Want a gun? Florida makes it easy




GENERAL FLORIDA GUN RULES[*]
No license or permit is needed to purchase a handgun, rifle or shotgun. [*]
Must be 18 to purchase a rifle or shotgun, and 21 to purchase a handgun from a licensed dealer. To buy a handgun from a private person, you can be 18. [*]
Must pass a criminal background check to purchase from a licensed firearms dealer. [*]
Must wait three days between buying a handgun from a licensed dealer and taking it home. [*]
Multiple firearms can be purchased at one time. [*]
Firearms do not need to be registered with police and can be kept in the home without a permit or a concealed weapon license. [*]
A firearm can be transported in a vehicle without a permit or concealed weapon license as long as it is "securely encased," such as in a glove compartment, or "not immediately accessible." It cannot be carried on a person in a vehicle without a concealed weapon license.

CONCEALED WEAPON LICENSES IN FLORIDA[*]
Licenses are required to carry a concealed weapon in public places. [*]
Concealed weapons are defined as: handguns, knives, electronic weapons or devices, billy clubs, tear gas guns. [*]
Licenses are issued by the Florida Division of Licensing, within the Department. of Agriculture and Consumer Services. (See http://licgweb. doacs.state.fl.us/ weapons/index.html) [*]
Applicants must submit: notarized application, photo, fingerprints, a fee of $117 and verification of firearm training. The state recommends that applicants also include certified copies of court documents to expedite the processing. [*]
Must be at least 21, a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident alien, and must pass a criminal background check. [*]
No justification for a license is required; "self-defense" is sufficient. [*]
Licenses are valid for five years. [*]
License holders don't have to wait three days between buying and taking home a handgun. [*]
License is valid in 30 other states. [*]
Concealed weapons generally are prohibited in police stations, jails, courtrooms, polling places, government meeting rooms, schools, bars and airline passenger terminals. [*]
Due to a recent change in law, licensees can now carry concealed weapons in Florida's state parks, including beaches, as well as in Florida's national forests outside of hunting season.

-- Sources: Florida Division of Licensing, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the National Rifle Association, the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence.