Senate. Florida Code 775.082 – Penalties
4
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Disqualifying Conditions
5
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm
6
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
7
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.053 – Open Carrying of Weapons
8
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines
9
Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.25 – Lawful Ownership, Possession, and Use of Firearms and Other Weapons
10
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.001 – Definitions
11
Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm
12
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 810.08 – Trespass in Structure or Conveyance
13
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.10 – Improper Exhibition of Dangerous Weapons or Firearms
14
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 776.012 – Use or Threatened Use of Force in Defense of Person
15
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 776.032 – Immunity From Criminal Prosecution and Civil Action for Justifiable Use or Threatened Use of Force
16
Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.015 – Nonresidents Who Are United States Citizens and Hold a Concealed Weapons License in Another State, Reciprocity
17
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Applying for a Concealed Weapon License
18
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Acceptable Firearms Training Documentation
19
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Processing Time FAQ