YULEE, Fla. — Starting July 1, Floridians will be allowed to carry concealed firearms without a permit.
The new law eliminates the requirement for gun safety training or a background check by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It does still require a less-detailed background check but no longer requires fingerprinting or a three-month wait period.
What are people saying about this new law?
It's a typical day at Amelia Shotgun Sports in Yulee, Florida. Owner Dawn Grant instructs a person who has never handled a gun with some safety techniques.
"And then your finger here, you're pointing it at the ground, you're not pointing it at anybody," said Grant.
But Grant is involved with guns more than just in her role as an owner of the club.
"I carry my concealed in different ways," said Grant. "Sometimes I have it on my body, in this particular way I have it in my purse."
Starting July 1, 21-year-old U.S. citizens without a felony will be able to carry a concealed weapon in Florida without a permit.
The new law still requires a three-day waiting period after the purchase of the gun and the weapon must be concealed from ordinary sight among other restrictions, which can be read here.
On July 1, Florida will become the 26th state in the country to have a law that allows concealed carry without a permit. It's a law that Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper supports.
A statement provided to First Coast News reads:
“All the law does is allow Floridians who are currently qualified to obtain and maintain a Concealed Weapon License to carry a concealed handgun or weapon without a license. Criminals are not applying for a state permit to carry a gun. Removing the permitting process will assist our law-abiding citizens with the protections they need to defend themselves and their families from those criminals who intend to do them harm. A person carrying concealed without a license will still be required to obey existing laws prohibiting carrying in such places as schools, athletic events, and correctional facilities. The bill does not affect laws relating to the purchase of a firearm and will not allow anyone prohibited from possessing a firearm to carry concealed.”
The organization Moms Demand Action believes this law will not make the community safer. Part of a statement that they released in March states, "permitless carry takes away a vital tool from law enforcement to ensure a person carrying a gun in public isn't a criminal with a dangerous history."
In March UNF released a poll indicating that 77% of Floridians were opposed to concealed carry without a permit. The full breakdown of their survey can be read here.
"Ultimately a person still has to legally get a gun and they still have to legally have the right to have a gun," said Grant, who also says she feels safer with her gun.
"When I was in my 20s and 30s I was afraid at times," said Grant. "I think it's important for people to even the playing field and to carry a gun, especially a woman. It's just available to me any time I feel my life is threatened."