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Florida Concealed Carry Permit

Florida allows permitless carry for non-prohibited adults 21+. A CWFL is still available and is what other states recognize.

Permitless carry is legal in Florida

A non-prohibited adult aged 21 or older may carry a concealed handgun without a permit (since 2023). YES - Florida is a permitless-carry ("constitutional carry") state for CONCEALED carry as of July 1, 2023. s. 790.01(1) verbatim: "A person is authorized to carry a concealed weapon or concealed firearm ... 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)." Note what that cross-reference does and does not include: it includes s. 790.06(2)(b) (21 years of age or older) and all disqualifier paragraphs, but deliberately OMITS (2)(g) (desire for a legal means to carry) and (2)(h) (demonstrated competence with a firearm). So permitless carry requires NO training whatsoever, but the carrier must be 21+ and free of every disqualifier that would bar a license. Carrying concealed while NOT meeting those criteria is a THIRD-DEGREE FELONY for a firearm (s. 790.01(3)) and a first-degree misdemeanor 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)). Under s. 790.013 an unlicensed concealed carrier must carry valid ID at all times while in actual possession and display it on demand by a law enforcement officer ($25 noncriminal penalty), and is subject to the same s. 790.06(12) prohibited-places list as a licensee. Nonresidents: s. 790.015(1) extends the same permitless authority to any U.S. resident 21+ visiting Florida who meets those criteria (or who carries a license from their home state). OPEN carry is a separate question - s. 790.053 still bans open carry on the books, but the First District Court of Appeal held it facially unconstitutional in McDaniels v. State (Sept. 10, 2025) and Attorney General Uthmeier issued statewide guidance to law enforcement on Sept. 15, 2025; the Legislature has not repealed s. 790.053 (HB 321 (2026) died in subcommittee March 13, 2026).

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 (ch. 2023-18, HB 543)

There are 8 details on this page we could not confirm from a primary source. Read what they are before relying on this.

Requirements at a glance

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 written still says "Is 21 years of age or older," with a statutory carve-out at 18 for servicemembers (as defined in s. 250.01) and honorably discharged veterans. HOWEVER, FDACS posts this notice at the top of its Concealed Weapon License, Eligibility Requirements, and Reciprocity pages as of the date of this research: "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: the age floor remains 21 (s. 790.01(1)(b) incorporating s. 790.06(2)(b); s. 790.015(1) for nonresidents), with the same 18+ carve-out for servicemembers and honorably discharged veterans. FDACS has NOT published any statement extending Eubanks to unlicensed carry, and neither the Legislature nor FDACS has amended the text of s. 790.06(2)(b). An 18-20 year old in Florida should obtain the license and should not carry without one. Also note federal law (18 U.S.C. 922(b)(1), (c)(1)) still bars 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. 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

What it actually costs

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

FDACS charges $55 for the licence and $42 for fingerprint processing, so the $97 usually quoted is already both. Training is bought separately from an instructor.

FDACS official fee schedule (Concealed-Weapons-License-Fees.pdf): 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: license fee not to exceed $55, renewal not to exceed $45, 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.

How to apply

  1. Confirm eligibility against the FDACS eligibility list and Fla. Stat. s. 790.06(2)-(3): U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident alien residing in the U.S., minimum age, and no disqualifying convictions, commitments, injunctions, or discharges.
  2. Complete a firearms training/competency course or assemble alternative proof under s. 790.06(2)(h), and obtain a legible certificate showing your name, the instructor's name, the instructor's credentials, and the instructor's license/certification number. Military applicants may substitute orders, a statement of service, or a DD-214 showing honorable discharge.
  3. Choose a filing route: (a) apply fully in person at an FDACS Division of Licensing regional office by appointment; (b) apply in person at an appointed county tax collector office by appointment (additional convenience fee up to $22); (c) start online through the FDACS portal and then complete fingerprints and photo; or (d) apply by mail using the downloadable application packet.
  4. If applying in person, staff review the application for completeness, take your photograph, and electronically scan your fingerprints on site.
  5. If applying by mail, schedule a fingerprint appointment with your local sheriff's office or police department, and include a passport-style photograph and a photocopy of your training document and identification.
  6. Submit the fee: $97 total for a new license ($55 license fee plus $42 fingerprint processing), by check or money order payable to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Mailed applications go to FDACS, Division of Licensing, P.O. Box 6687, Tallahassee, FL 32314-6687.
  7. FDLE and the FBI run the state and federal criminal-history background check on your fingerprints.
  8. FDACS issues or denies within 90 days of receiving a complete application; check status through the FDACS application-status page. The license is valid for 7 years and must be carried together with valid identification whenever you are in actual possession of the weapon.

