Ammunition is tax-free in Florida during the state’s annual Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday, which most recently ran from September 8 through December 31, 2025, and is set to run September 1 through December 31 in 2026.1Florida Governor’s Office. Governor Ron DeSantis Announces First-Ever Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday There is no price cap on ammunition during the window, and both the state’s 6% sales tax and any county discretionary surtax are suspended on qualifying rounds.
What the Holiday Waives
The exemption covers the full 6% state sales tax plus the local discretionary sales surtax, which ranges from 0.5% to 1.5% depending on the county.2Florida Dept. of Revenue. Florida Dept. of Revenue – Discretionary Sales Surtax Some counties impose no surtax at all. In counties that do, the holiday wipes it out along with the state portion.
You don’t need a coupon, a membership, or any paperwork at checkout. Retailers program their registers to drop the tax on qualifying items for the duration of the holiday, so the discount applies automatically whether you buy from a big-box sporting goods store, a local gun shop, or an online retailer that collects Florida sales tax.
Which Ammunition Qualifies
The exemption uses the definition of ammunition in Florida Statutes Section 790.001(1). To qualify, a round must be a complete, assembled cartridge or shell containing all three of these components in a single unit:
- A casing (a fixed metallic or nonmetallic hull containing a primer)
- One or more projectiles, bullets, or shot
- Gunpowder as propellant
That covers standard cartridges and shotshells across the common calibers and gauges used for hunting, sport shooting, and personal protection.3Florida Department of Revenue. 2025 Florida Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday – Consumer FAQ A $9 box of target loads and a $60 box of premium hunting rounds are both fully exempt.
Reloading Components Don’t Qualify
Because all three components have to be present in a single assembled object, loose primers, canisters of gunpowder, empty brass, and bare projectiles stay taxable. If you reload at home, the finished rounds you buy during the holiday are tax-free, but the raw materials you buy to build your own are not.4Florida Department of Revenue. Hunting, Fishing and Camping Supplies Sales Tax Holiday
Firearms and Accessories Are Included Too
Although the holiday is named for hunting, fishing, and camping, firearms themselves are covered with no price cap. Pistols, rifles, shotguns, and any other weapon designed to expel a projectile by an explosive all qualify.3Florida Department of Revenue. 2025 Florida Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday – Consumer FAQ Firearm accessories on the qualifying list include holsters, sights and optics, pistol grips, stocks, charging handles, and cleaning kits. Bows, crossbows, arrows, bolts, quivers, releases, and wristguards qualify as well.1Florida Governor’s Office. Governor Ron DeSantis Announces First-Ever Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday
Rentals and repairs of qualifying items stay fully taxable. Purchases made inside a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport are also excluded from the holiday.5Florida Department of Revenue. Hunting Season Sales Tax Holiday
Buying Online During the Holiday
For online orders, the eligibility test is when the transaction closes. The order has to be placed and payment accepted inside the holiday window. If you place an order on the last day but the retailer doesn’t process payment until the next day, the exemption may not apply. Delivery can arrive after the holiday ends without affecting the tax-free status, as long as the sale itself closed in time.
Separately stated shipping charges that you could have avoided by picking the item up in-store are generally not subject to Florida sales tax year-round.6Florida Department of Revenue. Florida Sales and Use Tax So during the holiday, the ammunition itself ships tax-free and the delivery fee stays untaxed, provided the retailer breaks out shipping as its own line on the invoice.
Federal Age Rules Still Apply
The tax holiday doesn’t change who can legally buy ammunition. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. ยง 922(b)(1) requires licensed dealers to confirm you are at least 18 to buy rifle or shotgun ammunition and at least 21 to buy handgun ammunition.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Those thresholds apply at any federally licensed dealer, in-store or online, holiday or not.
Confirm the Dates Before You Shop
Florida’s ammunition tax holiday isn’t permanent law. The Legislature authorizes it as part of an annual tax package, so the dates, the qualifying items, and the price thresholds can shift from year to year, and the holiday could be dropped in a session where lawmakers choose not to renew it. The Florida Department of Revenue publishes the current list of active sales tax holidays at floridarevenue.com, which is the right place to check dates and eligible items before any large purchase.