Gun Laws And 2a
Florida Gun-Rights Groups Warn Lawmakers Not to Dilute New Open-Carry Reality
After AG Uthmeier says open carry is statewide law, advocates push back against any implementing limits
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✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍Tallahassee, FL
Florida gun-rights organizations are urging legislators not to narrow the scope of open carry after Attorney General James Uthmeier told prosecutors and police that open carry is now the law throughout the state. Their warnings follow a three-judge panels decision in the First District Court of Appeal striking down Floridas 1987 ban on openly carrying firearms. In the rulings immediate aftermath, some agencies said they would stop enforcing the ban while others reviewed the opinion and questioned whether it applied outside the First DCAs region. Uthmeier subsequently said the decision is binding statewide because no other Florida appellate court has ruled differently since the U.S. Supreme Courts Bruen decision. With that clarification, advocacy groups say lawmakers should not undermine the courts effect when the Legislature reconvenes. In statements highlighted by the Florida Phoenix, Gun Owners of Americas Florida state director Luis Valdes said Florida Carry (FLC), Gun Owners of America (GOA), the National Rifle Association (NRA), and Florida Gun Rights (FLGR) have invested countless dollars and man hours and will vigorously and strongly oppose new restrictions that would limit the court victory. Logan Edge of Florida Gun Rights warned against efforts to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, adding that activists will ensure every Tallahassee legislator hears their position. A particular flashpoint is holster rules. Gun-rights groups argue that any implementing bill should avoid adding retention-level requirements for holsters used during open carry. The article outlines four retention levelsfrom Level 1 (friction only) up to Level 4 (friction plus three restraints)and notes that such mandates are among the potential regulations activists do not want in statute. Their argument centers on preserving the breadth of the courts ruling without equipment requirements that could function as de facto limits on lawful open carry. Uthmeier also emphasized that the appellate decision did not change Floridas existing list of off-limits locations. Open carry (or concealed carry) remains barred in settings such as law enforcement agencies, courtrooms, prisons and jails, polling places, government meetings, school or professional athletic events, elementary or secondary school facilities, airports, and establishments serving alcohol for on-premises consumption. Private property owners retain the right to prohibit firearms on their premises. In effect, the ruling addresses the ban itself but leaves longstanding exclusions and private-property rights intact. Not everyone agrees with the new legal landscape. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said she has a long history of supporting Second Amendment rights but believes the First DCA erred in its opinion. She urged law enforcement to wait for a final legal judgment before changing practices, arguing that allowing open carry immediately could create confusion and risk. The article also notes that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is an advocate of open carry, making it unlikely he would approve legislation that would weaken the states new policy. As reactions play out, operational questions have shifted from whether open carry is permitted to how agencies, businesses, and citizens will navigate the unchanged list of prohibited places and private-property prerogatives. For gun-rights groups, the goal is to carry court momentum into any legislative clean-up without accepting new constraints. For opponents, the priority is to avoid rapid changes that, in their view, elevate uncertainty and public-safety concerns while the legal environment settles.