Florida has more lenient gun laws than most states.
Florida’s gun laws specifically their stand your ground laws have come under intense scrutiny after the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman. Florida’s stand your ground law goes farther than the other states that have stand your ground laws leading to criticism about the policy. Click here for an article on the Zimmerman trial.
Chapter 44 of Title 18 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) does not allow citizens, convicted of a felony with a prison sentence over a year to own firearms. This includes hand guns, and long guns. Many states allow convicted felons to own firearms after a certain amount of time has passed, (usually 10 years or more) since the end of their sentence, and/or if they are given a full pardon by certain authority figures (Governors, President, etc.) Florida does not allow convicted felons to own firearms unless their civil rights have been restored.
| Law | Long-guns | Handguns |
|---|---|---|
| Permit to Purchase | No | No |
| Open Carry | No | No |
| Concealed Carry | No | Yes |
| State Preemption of Local Restrictions | Yes | Yes |
| Firearm Registration | No | No |
| Owner License | No | No |
(often encompasses the open carry permit)
Offical Concealed Carry page for Florida.
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