Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of gun violence and suicide.
Adults under 21 can now legally carry a firearm after a June 17 Florida court ruling.
The ruling stated the previous age limit unconstitutionally infringed upon the Second Amendment rights of young adults ages 18 to 20. This is not the first time Florida courts have ruled in favor of expanding Second Amendment rights.
In September 2025, Florida’s 38-year-old open carry ban was lifted. Law-abiding citizens can now openly carry firearms inside businesses unless they choose to prohibit firearms on their property.
The latest ruling clarified 18- to 20-year-olds hold the same rights.
Florida law prohibits those under 21 from purchasing a firearm, but they can still legally obtain one. Eighteen- to 20-year-olds can possess guns through inheritance or gifts from relatives.
Gainesville Police Department spokesperson Art Forgey said the department hasn't experienced any issues related to open carry since it became legal in September. GPD doesn’t anticipate any changes with the new court ruling, he added.
“The same legal principles and enforcement considerations that have applied since the open carry law took effect will continue to apply under this ruling,” Forgey wrote in an email to The Alligator.
Under these court rulings, adults don’t need to be certified to openly carry a firearm.
Taylor Slayton, a 24-year-old staff member at Shoot Gainesville Target Range, openly carries his firearm when he stops at gas stations before hunting.
“When it comes into people under the age of 21, it gets a little more sketchy, in a sense,” Slayton said, “especially since they’re still in that maturing stage.”
People 21 and over are required to take a training course for a concealed weapons license, he said, and it would be safer if 18- to 20-year-olds also had to do a training course for open carry.
“If they brought something into that [open carry] that says, ‘Hey, I’ve been through a specific class, I have this training and I’m allowed to do this,’ I don’t think there would be a problem with it,” Slayton said.
A 2023 bill ruled all gun owners must meet the same requirements as those who have a concealed weapons license in order to conceal carry, but the concealed carry permit itself is no longer a requirement.
Within the ruling, 18- to 20-year-olds have also gained the right to apply for a concealed weapons license, though it is not required to conceal carry in Florida.
The ruling extending the right to open carry was made during Gun Violence Awareness Month.
Impact GNV, the city's gun violence prevention program, spent the month of June hosting events to bring awareness to its mission.
Program manager Brittany Coleman said Impact GNV isn’t involved with legislation like open carry, but the program advocates for young adults to learn about being responsible gun owners.
“One of the things we want to do is encourage parents, adults, caregivers to have conversations with their young people about responsible gun ownership,” Coleman said.
It’s important for adults to find available training to ensure they know how to properly use a firearm, she said.
Another organization, the League of Women Voters of Alachua County, aims to encourage people to vote. Its Gun Violence Prevention and Safety Committee advocates for secure storage of firearms.
The committee’s main concern is the risk of suicide. Gwendolyn Saffo, the vice president of the league and committee chair, said she’s worried the new ruling will bring an increase in injuries for young adults.
Suicide is the most common cause of death by firearm in Alachua County, according to a 2025 study by the local League of Women Voters.
Nationwide, suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals ages 15 to 34, according to a 2026 study by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
The risk is why the committee emphasizes proper storage, Saffo said.
If a weapon is secured in locked storage, she said, the seconds it would take to unlock and access it could make a difference. In those seconds, another person could stop them, or they could change their mind.
Saffo said allowing 18- to 20-year-olds to openly carry a firearm is a safety risk because of their age.
Last year, a 20-year-old opened fire in Florida State University’s student union, killing two and injuring others.
To Saffo, the risk of suicide and events like these bring up the question: Are 18- to 20-year-olds at the right maturity level to carry a firearm?
“If I’m not mistaken, you have to be 21 years old to purchase a gun,” she said. “So, when we talk about open carry between the age of 18 and 20, that seems a little counterintuitive.”
Contact Teia Williams at twilliams@alligator.org. Follow her on X @teia_williams.
Teia Williams is a journalism student and in her second semester at The Alligator. She is a lifestyle and general assignment for The Avenue. In her free time she is constantly reading, going to concerts, or talking about her favorite celebrities.
