How regulations will change with Florida’s new permitless carry law taking effect in July
TAMPA, Fla. - Come July 1, permitless carry will be legal in Florida after Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law on Monday. It allows people to carry concealed weapons without a permit, but there are still some regulations.
The firearm has to be concealed, secured, and you must have a valid ID when carrying.
"Should you still have a permit? Yes, absolutely, because you have a different set of laws when you have that permit," said Brent Adair, Brandon Gun School's lead instructor.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd supports the new law and so does the Florida Sheriff's Association.
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," Sheriff Judd said. "If you're not well-trained with that firearm and know when and where you can carry it, it can still get you in trouble."
Not every sheriff in Florida is on board, though.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina spoke out about the law Monday in an interview with Jon Stewart.
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"There is no benefit to the community," Sheriff Mina said. "It has become a political issue and somewhere along the lines we stopped listening to law enforcement. It's not going to make our communities safer."
Under Florida statute, no matter if you have a concealed carry license or not it is against the law to carry a concealed firearm into elementary, middle or high schools, courthouses, police stations, jails and polling places among a few other places.
Florida school districts can also adopt their own policies on prohibiting the possession of concealed firearms in a private vehicle while on a school's campus.
As far as when you can fire, Florida statute says a person is justified in using deadly force only if he or she believes deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to themselves or someone else or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.
To buy a gun there is still a five-day waiting period in Hillsborough County, which is five business days, but if you do have a concealed carry permit you don't have to wait the five days and can take it home the day of. It can depend county-by-county, but statewide there is a mandatory three-day waiting period.
A concealed carry class is about two and half hours and cost around $50. While it's not required, Adair recommends anyone who buys a firearm to also get some training if they haven't already had some.
Correction: A previous version of this story inaccurately stated that parents with a concealed carry permit would be allowed to have concealed firearms inside a private vehicle while in the drop off line at school. School districts can adopt their own policies prohibiting concealed firearms in drop off lines.