{"id":253311,"date":"2025-09-25T09:57:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T09:57:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/253311\/"},"modified":"2025-09-25T09:57:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T09:57:10","slug":"open-carry-is-now-officially-legal-in-florida-heres-what-you-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/253311\/","title":{"rendered":"Open carry is now officially legal in Florida. Here\u2019s what you should know"},"content":{"rendered":"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.<\/strong> \u2013 Open carry of a firearm is now legal in the state of Florida.<\/p>\n

Starting Thursday, open carry is now permitted in most public places, with a few exceptions.<\/p>\n

This comes two weeks after a Florida appeals court declared unconstitutional a state law banning the open carrying of firearms<\/a>, calling the law incompatible with the Second Amendment right to bear arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo historical tradition supports Florida\u2019s Open Carry Ban. To the contrary, history confirms that the right to bear arms in public necessarily includes the right to do so openly,\u201d Judge Stephanie Ray wrote in an opinion, joined by Judges Lori Rowe and M. Kemmerly Thomas.<\/p>\n

The Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office, Clay County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Bradford County Sheriff\u2019s Office, St. Johns County Sheriff\u2019s Office, and Columbia County Sheriff\u2019s Office were among the Northeast Florida agencies to release statements saying their employees were told not to enforce the open carry ban.<\/p>\n

RELATED | <\/b>Some Florida sheriffs aren\u2019t enforcing state\u2019s open carry ban after ruling. Here are 3 things gun carriers shouldn\u2019t do<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

JSO said adults who legally possess a firearm can\u00a0open\u00a0carry<\/a>\u00a0in most public, unrestricted areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But private property owners, which include businesses and stores, can still prohibit\u00a0open\u00a0and concealed\u00a0carry\u00a0of firearms.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether you have a firearm, concealed or it\u2019s not concealed, it\u2019s the responsibility of the firearm on your person. And again, we just encourage people that if you have a firearm of course, use it responsibly,\u201d St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said.<\/p>\n

Here is a list from JSO that outlines restricted areas, even if they are public property.<\/p>\n