TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) \u2014 Those under the age of 21 may soon be allowed to carry concealed firearms.<\/p>\n
This comes after the Fourth District Court of Appeals<\/a> ruled that Florida’s age restriction on law-abiding individuals ages 18-20 violates the 2nd Amendment.<\/p>\n It’s an argument republicans and gun advocates made this past session, as lawmakers debated HB 133: Minimum Age for Firearm Purchase or Transfer<\/a>.<\/p>\n “When the state’s argument is that someone under the age of 21 doesn’t have the mental faculties to own and possess a firearm, but they have the mental faculties to be an armed agent of the state and enforce gun control,” said Luis Valdes, of Gun Owners of America, during a House committee hearing.<\/p>\n The Florida House continues to bring back the bill, which aims to roll back the gun-buying age from 21 to 18.<\/p>\n It’s a move that drew pushback from Florida State University students, especially after the deadly April 2025 campus shooting.<\/p>\n “We can’t have 18-year-olds with weapons,” Andres Cubillos of Students Demand Action said. “We shouldn’t be advocating for campus carry. It’s wrong.”<\/p>\n Cubillos, a gun reform advocate, has been calling on lawmakers for years to change course. Most recently, urging them to take up secure storage laws next legislative session.<\/p>\n “We think that the standards for secure storage are not enough, especially here in Tallahassee,” Cubillos said. “Local law enforcement has already been working with Students Demand Action volunteers to try to find ways to increase information around secure storage.”<\/p>\n Attorney General James Uthmeier responded to the DCA decision, calling it another “win”<\/a> for Floridians.<\/p>\n The appellate court’s ruling is not yet final. Uthmeier says he will work with the Florida Department of Agriculture to implement the court’s order.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n