TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida appeals court decided on Wednesday that the state’s ban on openly carrying firearms violates the Constitution.
A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal decided, referencing U.S. Supreme Court rulings on Second Amendment matters, that the open-carry ban conflicts with the country’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.
Governor Ron DeSantis expressed support for lifting the open-carry ban, stating, “We should be an open-carry state,” during a visit in Plant City.
The ruling was issued following a challenge by Stanley Victor McDaniels, convicted for openly carrying a gun on July 4, 2022, in Pensacola.
Florida has allowed concealed carry of firearms for decades but has maintained a ban on open carry.
There is a 30-day process after the appeals court ruling.
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