Apply on the official Florida site

What disqualifies you

Where to get the required training

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

Training providers in Florida

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.

All firearms training in Florida →

Reciprocity

Carrying into 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

34 jurisdictions honor a Florida permit

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 your own in Florida

Build for personal use
Allowed
Serial number required
No

BUILDING A FIREARM FOR YOUR OWN PERSONAL USE IS LAWFUL UNDER FLORIDA LAW. A full review of Chapter 790 (the 2025 Florida Statutes, the current published edition) 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, 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), 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)

Federal law, gunsmithing schools, and tools →

Statutes

What we could not confirm

  • The Eubanks v. Florida holding (Fla. 4th DCA, June 17, 2026) creates a genuine unresolved gap for 18-20 year olds. FDACS has publicly committed to ISSUING LICENSES to applicants 18 and older, but it has published nothing about whether an unlicensed 18-20 year old may now carry concealed under s. 790.01(1)(b), which incorporates the same s. 790.06(2)(b) age provision the court struck down. Because unlicensed concealed carry of a firearm by an ineligible person is a third-degree FELONY, an 18-20 year old should obtain the license and not rely on permitless carry. I found no FDACS, Attorney General, or FDLE statement resolving this.
  • The text of Fla. Stat. s. 790.06(2)(b) has NOT been amended and still reads "Is 21 years of age or older." minAge is set to 18 based on FDACS's own current published issuance policy, not on the statutory text. A reader comparing the statute to this record will see a conflict; that conflict exists in Florida law right now and is not an error in this record.
  • Open carry: s. 790.053 remains in the statute book unrepealed, but the First DCA held it facially unconstitutional in McDaniels v. State (Sept. 10, 2025) and the Attorney General issued statewide guidance on Sept. 15, 2025. I could not retrieve the AG guidance memorandum PDF directly (myfloridalegal.com returned HTTP 403 to automated fetches), so I rely on the AG's own news-release page and search-surfaced excerpts rather than the memo's full text. The precise scope of the AG's instruction to law enforcement, and how individual sheriffs and state attorneys apply it outside the First District, is not verified here.
  • The Florida Senate statutes site currently publishes the 2025 edition as the most recent (URLs under /Laws/Statutes/2026/ redirect to the 2025 index). Any Chapter 790 amendment enacted in the 2026 regular session with a July 1, 2026 effective date would therefore not appear in the text I reviewed. I confirmed the one 2026 carry bill I located, HB 321, died in subcommittee, but I did not exhaustively review all 2026 session enactments.
  • Whether Florida recognizes a District of Columbia License to Carry a Pistol is unresolved. s. 790.015(1)(b) says a license "issued to the nonresident in his or her state of residence," and DC is not a state. I included DC in honors because FDACS's blanket statement acknowledges "all concealed firearm licenses lawfully issued by another state," but no official source addresses DC specifically. A DC resident should rely on the s. 790.015(1)(a) permitless prong.
  • Florida does not maintain a dedicated registry of concealed-weapon-license training instructors. The instructorRegistryUrl given is the FDACS Division of Licensing individual licensee search, where Class "K" Firearms Instructor licensees (a Ch. 493 security-industry credential) can be looked up. That is the closest official list, but s. 790.06(2)(h) also accepts NRA-certified instructors and others absent from that database, so it is not a complete list of qualifying instructors.
  • I did not independently verify jurisdiction by jurisdiction that every state in the honors list currently issues a concealed carry license to its residents. The list is derived by applying Florida's universal-recognition rule to the set of U.S. jurisdictions that issue such licenses; Vermont is excluded because it issues none.
  • Prohibited locations (s. 790.06(12)) apply identically to licensees and, via s. 790.013(2), to permitless carriers. I reviewed but did not transcribe that list and it is not captured in this record. It is substantial (schools, courthouses, polling places, the portion of an establishment primarily devoted to serving alcohol for on-premises consumption, airport passenger terminals, career centers, and others) and a reader must consult s. 790.06(12) directly.

Sources