State finds illegal City of Jacksonville gun log was created without administrative approval

An investigation found that one manager ordered a log of guns and owners that entered Jacksonville government buildings, but didn’t break the law “knowingly.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The investigation into an unlawful “gun log” kept by the City of Jacksonville is over, and consequences appear to be minimal.

The State Attorney’s Office released the results of its investigation Wednesday following a report made by a citizen in April 2025 that led to the discovery of two binders labeled “Weapon and Firearm Logbook.”

As he was attempting to enter the city’s Yates building, the State Attorney’s Office said the man was told by security staff that they needed to record his personal and firearm identification information. He alerted city officials, who found the practice was also in place at City Hall.

The city immediately stopped the logs upon discovery, the State Attorney’s Office said, and more than 140 data entries recording names, birthdates, ID numbers and firearm types were recovered.

The logs were found to be a clear violation of a long-standing Florida law against government agencies keeping lists of private gun owners, and had existed for nearly two years.

However, investigators also found that it was not ordered by the administrations of Mayor Donna Deegan or former Mayor Lenny Curry, nor was it created in a way that “knowingly or intentionally” violated state law. Without intention or knowledge that the gun log law was broken, there can be no criminal penalties.

In a memo on the investigation, the State Attorney’s Office said the log was created at the direction of a single, unnamed City of Jacksonville Public Works manager without review or approval by any senior administrative officials or legal counsel. There was also no evidence found that the information was ever shared or misused.

The State Attorney’s Office determined that the directive was “well-intentioned but legally uninformed.”

At the time, officials statewide were trying to navigate security policy following the implementation of the state’s new Constitutional Carry Law, which removed the requirement for people entering government buildings with guns to show a concealed carry permit. The Public Works manager “wanted data about how many people carried firearms into City buildings — believing it would improve preparedness in case of an emergency,” the memo states.

The directive was allowed by a “breakdown in communication and oversight,” according to the memo. 

Although the manager reportedly prepared a draft post order and a request for legal review, it was never submitted to Jacksonville’s Office of General Counsel (OGC). The manager’s supervisors also believed OGC was already reviewing city-wide security procedures due to the Constitutional Carry Law, but it was not.

The memo ended with three recommendations for the city to prevent similar mistakes in the future: strengthen legal review, improve oversight of security management, and conduct a full audit of current policies and vendor contracts for legal compliance.

“The City of Jacksonville fully cooperated with State Attorney Nelson and her office from start to finish, and we thank them for conducting a careful and thorough review,” wrote Mayor Donna Deegan’s office. “They confirmed that the policy in question was implemented by an individual employee concerned with building security unbeknownst to Mayor Deegan or her leadership team. This practice immediately ended when it was brought to the administration’s attention. Jacksonville will always follow the law and support constitutionally protected rights.”

Current City Council Vice President Nick Howland was the first official to publicly discuss the logs’ discovery in April. He addressed the final findings in a statement to First Coast News:

“I want to thank the State Attorney and her team for their thorough investigation,” wrote Howland. “This entire episode underscores the need to remain vigilant in ensuring the rights of Jacksonville residents are preserved. Protecting our rights, improving transparency, and maintaining public trust in local government must always remain top priorities.”