Florida legalizes permitless carry; what next?

Carrying a concealed weapon without a permit is now legal in the state of Florida. What happens now?

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill in a low-key ceremony. The law will officially go into effect on July 1. Not only will it allow people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, but it also gets rid of the training and background check that accompany the permit.

Note: The new law doesn’t get rid of background checks to buy a gun in the first place, and people who are prohibited from carrying a gun by law—like those convicted of felonies or certain misdemeanors—would still be barred from doing so.

Regardless, the bill has faced scrutiny from gun safety advocates who believe allowing people to carry concealed guns without training is a recipe for disaster.

Lauren Book, leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus, shared this statement:

“Republicans forged forward with blind pride for this nonsensical, reckless policy that prioritizes owning and using a lethal weapon over the security and safety of the people – and which ignores the ongoing gun violence in urban cores, on street corners, and throughout all levels of our communities.”

Meanwhile, Florida Senator Jay Collins wrote on Twitter:

“You don’t need a permission slip from the government to exercise your constitutional rights.”

The new law states people would still be prohibited from bringing firearms into certain places. For example, having a gun inside a police station, courthouse, polling place, school or airport is still illegal.