Florida Republicans pass controversial permitless carry bill
Tallahassee, Florida - Florida's Republican-controlled state legislature on Thursday passed a bill to make it legal to carry a concealed gun without a permit.
Both chambers of the Florida state legislature have passed House Bill 543, which would allow people to carry a concealed firearm without a license, background check, or additional training, Axios reported.
As things stand, Floridians must complete a training and background check and pay fees to apply for a concealed-carry license.
To qualify, people must not have any prior felony convictions or convictions related to controlled substances within the last three years.
The Sunshine State would become the 26th state to enact permitless carry if HB543 is signed into law.
The US states that have enacted permitless carry
The other 25 US states that allow people to carry a concealed firearm without a permit are:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota (for residents only)
- Ohio, Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wyoming.
Florida's far-right Governor Ron DeSantis has already indicated he plans to sign the bill once it reaches his desk.
"A constitutional right should not require a permission slip from the government," DeSantis said in an address earlier this month. "It is time we joined 25 other states to enact constitutional carry in the state of Florida."
Cover photo: Elijah Nouvelage / AFP