Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Monday said open carry of firearms is now "the law of the state," after the 1st District Court of Appeal last week struck down a longstanding ban as unconstitutional .

Uthmeier issued guidance to prosecutors and law enforcement agencies, noting that some had already stopped enforcing the ban following the Sept. 10 ruling.

In a post on his X account , he said no other Florida appellate courts had reviewed the constitutionality of the open-carry ban since two closely watched U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 2022 and 2024. As a result, he wrote, "the First District's decision is binding on all Florida's trial courts."

Florida's history with open carry laws

Florida first enacted the open-carry prohibition in 1987, making it a misdemea

See Full Page