All applicants for a Florida concealed weapon license submit fingerprints that are checked against the Florida Crime Information Center database (FCIC), National Crime Information Center database (NCIC) and National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for disqualifying offenses.

No. Due to Federal Laws, having a Florida Concealed Weapon License or any other state’s concealed weapon license or permit does not exempt you from the background check when purchasing a gun in the state of Florida.

Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm Licenses that were issued on or after June 11, 2008, are valid for seven years.

Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm Licenses that were issued before June 11, 2008, are only valid for five years.

You can find the expiration date on the front of your license.

The processing time for a Florida Concealed Weapon License is approximately 90 days from the date they receive your application.

You can check the status of your application by using the Concealed Weapon License Application Online Status Check.

Private Investigation, Recovery, and Security Licenses can be checked here for Individuals and here for Agencies.

The initial fee for a Florida Concealed Weapon License for residents and non-residents is $102 which includes a $42 fingerprint processing fee and a $60 initial license fee.

Renewals for residents cost $50 and for non-residents is $92 which includes a $42 fingerprint processing fee.

The cost is $15 to obtain a revised or duplicate copy of your Florida Concealed Weapon License.

There is no $42 fingerprint processing fee for Active Florida Law Enforcement Officers. If you are a Florida Law Enforcement Officer that has retired within a year, there are no initial fees. If you have been retired for more than one year, the initial fee is $72 which includes a $40 fingerprint processing fee and a $30 initial license fee. Renewals for all retired Florida Law Enforcement Officers cost $30.

There are no charges whatsoever for active Judges.

The initial and renewal fees for a Consular Security Official are $300.

To obtain a Florida Concealed Weapon License, you must be 21 years of age or older and display competency with a firearm.

You must currently reside in the US and be a US Citizen or permanent resident alien. If you are deployed with the Military, you must submit a copy of your deployment documentation with your application. If you are a permanent resident alien, you must provide your Permanent Resident Alien card.

There are three ways to apply for a Florida Concealed Weapon License.

The first and probably the easiest option is to apply through their online application system.

The second option is to apply in person at a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regional office or an authorized Florida tax collector’s office. They have an interactive map to find an office near you.

The third option is to mail in your application. You can download the application here as well as the application instructions here. You will also have to contact your local law enforcement officials to submit your fingerprints electronically.

The following is a list of things that can cause an application to be denied.

• The physical inability to handle a firearm safely.
• A felony conviction (unless civil and firearm rights have been restored by the convicting authority).
• Having adjudication withheld or sentence suspended on a felony or misdemeanor crime of violence unless three years have elapsed since probation or other conditions set by the court have been fulfilled.
• A conviction for a misdemeanor crime of violence in the last three years.
• A conviction for violation of controlled substance laws or multiple arrests for such offenses.
• A record of drug or alcohol abuse.
• Two or more DUI convictions within the previous three years.
• Being committed to a mental institution or adjudged incompetent or mentally defective.
• Failing to provide proof of proficiency with a firearm.
• Having been issued a domestic violence injunction or an injunction against repeat violence that is currently in force.
• Renouncement of U.S. citizenship.
• A dishonorable discharge from the armed forces.
• Being a fugitive from justice.

Detailed explanations of these various disqualifying conditions are provided in the Application Instructions for the Concealed Weapon or Firearm License.

Military training does exempt you from the training requirements when applying for a Florida Concealed Weapon License. Active duty members can submit their Common Access Card or another form of official military identification with their applications. A copy of service members’ current orders will be accepted as proof of active duty status. Honorably discharged veterans can submit a copy of their DD 214 long form with their applications.

You will receive a renewal form with instructions approximately 150 before your license expires. You should submit your renewal as soon as possible to give them sufficient time to process your application. Send all renewal applications to:

CONCEALED WEAPON OR FIREARM LICENSE RENEWAL
Division of Licensing
Post Office Box 6387
Tallahassee, Florida 32314-6387

You may also renew your permit at a Division of Licensing regional office. You must call the office to schedule an appointment.

If your license has expired, you have up to 30 days to renew the permit. If it has been more than 30 days, you must apply for a new permit.

To request a name change, provide a written request along with a copy of the legal document that verifies your name change. To obtain a revised license include a $15 check or money order made out to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. To save $15, you may also keep your existing license and submit the name change request along with your renewal application, and your renewal license will be issued with your legal name.

