Carrying a concealed firearm without a license will no longer be a crime in Florida after July 1. This following the signing into law of HB 543 by Governor DeSantis on April 3.
Prior to the law’s passage carrying a concealed firearm without a concealed weapons license (CWL) was a third-degree felony, and first-degree misdemeanor for carrying a weapon, such as a knife. In order to obtain a CWL, a person would need to go through a mandatory background check and firearms training course and otherwise meet regular gun ownership requirements.
Once the law goes into effect a person would only need valid identification while carrying a concealed firearm and to produce that ID if demanded by any law enforcement officer. Failure to do so would result in a noncriminal violation (a citation) with a $25 fine payable to the local clerk of court.
The prohibition for carrying concealed weapons and firearms in certain places such as police stations, courthouses, bars, schools, and polling places would still remain in effect. A violation would result in a second-agree misdemeanor.
Floridians can still obtain a CWL in order to obtain the benefits of having one, such as being able to carry a concealed firearm in another state through reciprocity agreements or to receive an exemption from the required three day waiting period between the purchase and delivery of a firearm.
A person must still be a resident 21 years of age or older in order to buy a firearm in Florida. If convicted of a felony, dishonorably discharged, adjudicated mentally defective or involuntarily committed to treatment, or convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor, a person’s ability to buy and possess a firearm is still restricted under state and federal law.
It is still illegal to openly carry a firearm in Florida, punishable as a second-degree misdemeanor. A brief display to the ordinary sight of another person that is not intentionally done in an “angry or threatening” manner is not a violation.