Overview

• Open carry took effect statewide Thursday after the 15-day appeal window closed on the 1st District Court of Appeal’s McDaniels v. State decision.
• Attorney General James Uthmeier instructed police and prosecutors not to arrest or charge lawful open carriers and said his office will not defend such cases.
• Firearms remain barred in sensitive places such as schools, courthouses, polling sites and certain government buildings, and private businesses can prohibit guns with violations risking armed-trespass charges.
• Multiple sheriff’s offices halted enforcement of the former ban, and prosecutors have dismissed pending counts, including 14 cases in Hillsborough County.
• Officials and advocates are calling for training and statutory clarification as gaps in sensitive-place language surface, with Gov. Ron DeSantis saying the shift aligns Florida with other states.