You are required to notify the Division of Licensing within 30 days of changing your address. You can submit an address change through their online form here or submit the change in writing to:

Division of Licensing
P.O.Box 6387
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6387

Your residence is no longer printed on the license, so there is no need to pay $15 a duplicate license when changing your address.

If your Florida Concealed Weapon License is lost, stolen, or damaged, you can obtain a duplicate for a fee of $15. Submit a notarized written statement explaining if your license was lost, stolen, or damaged along with a check or money order made out to the Division of Licensing to:

Division of Licensing
P.O. Box 6387
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6387

Florida does not allow you to transfer another state’s concealed carry permit or license to Florida. You must apply for a new Florida Concealed Weapon License.

Suppose you move to Florida and have a concealed weapon license or permit from another state that recognizes Florida Concealed Weapon Licenses. In that case, your permit is valid for 90 days from the date you established legal residence via registering to vote, making a statement of domicile according to s. 222.17, or filing for homestead tax exemption on property in Florida.

Florida currently honors 35 other states’ licenses and permits.  Florida has a specific list of states they have reciprocity with and will honor non-resident permits/licenses from those states. To see the most up-to-date reciprocity information visit our concealed carry reciprocity maps.

Yes, 36 recognize and honor your Florida Concealed Weapon License.

To see the most up-to-date reciprocity information, please view our concealed carry reciprocity maps.

When carrying in another state, you must obey the laws concerning concealed carry of that state.

There is no Florida law that requires you to inform Law Enforcement that you are carrying a concealed weapon. You are only required to carry your Florida Concealed Weapon License and valid identification when carrying concealed and display both upon demand by a law enforcement officer.

“790.06 …. The licensee must carry the license, together with valid identification, at all times in which the licensee is in actual possession of a concealed weapon or firearm and must display both the license and proper identification upon demand by a law enforcement officer. Violations of the provisions of this subsection shall constitute a noncriminal violation with a penalty of $25, payable to the clerk of the court.“

Yes. Florida issues Concealed Weapon Licenses to lawful permanent resident aliens that have been deemed so by Department of Homeland Security, US Citizenship, and Immigration Service (USCIS).

You are allowed to carry concealed in a vehicle with a Florida Concealed Weapon License or a license or permit from a state that Florida recognizes licenses or permits from.

If you do not have a recognized permit, you can carry a firearm in a vehicle as long as it is securely encased or is not otherwise readily accessible. Examples of securely encased would be a gun case, glove box, or holster with a retention strap. An example of not otherwise readily accessible would be locked in the trunk of your car.

The following is a list of places that are off-limits when carrying a concealed weapon in Florida:

• any place of nuisance as defined in s. 823.05
• any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station
• any detention facility, prison, or jail; any courthouse
• any courtroom
• any polling place
• any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district
• any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof
• any school, college, or professional athletic event not related to firearms
• any school administration building
• any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to such purpose;
• any elementary or secondary school facility
• any area technical center
• any college or university facility
• inside the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport
• any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law

Florida is a Castle Doctrine state and does have a stand-your-ground law.

Home protection; use or threatened use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm.

On April 26, 2005, SB-436 was signed into law and took effect on October 1, 2005.

The laws on drinking alcohol while carrying a firearm in Florida are a little unclear. The law states, “It is unlawful and punishable as provided in subsection (4) for any person who is under the influence of alcoholic beverages, any chemical substance set forth in s. 877.111, or any substance controlled under chapter 893, when affected to the extent that his or her normal faculties are impaired, to use a firearm in this state.”

There is no clear definition of what “when affected to the extent that his or her normal faculties are impaired” means.

USA Carry always recommends not to carry a firearm while drinking alcohol.

You are not allowed to carry a concealed weapon in any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to such purpose. So you are allowed to carry concealed in a restaurant that serves alcohol.

Properties that display a No Gun sign do not have the force of law in Florida unless that property is specifically mentioned in the State Law as being off-limits to permit holders.

If you are asked to leave a property, then you must leave. Refusing is breaking the law, and you can be charged.

State Parks: YES
State Forests YES
National Forests YES
WMA’s: YES
Road Side Rest Areas: YES

Please visit our Florida Open Carry page for more information.