Tactical Concealed Carry
6300 Yukon Rd
Jacksonville, FL
Florida allows permitless carry for non-prohibited adults 21+. A CWFL is still available and is what other states recognize.
A non-prohibited adult aged 21 or older may carry a concealed handgun without a permit (since 2023). NO PERMIT IS NEEDED TO CARRY CONCEALED IN FLORIDA. Florida became a permitless-carry ("constitutional carry") state for CONCEALED carry on July 1, 2023 under ch. 2023-18, Laws of Florida (HB 543). The license described elsewhere in this record is entirely optional for a qualifying adult; its only practical uses are reciprocity when travelling to other states and, in some cases, faster firearm purchases. s. 790.01(1) (2026 Florida Statutes, verified verbatim today) reads: "A person is authorized to carry a concealed weapon or concealed firearm, as that term is defined in s. 790.06(1), if he or she: (a) Is licensed under s. 790.06; or (b) Is not licensed under s. 790.06, but otherwise satisfies the criteria for receiving and maintaining such a license under s. 790.06(2)(a)-(f) and (i)-(n), (3), and (10)." WHICH CRITERIA CARRY OVER: the cross-reference to s. 790.06(2)(a)-(f) includes (2)(b), the age paragraph, and includes every disqualifier paragraph, but it deliberately OMITS (2)(g) (desire for a lawful means of carrying) and (2)(h) (demonstrated competence with a firearm). So NO TRAINING OF ANY KIND is required to carry concealed without a license - the training figures in this record describe the LICENSE only - but an unlicensed carrier must meet the age floor and be free of every disqualifier that would bar a license. WHICH NUMBERS DESCRIBE WHICH THING: the $97 initial fee, $45 renewal, 7-year term, fingerprint requirement, and firearms-competency requirement all describe the LICENSE. Permitless carry costs nothing, expires never, and requires no training or fingerprints. AGE: the statute text still says 21 (s. 790.06(2)(b), unchanged in the 2026 edition), but the Fourth District Court of Appeal held that paragraph facially unconstitutional as to 18-to-20-year-olds in Eubanks v. Florida, No. 4D2025-1698 (June 17, 2026), and the conviction it vacated was a conviction for UNLICENSED concealed carry of a firearm under s. 790.01(3) - i.e. the decision struck the age bar in the permitless-carry setting itself, not merely in the licensing setting. Because no other Florida appellate court has ruled on s. 790.06(2)(b), that decision binds every Florida trial court, and the Attorney General has said he will not seek review. minAge is therefore 18 for a FLORIDA RESIDENT carrying unlicensed. NONRESIDENTS ARE DIFFERENT AND STILL FACE A HARD 21: s. 790.015(1) carries its own express "21 years of age or older" requirement in the subsection itself, separate from s. 790.06(2)(b), and Eubanks did not touch s. 790.015. An 18-to-20-year-old visitor from another state therefore has no permitless authority in Florida (s. 790.015(4) excepts servicemembers as defined in s. 250.01 and honorably discharged veterans, who qualify at 18). PENALTIES FOR GETTING IT WRONG: carrying concealed while not meeting the s. 790.01(1) criteria is a THIRD-DEGREE FELONY for a firearm (s. 790.01(3)) and a first-degree misdemeanour for a non-firearm concealed weapon (s. 790.01(2)); the state bears the burden of proving both no license and ineligibility (s. 790.01(4)). ID REQUIREMENT: under s. 790.013 an unlicensed concealed carrier must carry valid identification at all times while in actual possession and display it on demand by a law enforcement officer (a $25 noncriminal violation), and is subject to the same s. 790.06(12) prohibited-places list as a licensee. OPEN CARRY IS NOW LAWFUL IN PRACTICE, BY COURT DECISION RATHER THAN BY REPEAL. s. 790.053 still appears in the statute book (text and history line unchanged in the 2026 edition; last amended s. 9, ch. 2023-18), but the First District Court of Appeal held it facially unconstitutional in McDaniels v. State on September 10, 2025, and Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a Guidance Memorandum to Florida's law enforcement agencies and prosecuting authorities dated September 15, 2025 stating that "the First District's decision is