Florida to become permitless carry state on July 1

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Florida’s new permitless carry law will go into effect this Saturday, and some Floridians are concerned.

The law allows Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a permit. This makes Florida the 26^th state to allow permitless carry. Governor DeSantis praised the measure at his “State of the State” address in March.

“A constitutional right should not require a permission slip from the government. It is time we join twenty-five other states to enact constitutional carry in the state of Florida.”

Kerry Kriseman is a volunteer with Moms Demand Action, a group advocating for gun control.

“Long story short, there will be more gun violence in the state of Florida as a result of permitless carry passing.”

She cites an analysis released in March that shows states with permitless carry have the highest rate of road rage shootings with injuries and deaths.

According to a poll by the University of North Florida, 77 percent of Floridians oppose permitless carry. It also showed that 62 percent of Republicans opposed it.

Kriseman mentions that some of her fellow volunteers at Moms Demand Action are gun owners and NRA members. She says that the desire for gun control is widespread.

“You know, there could be a misconception that the only kind of people who are in favor of gun safety and sensible gun legislation are people who don’t own guns or don’t like guns. The gun lobby and NRA members are members and support Moms Demand Action”

The law was signed in April and goes into effect, along with many others, on July 1. You can find out more about Moms Demand Action by texting READY to 644-33.

Statement and video from Citrus County Sheriff’s Office

On June 30, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office released a statement and a video about the new permitless carry law. Note that the CCSO uses the term “Constitutional Carry,” which is considered to be not an accurate description of Florida’s new permitless carry law. But the statement gives insight into the law and how it will be enforced by this sheriff’s office. Here is that statement in full:

(Citrus County, FL) House Bill 543, otherwise known as the Constitutional Carry’ law, goes into effect tomorrow, July 1, 2023. This makes Florida the 26th state to enact this legislation, guaranteeing citizens their Second Amendment right to bear arms.

“As your Sheriff, I strive to diligently safeguard our citizens, and I will especially continue to defend the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. I am a staunch supporter of this new law, and I am excited to finally see it come to fruition,” said Sheriff Mike Prendergast. “This is a significant win for Florida and a massive step in the right direction in personal protection for our citizens. We are extremely fortunate to have our great Governor, Ron DeSantis, in support of our citizens’ right to bear arms and defend themselves.”

With this new law going into effect tomorrow, Sheriff Prendergast and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) would like to clear up any misinformation on this legislation. This law simply removes the licensing requirements for those individuals who qualify for a concealed weapons license (“CWL”). It does NOT remove the stringent requirements already in place to legally purchase a firearm; and this will not change tomorrow. All requirements to legally purchase a firearm will continue to remain in effect.
In other words, it will no longer be necessary to apply for a CWL as long as the criteria is met. In addition, this law will be advantageous for law enforcement officials, as it revises criminal penalty provisions for those unlawfully possessing firearms, ammunition, or other weapons.

Constitutional Carry is also NOT open carry, which is still illegal in Florida under most circumstances. Where you are allowed to carry firearms, who can own a firearm, and the waiting period for purchasing a firearm all remain in effect. Constitutional Carry does add the requirement to always carry identification with your firearm and display it to law enforcement upon request. This is not to infringe on your right to carry without a permit but is put in place to ensure that you are not someone who cannot legally own a firearm.

You must meet several requirements to be eligible to own a firearm. Some include, but are not limited to:
Must be 21 years of age unless you are a member of the armed services;
Must be a resident and a citizen of the United States;
Is not prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm by any provision of Florida or Federal law;

Some disqualifiers include, but are not limited to:
Convicted of a felony;
Unlawful user or addicted to a controlled substance, committed under chapter
397 or 394;
Convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence;
Fugitive from justice.

“Although permitless carry is a substantial advancement in our right to personal protection, please remember to continue safe practices while carrying and using your firearm,” said Sheriff Mike Prendergast. “Owning a firearm comes with great responsibility – always exercise safe practices, lock up your firearm, and never leave it behind in your vehicle.”