Florida Concealed Weapon and Firearm License Requirements

To qualify for a Florida concealed weapon and firearm license, you must be at least 21 years old, a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, free of the state and federal disqualifiers listed below, able to document firearms competency, and willing to submit fingerprints, a photo, and the required fees to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The license is issued under Section 790.06, is valid for seven years, and covers handguns, electric weapons, tear gas guns, knives, and billies.¹ Florida has allowed permitless concealed carry since July 1, 2023 for anyone who would otherwise be eligible,² but the license is still the only way to carry legally in the 37 states that honor it through reciprocity.³

Who Qualifies

The baseline requirements are straightforward. You must be 21 or older, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien, a resident of the United States, and seeking the license for lawful self-defense.¹

Several categories of people are disqualified at the state level:

Anyone convicted of a felony, or found delinquent for an act that would be a felony if committed by an adult.
Anyone convicted under Florida’s controlled substance laws (or similar laws in another state) within the three years immediately before applying. A separate, permanent bar applies to anyone committed for substance abuse, unless firearms rights have been restored.⁴
Anyone adjudicated incapacitated or committed to a mental institution.
Anyone subject to an active injunction restraining them from committing domestic violence or repeat violence.
Anyone with a physical infirmity that prevents safe handling of a firearm.

Clearing all of these does not end the question. Federal law adds its own bars, and those catch more Florida applicants than people expect.

Federal Prohibitions You Can Miss

Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), it is illegal nationwide for certain people to possess firearms or ammunition at all, regardless of what Florida allows.⁵ The federal prohibited categories include anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment, fugitives from justice, unlawful users of or addicts to a controlled substance, people adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental institution, undocumented immigrants, people dishonorably discharged from the military, people who have renounced U.S. citizenship, people subject to certain restraining orders protecting an intimate partner or child, and anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.

Medical Marijuana

Marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law. The ATF has stated that anyone who uses marijuana is an “unlawful user of a controlled substance” and prohibited from possessing firearms, regardless of state medical programs.⁶ A Florida medical marijuana card creates a federal prohibition on firearm possession, and a licensed dealer who knows about the card cannot legally sell to you.

Old Domestic Violence Misdemeanors

The federal domestic violence prohibitor has no time limit. A misdemeanor domestic violence conviction from decades ago still bars possession today if it involved the use or attempted use of physical force against a spouse, former spouse, co-parent, or someone you lived with in a spousal-type relationship. There is no exemption for law enforcement or military personnel.⁷

Firearms Training You Must Document

You have to show you can safely handle a firearm, and the statute recognizes several ways to do it.¹ Any of the following satisfies the requirement:

A hunter education or safety course approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or an equivalent agency in another state.
Any firearms safety or training course offered by the National Rifle Association.
A private firearms safety course taught by an instructor certified by the NRA, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission, or FDACS.
Current or past U.S. military service, documented with a DD-214 or proof of active duty.
Participation in organized shooting competitions.

Your documentation needs to clearly show your name and the specific course or qualification completed. If you take a private course, confirm the instructor holds a current certification from one of the recognized bodies. FDACS rejects documentation from uncertified instructors.

Documents, Fingerprints, and Fees

The application itself asks for personal information and a series of yes-or-no eligibility questions you answer under oath. Before you start, gather:

A full-frontal, head-and-shoulders color photograph taken within the last 30 days.
A complete set of fingerprints taken by a law enforcement agency or authorized provider. These are run through both the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI.⁸
Your training documentation.

For a new resident application, expect to pay a $42 fingerprint processing fee and a $55 initial license fee. If you apply through a tax collector’s office, add a $22 service fee, for a total of $119.⁹ The service fee may vary slightly by county.

How to Submit and How Long It Takes

You can file your completed application by mail to FDACS in Tallahassee, in person at an FDACS regional office, or at an authorized tax collector’s office. Many people prefer a tax collector because staff can review the application, take your photo, and process fingerprints in one visit.

Once FDACS receives a complete application, it has 90 days to issue or deny the license. If the background check turns up criminal history that lacks a final disposition or enough detail to make a determination, FDACS gets an additional 45 days. If the department still cannot resolve the question within that extension, it must issue the license as long as you are otherwise eligible.⁴

A denial comes with written notice stating the specific grounds and informing you of your right to an administrative hearing under Chapter 120. You have 21 days from receiving the notice to request a hearing, or 26 days if the notice was mailed.¹⁰ Miss that window and you lose that avenue of challenge.

Keeping the License

Your license is good for seven years.⁴ About 95 days before expiration, FDACS mails a renewal form with instructions. You can renew online, in person at an FDACS office or authorized tax collector, or by mail.¹¹

If you miss the expiration date, there is a 180-day grace period to renew with a $15 late fee. After 180 days, the license is gone and you must start the full application process over, including new fingerprints and the full new-application fees. A tax collector renewal adds a convenience fee of up to $12.

FDACS can suspend or revoke an active license if you become ineligible. The statute’s triggers include a felony conviction, a conviction under Florida or another state’s controlled substance laws, substance abuse commitment or habitual offender status, two DUI convictions within three years, mental health adjudication or commitment, developing a physical infirmity that prevents safe handling of a weapon, and being found guilty of, or receiving a withheld adjudication or suspended sentence for, a crime of violence within the preceding three years, which triggers mandatory revocation.¹⁰ An arrest or formal charge for a disqualifying crime will suspend your license (or pause a pending application) until the case resolves. An active domestic violence or repeat violence injunction will do the same. If your license is suspended or revoked, the same 21-day window applies for requesting an administrative hearing.

Why Bother When Florida Allows Permitless Carry

Permitless carry under House Bill 543 applies only within Florida.² The moment you cross a state line, you need whatever that state independently requires. Florida has reciprocity agreements with 37 other states that recognize the 790.06 license,³ which is the practical reason most eligible Floridians still go through the application. The license also gives you documented proof of eligibility during a law enforcement encounter, which is faster than having an officer verify your status on the spot.

Reciprocity does not mean identical rules. When you carry in another state, you must follow that state’s laws on where you can carry, how you must carry, and any duty to inform police. Some jurisdictions, including Washington D.C., do not recognize any out-of-state permit and require their own local license. Check the specific laws of any state you plan to visit before you travel.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm
2
Florida Senate. House Bill 543 (2023)
3
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Concealed Weapon License Reciprocity
4
Florida Senate. Chapter 790 Section 06 – 2025 Florida Statutes
5
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Identify Prohibited Persons
6
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Open Letter to All Federal Firearms Licensees
7
U.S. Department of Justice. Criminal Resource Manual 1117 – Restrictions on the Possession of Firearms by Individuals Convicted of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence
8
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Concealed Weapon License Application Instructions
9
Hillsborough County Tax Collector. Payments and Fees – Concealed Weapon License Application
10
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm
11
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Renew Your Concealed Weapon License