binding on all Florida's trial courts" and that "[e]ffectively, the McDaniels decision is now the law of the State," instructing that "prosecutors and law enforcement personnel should likewise refrain from arresting or prosecuting law-abiding citizens carrying a firearm in a manner that is visible to others." The Attorney General repeated the point in a formal Attorney General Opinion, AGO 2025-02 (October 20, 2025), which states that "McDaniels made Florida a 'constitutional carry' state - permitless concealed and open carry for law-abiding citizens in most locations." WHAT OPEN CARRY DOES NOT ALLOW, per the same guidance: it does not license exhibiting a firearm "in a rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner" (s. 790.10); it does not disturb the prohibited-location list in s. 790.06(12)(a), which applies to open and concealed carry alike; it does not affect the bar on possession by felons; and a private property owner may still order an armed person to leave, with refusal being armed trespass, a third-degree felony (s. 810.08(2)(c)). The Legislature has not repealed s. 790.053 - HB 321 (2026) died in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on March 13, 2026. ONE NEW 2026 OFFENSE A CARRIER SHOULD KNOW: ch. 2026-80, s. 2 amended s. 790.115 to make it a second-degree felony to discharge a weapon or firearm within 1,000 feet of a school during school hours or during a sanctioned school activity, other than in lawful defense or for a lawful purpose, with an exception for the owner of, or a person authorized on, private real property within that radius. PERMITLESS-CARRY AGE IS REPORTED AS 21, NOT 18, AND THAT IS A DELIBERATE EDITORIAL CALL — orchestrator decision 2026-09-15, corrected later the same day. Eubanks v. State, No. 4D2025-1698 (Fla. 4th DCA, 17 June 2026) holds section 790.06(2)(b) "facially unconstitutional as it applies to people aged 18 to 20" and vacates an 18-year-old's conviction under section 790.01(3) for concealed carry — a conviction the Office of the Attorney General conceded should be vacated because "appellant had no lawful way to public carry". FDACS has published a notice, verified still posted, stating that "The Attorney General's Office has indicated that they will not be seeking further review of the case", that the decision is "effectively the law of the state", and that FDACS "will issue concealed weapon licenses to applicants who are 18 years or older". We therefore report the LICENSE age as 18 on the agency's own published policy. WHY THE PERMITLESS FIGURE STAYS AT 21 ANYWAY: FDACS's notice speaks only to whom it will LICENSE. Neither FDACS nor the Attorney General has published anything about the minimum age for carrying WITHOUT a license. The route by which Eubanks would reach an unlicensed carrier runs through section 790.01(1)(b)'s cross-reference to section 790.06(2)(a)-(f), so that striking (2)(b) removes the age criterion from the permitless route as well — a sound reading, and the one the vacated section 790.01(3) conviction supports, but still an inference no agency has confirmed. The opinion also carries the standard notice "Not final until disposition of timely-filed motion for rehearing". Because being wrong in the permissive direction means an 18-to-20-year-old carries unlawfully and is charged, while being wrong in the restrictive direction only means they obtain a license the agency is already willing to issue, we publish 21 for permitless carry and disclose the conflict in full. An 18-to-20-year-old in Florida who wants certainty should get the license. Section 790.015(1) separately imposes its own express 21 floor on non-resident visitors, stated in its own text and untouched by Eubanks.
Getting the permit anyway is still worth it for most people: other states recognize the permit, not your residency, so without one you generally cannot carry across state lines.
Fla. Stat. s. 790.01(1)(b); s. 790.013; s. 790.015 (ch. 2023-18, HB 543); age floor for residents lowered in practice by Eubanks v. Florida, No. 4D2025-1698 (Fla. 4th DCA June 17, 2026)
There are 10 details on this page we could not confirm from a primary source. Read what they are before relying on this.
