Yes. Open carry is legal in Florida. On 10 September 2025, Florida's First District Court of Appeal ruled that the state's open carry ban could not stand, and the Florida Attorney General announced that open carry is lawful statewide.
You may carry openly if you are 21 or older, legally allowed to possess a firearm, and not in a prohibited location. No licence is required. The location restrictions did not change.
What actually changed
Florida had banned the open display of firearms since 1987, as a misdemeanour. That statute is what the First DCA addressed in September 2025, holding that the ban could not stand. Following the decision, the Attorney General's office confirmed the state's position that open carry is lawful.
The practical effect is that a firearm no longer has to be concealed. What has not changed is who may possess a firearm and where they may take one.
Open carry is not absolute or immune from reasonable regulation. Judge Stephanie Ray, First District Court of Appeal
Who can open carry
- You must be 21 or older
- You must be legally allowed to possess a firearm — the ruling did nothing for anyone who is a prohibited person under state or federal law
- You must not be in a prohibited location
No permit, licence, or training is legally required. Whether that is a good idea is a different question, and we would say plainly that it is not — see below.
Where you still cannot carry
This is the part that matters most, because it is where an otherwise law-abiding person gets arrested while believing they are compliant. Restrictions that remain in force include:
- Any portion of a business licensed to serve alcohol for on-site consumption. Note the wording — it is the licensed portion of the premises, which catches a lot of restaurants.
- Elementary, middle, and high schools, including their administration buildings
- Courthouses and courtrooms
- Polling places
- Government board meetings
There are further restrictions in state and federal law. This list is a starting point, not a complete one.
The gun-free zone confusion is real
Following the ruling, there has been genuine legal uncertainty in Florida about how the older gun-free zone provisions interact with lawful open carry. Reporting in South Florida has covered the resulting confusion directly.
Our advice, as trainers rather than lawyers: where the answer is unclear, do not be the test case. The cost of being wrong is a criminal charge; the cost of being cautious is mild inconvenience.
Do you still need a concealed weapon licence?
Not to carry in Florida. But the Florida CWL carries reciprocity in roughly 38 other states — the widest of any state permit — and permitless carry stops at the state line. If you ever travel armed, the licence is what makes that lawful.
Full detail: do you still need a Florida CWL?
Legal and advisable are not the same thing
Florida requires no training to carry, openly or concealed. That is the law. It is not a recommendation.
Carrying a firearm in public means accepting that you may one day have to explain a decision made in under two seconds, to people who will have months to examine it. Every technique we teach comes with the legal reasoning attached, because the ability to articulate why is what separates a defensible act from an indefensible one.
If you carry, or plan to, the Florida Complete Carry course covers the current law, the restricted locations, use-of-force doctrine, and live-fire fundamentals. It is taught in English and Spanish.
Frequently asked questions
When did open carry become legal in Florida?
On 10 September 2025, when Florida's First District Court of Appeal ruled that the state's open carry ban could not stand. The Florida Attorney General then announced that open carry is legal statewide.
Do I need a permit to open carry in Florida?
No. You must be 21 or older, legally allowed to possess a firearm, and not in a prohibited location. No licence or training is legally required.
Can I open carry in a restaurant that serves alcohol?
Firearms remain prohibited in any portion of a business licensed to serve alcohol for on-site consumption. Whether a given restaurant is covered depends on its licence and layout, which is exactly why this catches people out. When in doubt, do not carry in.
Does open carry apply to long guns as well as handguns?
The ruling addressed the open display of firearms generally. Because this is an area of active legal change and the practical policing of it varies, confirm the current position with an attorney before relying on it.
Has anything changed for security officers?
No. Armed security work is governed separately under Chapter 493 and still requires a Class G statewide firearm licence plus current annual requalification. Open carry law does not change that.
