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Carrying

Fla. Stat. 790.01 — concealed carry without a license, if you could get one

In Florida, a person may carry a concealed weapon or concealed firearm if licensed, or if not licensed but otherwise meeting the listed criteria for receiving and keeping a license. A person who does not meet them and carries a concealed firearm commits a third degree felony, and a concealed weapon other than a firearm, a first degree misdemeanor.

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The state must prove the person was both unlicensed and ineligible. In a prosecution for carrying concealed without meeting the criteria, the state bears the burden of proving, as an element of the offense, both that the person is not licensed and that the person is ineligible to receive and keep a license.

The license is issued by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to an applicant who is a citizen or permanent resident, is 21 years of age or older, and meets the section's other criteria. A person 18 years of age or older in lawful possession of a handgun may keep it inside a private vehicle if it is securely encased or otherwise not readily accessible for immediate use, but may not then carry it on the person.

  • A police, sheriff or highway patrol station, or a detention facility, prison or jail.
  • A courthouse or a polling place.
  • A meeting of a county, school district, city or special district governing body, or of the Legislature.
  • An elementary or secondary school facility, a career center, or a school, college or professional athletic event not related to firearms.
  • The part of a bar or restaurant primarily devoted to serving alcohol.
  • Anywhere federal law prohibits firearms.

A license does not authorize carrying into the places listed, and the list is longer than set out here. It does not prohibit carrying or storing a firearm in a vehicle for lawful purposes. Owning and keeping firearms at home or at a place of business is lawful.

Sources for this section (3)
  1. Fla. Stat. 790.01 — Unlicensed carrying of concealed weapons or concealed firearms
  2. Fla. Stat. 790.06 — License to carry concealed weapon or concealed firearm
  3. Fla. Stat. 790.25 — Lawful ownership, possession, and use of firearms and other weapons

Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Florida attorney.