| Permit name | Concealed Weapon or Firearm License |
|---|---|
| Issuing authority | Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Division of Licensing |
| System | shall-issue |
| Minimum age | 18 — Two different numbers apply and readers must not conflate them. (1) LICENSE: Fla. Stat. s. 790.06(2)(b) as printed in the 2026 Florida Statutes still reads, verbatim, "Is 21 years of age or older;" - it was not amended in the 2026 session and its history line ends at s. 77, ch. 2025-22. A statutory carve-out at 18 exists for servicemembers (as defined in s. 250.01) and honorably discharged veterans (s. 790.062). HOWEVER, FDACS posts this notice at the top of its Concealed Weapon License, Applying, Eligibility Requirements and Reciprocity pages, verified still posted today: "On June 17, 2026, the Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida ruled in Eubanks v. Florida (4D2025-1698) that Section 790.06(2)(b) of the Florida Statutes, which bars law-abiding adults aged 18 to 20 from obtaining concealed carry permits, is facially unconstitutional. The Attorney General's Office has indicated that they will not be seeking further review of the case. Because no other appellate court has considered the constitutionality of Section 790.06(2)(b), under NYSRPA v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022) and United States v. Rahimi, 602 U.S. 681 (2024), the Fourth District's decision is effectively the law of the state. As such, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will issue concealed weapon licenses to applicants who are 18 years or older and meet all other eligibility requirements." So the issuing agency's own current published policy is that it licenses applicants 18+, and minAge is set to 18 on that basis. (2) PERMITLESS CARRY BY A FLORIDA RESIDENT: also 18, but for a different reason - not agency policy but the Eubanks decision itself. Reading the opinion (verified today) shows the appellant was an 18-year-old with no license whose conviction was for concealed carry of a firearm under s. 790.01(3); the Fourth DCA held s. 790.06(2)(b) "facially unconstitutional as it relates to 18- to 20-year-olds" and, in its own words, "vacate[d] appellant's conviction for concealed carry of a firearm." The age criterion reaches unlicensed carriers only through s. 790.01(1)(b)'s cross-reference to s. 790.06(2)(a)-(f), so striking (2)(b) removes it from that route as well. (3) PERMITLESS CARRY BY A NONRESIDENT VISITOR: still 21. s. 790.015(1) states the age requirement in its own text ("a resident of the United States who is 21 years of age or older"), independently of s. 790.06(2)(b), and Eubanks did not address s. 790.015; s. 790.015(4) excepts servicemembers and honorably discharged veterans, who qualify at 18. (4) FDACS has published nothing at all about the minimum age for carrying WITHOUT a license, and neither the Legislature nor FDACS has amended the text of s. 790.06(2)(b). An 18-to-20-year-old who wants certainty should obtain the license, which FDACS will now issue. (5) Federal law is unchanged and separate: 18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) still bar a federally licensed dealer from selling a handgun to anyone under 21. |
| Training required | Yes, live fire required |
| State fee | $97 initial / $45 renewal — the state's own charge, not the total |
| Valid for | 7 years |
| Processing time | By law FDACS has 90 days from receipt of a complete application to issue or deny, restated on the FDACS Applying page and FAQ today. FDACS states "In most cases, we issue licenses well before the 90-day deadline, but an increase in the volume of applications being submitted may cause longer turnaround times." Processing is extended if the application is incomplete, the fingerprints are illegible (a second submission is requested; if that is also illegible FDACS may ask the FBI for a name-based check), or background-check results show an arrest without a final disposition. |
| Fingerprints | Required |
| Non-resident permit | Available |
The state fee is rarely the whole bill. Fingerprinting is usually charged by a private vendor, training is bought from an instructor, and several states add photographs, notarisation or other requirements on top.
| State fee | $55 |
|---|---|
| Fingerprinting | $42 |
| Training course | $75–$250 (private instructor) |
| Realistic total | $172–$347 |
These are license costs only - permitless concealed carry in Florida costs nothing. FDACS charges $55 for the license and $42 for fingerprint processing, so the $97 usually quoted is already both. Training is bought separately from an instructor and is not required at all if you carry without a license. An appointed county tax collector may add a convenience fee of up to $22 on a new application.
Permitless carry is free; these fees buy the optional license. FDACS official fee schedule (Concealed-Weapons-License-Fees.pdf), re-read in full today and unchanged: FLORIDA RESIDENT - $42 fingerprint processing fee + $55 initial license fee = $97 total; renewal $45; revised/duplicate license $15. OUT-OF-STATE RESIDENT - $42 + $55 = $97 initial; renewal $87 (includes the $42 fingerprint processing fee, because out-of-state residents must resubmit fingerprints at renewal); revised/duplicate $15. ACTIVE Florida law enforcement officer - no fingerprint fee, $55 initial, $45 renewal. Florida law enforcement officer RETIRED within the preceding year - no initial fee, $30 renewal. Retired more than one year - $42 + $30 = $72, $30 renewal. Consular security official - $300 initial and renewal. ACTIVE judge - no fee at any stage. Statutory caps in s. 790.06(5)(a) (2026 edition, verified verbatim): a "nonrefundable license fee of up to $55 if he or she has not previously been issued a statewide license or of up to $45 for renewal of a statewide license"; late renewal fee $15; duplicate $15. TAX COLLECTOR CONVENIENCE FEES (s. 790.0625) charged on top by appointed county tax collector offices: new application +$22, renewal +$12, fingerprint-only service +$9, photograph-only service +$9, revised/duplicate service +$12. Payment by check or money order payable to FDACS; do not send cash.
