Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said a Tradition Community Association Inc. letter on prohibiting guns in common areas “violates Florida law.”
He posed his comment in a May 21 statement on X.
The rule about firearms applies to all owners, tenants, guests, contractors while in common area facilities.
In the statement, Uthmeier referred to Florida Statute 790.251(4)(e), which states “no public or private employer may terminate the employment of or otherwise discriminate against an employee, or expel a customer or invitee for exercising his or her constitutional right to keep and bear arms.”
Uthmeier said the rule infringes upon a fundamental constitutional right and is un-enforceable. He gave the association until June 1 to confirm in writing that it will not enforce the firearm rule, and if the association refuses he and his office will “take appropriate action to enforce the law.”
Port St. Lucie Police Department released a statement May 15 stating the letter is not Florida law, therefore, not enforced by the agency.
“The Port St. Lucie Police Department enforces Florida state law — not private HOA policies or community association rules,” the agency stated in the news release.
Can you open carry in Florida?
A state appeals court on Sept. 10, 2025, ruled that Florida’s ban on openly carrying guns is unconstitutional.
Open-carry means you can publicly carry a legally owned firearm that is kept in plain sight or partially concealed, usually holstered. In Florida, openly carrying a firearm has been a second-degree misdemeanor with a $500 fine or a maximum of 60 days in jail.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida Attorney General gives statement on Port St. Lucie HOA letter