Gun laws in Florida

(b) There shall be a mandatory period of three days, excluding weekends and legal holidays, between the purchase and delivery at retail of any handgun.

(d) This restriction shall not apply to a trade in of another handgun.”Florida law prohibits localities from regulating firearms, other than with regards to zoning laws (i.e., for restricting where gun sellers may locate their businesses) and as provided for in the Florida Constitution in regards to regulating sales by non-licensed sellers in public forums.

[1] The Florida Legislature has since 1987 occupied the whole field of regulation of firearms and ammunition, including the purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, and transportation.

Due to a lack of penalties associated with violating the preemption statute, it was almost universally ignored by city and county authorities until, on December 7, 2010, Representative Matt Gaetz introduced a bill to the Florida Legislature adding penalties for violating the existing preemption statute.

[7][8] Firearms regulations are uniform throughout Florida, and a carry license is valid everywhere other than in a few specially defined areas.

[15] Open carry when on foot in a public area is generally illegal, but is permitted in certain circumstances, as defined by Florida statute 790.25(3).

The ban on open carry was quickly restored with emergency legislation on October 10, 1987, out of concern that tourism might be negatively affected.

"Yet, pursuant to the unambiguous language of section 790.25(5), even a securely encased weapon does not fall under the private conveyance exception if it is carried on the person.

2d 1048, 1050 (Fla. 4th DCA 2008)(Internal citation marks omitted) Long guns may be anywhere in a private conveyance when such firearm is being carried for a lawful use.

This law prohibits most businesses from firing any employee for keeping a legal firearm locked in their vehicle in the company parking lot.

[23][24] "Castle doctrine" refers to the generally accepted common-law principle that one is not required to retreat when in one's own dwelling.

Eliminating the requirement to retreat outside the home (i.e., in public) is generally referred to as a "stand your ground" law.

[27] As state law on waiting periods and background checks do not apply to sales by non-licensed sellers, the Florida Constitution, Art VIII Sec.

5(b), permits counties to enact ordinances that require a criminal history records check and a 3 to 5-day waiting period for non-licensed sellers when any part of a firearm sale is conducted on property to which the public has the "right of access",[28] such as at a gun show conducted on public property.