TALLAHASSEE, FL — A new piece of legislation, HB 133, is making its way through the Florida House and seeks to reduce the minimum age required to purchase or receive a firearm from 21 to 18. Sponsored by Representative Tyler Sirois, the bill has advanced through both the Criminal Justice Subcommittee and Judiciary Committee with favorable outcomes and was added to the House calendar on December 2, 2025.
If enacted, the law would amend Section 790.065 of the Florida Statutes to lower the age restriction on firearm purchases and transfers. Currently, individuals under 21 are prohibited from purchasing firearms, a measure that was enacted in 2018 following the Parkland school shooting. HB 133 would reverse that change, allowing adults aged 18 to 20 to legally purchase firearms once again.
The bill also removes an existing exemption that allowed only law enforcement officers, correctional officers, and certain military servicemembers under 21 to purchase rifles and shotguns. Under HB 133, that exception would no longer be necessary, as the minimum age would be 18 across the board.
Violations of this proposed statute would remain a third-degree felony, carrying the same penalties as the current law under sections 775.082, 775.083, or 775.084 of Florida statutes.
If passed by the full legislature and signed into law, HB 133 would go into effect on July 1, 2026.
This bill is part of a broader conversation around Second Amendment rights and age-based restrictions. Supporters argue that 18-year-olds are considered legal adults who can vote, serve in the military, and take on other responsibilities of adulthood—therefore, they should not be barred from exercising their constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
