Military members and honorably discharged veterans applying for Florida concealed carry get two built-in advantages over civilian applicants: proof of U.S. military service satisfies the firearms competency requirement, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) prioritizes military and veteran applications for expedited processing. Those benefits are the core of Florida’s concealed carry military and veteran requirements, and they still matter even though Florida now allows most eligible adults to carry without a license at all.
Why Apply If Florida Allows Permitless Carry
Since 2023, anyone who meets the license eligibility criteria can carry a concealed weapon or firearm in Florida without holding the license itself.1Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 790 Section 01 If you are 21 or older, a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, and have no disqualifying record, you can carry inside Florida without applying for anything.
The Concealed Weapon or Firearm License (CWFL) is still worth having for two reasons that hit military applicants harder than most. First, Florida has mutual recognition agreements with 37 other states, so the license lets you carry legally across most of the country when you travel or receive orders.2Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Concealed Weapon License Reciprocity Without the license, you are limited to Florida unless the state you visit also has permitless carry. Second, holding the license lets you skip Florida’s three-day waiting period on firearm purchases, which matters if you are buying between deployments or on limited leave.
Notable states that do not honor a Florida CWFL include California, New York, Illinois, Maryland, and New Jersey. If PCS orders send you to one of those, plan on that state’s own licensing process. Reciprocity lists change, so verify current status on the FDACS reciprocity page before traveling.
Training Exemption for Military Service
Every CWFL applicant must show competency with a firearm. Civilians usually take an approved training course. Military members and veterans do not need to. Evidence of U.S. military service counts as equivalent experience under the statute.3Justia Law. Florida Statutes 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm There is no separate marksmanship record to hunt down. A military ID for active duty applicants or an honorable DD-214 for veterans establishes both the exemption and the service on which expedited processing is based.
The competency exemption is one piece of the application. You still have to meet every other eligibility criterion, including age, citizenship or lawful residency, and a clean disqualifying record.
Discharge Status and Federal Firearm Bars
Before paying the nonrefundable fee, confirm you are not federally prohibited from possessing firearms. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), anyone discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions is barred from possessing a firearm or ammunition.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Other federal prohibitions that can catch veterans include felony convictions, misdemeanor domestic violence convictions, active intimate-partner restraining orders, and adjudication as mentally defective or commitment to a mental institution.
The dishonorable-conditions disqualifier refers specifically to a dishonorable discharge issued by a general court-martial. Other-than-honorable and general discharges are not automatically prohibiting under that provision. They will, however, keep you from using the military training exemption in Florida, which is tied to honorable service. If your discharge characterization is anything other than honorable, sort out eligibility before you apply.
What to Submit
The proof depends on your status. Active duty applicants requesting expedited processing submit one of the following:3Justia Law. Florida Statutes 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm
- Common Access Card (CAC)
- Uniformed Services Identification Card
- Current deployment orders showing active duty status
Any one of these also satisfies the firearms competency requirement.
Veterans submit a copy of the DD Form 214 issued at discharge. FDACS asks specifically for the long-form version, and the discharge characterization must show “Honorable” to qualify for both the training exemption and expedited processing.5Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Applying for a Concealed Weapon License The statute also allows another acceptable form of identification specified by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs if you cannot locate your DD-214.3Justia Law. Florida Statutes 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm Veterans and next of kin can request a free copy of the DD-214 through the National Personnel Records Center at the National Archives.6National Archives and Records Administration. Request Military Service Records
Everyone submits a photo ID, the sworn application, and the fees.
How to Apply, Fees, and Timeline
Applications go through FDACS.7Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Concealed Weapon License You can apply online, by mail, or in person at a regional FDACS office or a participating county tax collector’s office.5Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Applying for a Concealed Weapon License Applying in person is the fastest option because fingerprints and your photo are taken at the appointment. By mail, you will need to visit your local sheriff’s office or police department for fingerprinting and include the card with your application.
The statutory license fee is up to $55.3Justia Law. Florida Statutes 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm A $42 fingerprint processing fee is added, for a typical state cost of $97. County tax collector offices add a $22 service fee, raising the total to $119 at those locations.
FDACS has 90 days from receipt of a complete application to issue or deny the license.5Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Applying for a Concealed Weapon License If a background check returns incomplete records, that window can extend by up to 45 more days while dispositions are tracked down. Military and veteran applications that include qualifying identification are prioritized for expedited processing.3Justia Law. Florida Statutes 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm The statute does not promise a specific number of days. It requires FDACS to move these applications ahead of the queue.
Renewal and Deployment Extensions
A Florida CWFL is valid for seven years, and FDACS mails a renewal form about 95 days before expiration.8Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Renew Your Concealed Weapon License The renewal fee is up to $45.3Justia Law. Florida Statutes 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm If you miss the expiration date, you have a 180-day grace period to renew with a $15 late fee. After 180 days, the license is permanently expired and you start over as a new applicant.
Deployed servicemembers get a real safeguard here. If military orders take you more than 35 miles from your residence, your license does not expire while you are away. You get an additional 180 days after returning home to complete the renewal, and FDACS cannot charge late or delinquency fees during that extension. To claim it, present a copy of your orders or a written verification from your commanding officer before the 180-day window closes.3Justia Law. Florida Statutes 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm
Where the License Does Not Reach
Florida Statutes 790.06 lists locations where carry is prohibited even with a valid CWFL, including law enforcement facilities, detention facilities, courthouses, government meetings, polling places, schools and college facilities, athletic events, the alcohol-serving portion of a bar, airport terminals, and anywhere federal law prohibits firearms.3Justia Law. Florida Statutes 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Concealed Firearm That last category matters for military personnel. Under 18 U.S.C. § 930, knowingly bringing a firearm into a federal facility is a federal crime.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities Military installations have their own weapons policies that are typically more restrictive than state law. A Florida CWFL does not authorize carry on base. Check your installation’s regulations separately.
LEOSA for Former Military Law Enforcement
Veterans who served as military police or criminal investigators may qualify for a separate federal carry privilege under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act. Under 18 U.S.C. § 926C, a qualified retired law enforcement officer, including former military law enforcement with arrest authority under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, can carry concealed nationwide regardless of state permit laws.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926C – Carrying of Concealed Firearms by Qualified Retired Law Enforcement Officers
LEOSA qualification requires at least 10 years of aggregate law enforcement service (or a service-connected disability separation), annual firearms qualification at your own expense, and photographic ID from your former agency showing law enforcement employment. This is a narrow benefit that applies only to former military law enforcement, not to all veterans. It does not override restrictions in federal buildings, school zones, or private premises where state law prohibits carry.