There is no Florida magazine capacity limit for general ownership or carry. State law does not cap how many rounds a magazine can hold, does not require registration for so-called high-capacity magazines, and does not distinguish between a 10-round, 30-round, or 100-round device. You can buy, own, transport, and carry them for lawful purposes like home defense, range use, or concealed carry under Florida’s permitless carry law. The catches are narrower: hunting regulations, the prohibition on felons possessing ammunition, and other states’ laws if you travel.
The General Rule in Florida
Florida statutes simply do not address magazine capacity for standard possession. Handguns, rifles, and shotguns are treated identically regardless of the feeding device’s size. Any magazine sold by a licensed dealer or transferred privately in the state is legal to possess.
Local governments can’t fill that silence with their own rules. Florida Statute 790.33 declares that the legislature occupies the “whole field” of firearm and ammunition regulation, voiding any city or county ordinance that tries to restrict magazine capacity, ammunition sales, or storage. Officials who knowingly enact or enforce a prohibited local ordinance face a personal civil fine of up to $5,000 and possible removal from office by the Governor.1Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.33 – Field of Regulation of Firearms and Ammunition Preempted A magazine legal in Tallahassee is legal in Miami and Jacksonville. You don’t need to check county-by-county rules because none are allowed to exist.
Hunting Rules That Do Limit Capacity
Take the same firearm into the field and capacity limits appear. Two separate rulebooks apply depending on what you’re hunting.
Game Mammals and Resident Game Birds
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission prohibits using centerfire semi-automatic rifles with magazine capacities greater than five rounds when taking game mammals and resident game birds.2Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Taking Game – Section: Prohibited Methods and Equipment for Taking Game Mammals and Resident Game Birds If your rifle’s magazine holds six or more rounds, swap it for a smaller one or use a magazine limiter before hunting. Violations can bring fines and put your hunting license at risk.
Migratory Birds
A stricter federal rule covers ducks, geese, doves, and other migratory birds. Under 50 CFR 20.21, a shotgun used for migratory bird hunting cannot hold more than three shells total in the magazine and chamber combined.3GovInfo. 50 CFR 20.21 – What Hunting Methods Are Illegal Most shotguns hold more than that by default, so a plug that physically blocks additional shells is required. Game wardens check for it. Limited exceptions exist for certain goose-only seasons when other waterfowl seasons are closed.
Who Cannot Possess Magazines or Ammunition at All
The “no limits” rule assumes you’re legally allowed to possess firearms in the first place. If you aren’t, a loaded magazine counts as ammunition inside a feeding device, and possession itself is a felony. Florida Statute 790.23 bars the following people from owning or possessing any firearm, ammunition, or electric weapon:4Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.23 – Felons and Delinquents; Possession of Firearms, Ammunition, or Electric Weapons or Devices Unlawful
- Anyone convicted of a felony in Florida, under federal law, or in another state where the offense was punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.
- Anyone under 24 found to have committed a delinquent act that would qualify as a felony if committed by an adult.
Violating the prohibition is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. If gang-related enhancements apply, the charge escalates to a first-degree felony with a potential life sentence.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.23 – Felons and Delinquents; Possession of Firearms, Ammunition, or Electric Weapons or Devices Unlawful The prohibition does not apply if your civil rights and firearm authority have been restored, or if your record has been expunged. Otherwise, even a single round in an otherwise empty magazine is enough for a charge.
Traveling to Other States
This is where Florida owners get into real trouble. Magazines that are legal at home become criminal contraband the moment you cross into a state that caps capacity. More than a dozen states impose limits, and several cap possession at 10 rounds. The list of states with restrictions includes California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Specific round limits and exceptions vary.
Driving through with 30-round magazines in a range bag can bring criminal charges regardless of what Florida allows. Road trips through the Northeast are a common way people run into this, since restricted states sit back to back.
Federal law offers partial protection. Under 18 U.S.C. ยง 926A, you can transport a firearm and ammunition through a state where you couldn’t otherwise legally possess them, but only if you’re traveling between two places where possession is legal, the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor ammunition is readily accessible from the passenger compartment.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms The statute references firearms and ammunition but does not specifically mention magazines, an ambiguity some states have used against travelers. If you stop overnight, sightsee, or do anything beyond passing straight through, the safe-passage protection likely doesn’t apply. Check every state on your route before you leave.
Federal Law
No federal law currently limits magazine capacity. The only time such a restriction existed at the federal level was under the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, which prohibited the manufacture and sale of magazines holding more than 10 rounds.6National Institute of Justice. Impacts of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban 1994-96 That law expired in September 2004 under its sunset clause, and Congress has not reinstated it. For a Florida resident buying domestically, federal law imposes no capacity restrictions.
Pending Legislation
Florida Senate Bill 346, filed for the 2026 session, would have created a new statute (790.301) prohibiting the sale, transfer, and possession of “large-capacity magazines,” defined as any feeding device holding more than 10 rounds.7Florida Senate. SB 346 Filed – Assault Weapons and Large-Capacity Magazines It would have required owners of existing magazines to obtain certificates of possession and set up a relinquishment process. The bill died in the Senate Criminal Justice committee on March 13, 2026, without a vote.8Florida Senate. Senate Bill 346 (2026) Similar bills have failed in prior sessions. No capacity restriction is currently in effect or advancing through the legislature.