Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said on Monday that openly carrying a firearm is the law of the state, following last weeks decision by a panel of the First District Court of Appeal that found Floridas longstanding open-carry ban unconstitutional. In a guidance memo sent to prosecutors and law-enforcement agencies, Uthmeier advised that some agencies had already ceased enforcing the statute after the opinion was released. Uthmeier wrote online that no other Florida appellate courts have addressed the open-carry bans constitutionality in the wake of recent U.S. Supreme Court Second Amendment rulings. Because of that, he said the First Districts decision is binding on all of Floridas trial courts. His office distributed the clarification to ensure uniform treatment across jurisdictions while the courts and agencies adjust to the appellate ruling. The law at issue traces back to 1987, when the state made it a misdemeanor to visibly display firearms in public, while allowing exceptions such as hunting. During that period, Floridians could carry concealed weapons under the states licensing framework, but the general prohibition on open carry remained in effect until last weeks appellate decision. The latest guidance focuses on how agencies should handle the immediate implications of that ruling. In his memo, Uthmeier told prosecutors and law-enforcement personnel to refrain from arresting or prosecuting law-abiding citizens who carry a firearm in a manner visible to others, noting that Florida courts can no longer convict under the struck-down open-carry provision. At the same time, he emphasized that state law still requires responsible behavior by gun owners and that nothing in the decision permits individuals to menace others with firearms in public. The First Districts opinion arose from a case involving Stanley Victor McDaniels, who had been convicted after openly carrying a firearm during a July 4, 2022 incident in Pensacola. In assessing the challenge, the appellate panel looked to U.S. Supreme Court guidance on evaluating contemporary firearm restrictions under the nations historical tradition of regulation. The court concluded that Floridas blanket open-carry prohibition could not be reconciled with that tradition and therefore could not stand. The appellate opinion underscored that the right to bear arms in public includes the ability to do so openly, while also acknowledging that the right is not absolute. Uthmeiers subsequent guidance echoes that balance by directing agencies to avoid pursuing charges under the invalidated statute while reiterating that threatening or irresponsible displays remain outside lawful conduct. The memos aim is to provide near-term clarity to line prosecutors and patrol officers who must interpret the ruling in day-to-day operations.