A Florida appeals court panel on Wednesday struck down a longstanding state law that barred young adults from legally carrying concealed weapons. It was a victory for the state attorney general, James Uthmeier, who had declined to defend the law in court.<\/p>\n
Three judges from the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Broward County unanimously ruled<\/a> against the law, which was passed in 1987 and barred 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying concealed weapons.<\/p>\n Citing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have dramatically reshaped the nation\u2019s gun laws, Judge Spencer D. Levine wrote that the Florida statute \u201cwas contrary to our historical tradition and violates the Second Amendment.\u201d He wrote that 18-year-olds are encouraged to join the military and \u201cdefend the country without restriction,\u201d yet the law imposed \u201csevere restrictions\u201d on their right to self-defense.<\/p>\n The ruling was not unexpected. Mr. Uthmeier, a Republican who has championed gun rights, previously asked the court to strike down the law. On Wednesday, he said on social media that the decision was \u201canother win for the unalienable rights of Floridians\u201d to carry firearms.<\/p>\n Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, a two-term Republican, lawmakers and court rulings have made it easier to carry guns in Florida.<\/p>\n In 2023, Mr. DeSantis signed a law that eliminated the requirement for a permit<\/a> to carry a concealed weapon.<\/p>\n Law-abiding Floridians have been able to openly carry firearms since 2025, when a state appeals court in Tallahassee ruled<\/a> that a previous ban on the practice violated the Second Amendment right to bear arms.<\/p>\n