Apply on the official Florida site
Florida publishes an official list of certified instructors. That list is authoritative — a certificate from an instructor who is not on it may not be accepted. View the official instructor list
Businesses in our directory that offer firearms training. These are not state-verified as certified permit instructors — check against the official list above, or ask the provider directly.
6300 Yukon Rd
Jacksonville, FL
3421 Davie Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL
321 E Robertson St
Brandon, FL
1826 W Waters Ave
Tampa, FL
23123 FL-7 Ste 215
Boca Raton, FL
918 SE 14th Ave
Cape Coral, FL
Taylor County, FL
2201 SW College Rd #8
Ocala, FL
2500 Hollywood Blvd Ste 411
Hollywood, FL
2729 FL-580
Clearwater, FL
6501 Arlington Expy Ste B105
Jacksonville, FL
13317 W Hillsborough Ave
Tampa, FL
All firearms training in Florida →
Florida recognizes permits from 49 other jurisdictions.
Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Derived from what each of those states officially publishes.
Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
Official Florida reciprocity page Full reciprocity matrix →
BUILDING A FIREARM FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL USE IS LAWFUL UNDER FLORIDA LAW. A full review of Chapter 790 in the 2026 Florida Statutes - the current published edition, downloaded in full and searched today - turns up no provision that criminalizes or licenses the personal manufacture or assembly of a firearm by a non-prohibited person, no provision addressing unfinished frames or receivers, "80 percent" receivers, 3D-printed firearms, or "untraceable" firearms, and no requirement that a self-made firearm bear a serial number or be registered with any Florida agency. NO SERIAL NUMBER IS REQUIRED BY FLORIDA LAW ON A SELF-MADE FIREARM. Florida's serial-number statute, s. 790.27 ("Alteration or removal of firearm serial number or possession, sale, or delivery of firearm with serial number altered or removed prohibited; penalties"; last amended s. 179, ch. 91-224, so unchanged for 35 years), is narrower than people assume: subsection (1)(a) makes it unlawful "to knowingly alter or remove the manufacturer's or importer's serial number from a firearm with intent to disguise the true identity thereof," and subsection (2)(a) makes it unlawful "to knowingly sell, deliver, or possess any firearm on which the manufacturer's or importer's serial number has been unlawfully altered or removed." Both reach only a serial number a manufacturer or importer ALREADY APPLIED - a firearm that never had one because you built it does not fall within either prohibition. Florida additionally forbids any state firearms registry: s. 790.335 ("Prohibition of registration of firearms; electronic records") declares that "A list, record, or registry of legally owned firearms or law-abiding firearm owners is not a law enforcement tool," and s. 790.0625 separately bars an appointed tax collector from maintaining any list of concealed weapon license applicants. Local governments cannot fill the gap: s. 790.33 preempts the entire field of firearm and ammunition regulation to the Legislature, with personal liability and civil penalties for local officials who enact conflicting ordinances. LIMITS THAT STILL APPLY. State: you must not be a prohibited person (s. 790.23 convicted felons; s. 790.22 minors; s. 790.233 persons under a domestic violence, stalking or cyberstalking injunction), and the Chapter 790 bans on machine guns and short-barreled rifles/shotguns absent lawful federal registration (s. 790.001, s. 790.221) and on destructive devices apply to anything you make. Federal: this analysis covers Florida law only. Federal law independently governs self-manufacture - an unlicensed person may generally make a firearm for personal use without a serial number under the Gun Control Act, but making an NFA item (short-barreled rifle or shotgun, suppressor, machine gun) requires prior ATF approval on a Form 1 and serialization, manufacturing for sale or distribution requires an FFL under 18 U.S.C. 922(a)(1)(A), the Undetectable Firearms Act (18 U.S.C. 922(p)) requires enough metal content to be detectable, and 18 U.S.C. 922(o) bars new machine gun manufacture by private persons. A self-made firearm can also become subject to serialization requirements if it is later transferred. Consult a firearms attorney before building anything unconventional.
No Florida statute prohibits it; see Fla. Stat. s. 790.27 (serial numbers), s. 790.335 (registration prohibited), s. 790.33 (state preemption)