Florida Concealed Weapon License: Cost, Renewal, and Reciprocity

A Florida concealed weapon license is issued by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) on a shall-issue basis, meaning the state must grant it to any applicant who meets the criteria in Section 790.06.¹ You apply by proving eligibility, showing firearms training, submitting fingerprints and a photo, and paying roughly $119 in combined fees. FDACS has 90 days to decide. The license is valid for seven years and covers both concealed firearms and other concealed weapons under a single credential.

Is the License Still Worth Getting Under Permitless Carry

Since July 2023, Florida allows concealed carry without a license for anyone who meets the same eligibility criteria the license itself requires.² Three practical reasons keep the license useful anyway.

Reciprocity is the biggest. A Florida license is recognized in 37 other states.³ Florida’s permitless carry law stops at the state line, so drive into Georgia or Alabama without the physical license and you are exposed to that state’s laws.

The second reason is the waiting period. Section 790.0655 requires a three-day wait between purchase and delivery of a firearm in Florida, but the wait does not apply to license holders.⁴

Third, the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act prohibits firearm possession within 1,000 feet of a school, but exempts people who hold a state license requiring a background verification process.⁵ A 2025 federal decision, United States v. Metcalf, held that permitless carry does not satisfy this exemption because no government authority verified the carrier’s qualifications. That 1,000-foot zone covers much of any residential area, so carrying without a license near a school can trigger federal charges even where state law permits the carry.

Who Qualifies

The baseline is age 21, U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency, and an intent to carry for lawful self-defense.¹ Active-duty military stationed in Florida qualify even when their home of record is another state, and non-residents can apply on the same terms as residents.

Several conditions disqualify you, either permanently or for a set period:

Any felony conviction bars eligibility entirely.
A misdemeanor domestic violence conviction with adjudication withheld disqualifies you for three years after completing probation. An active domestic violence or repeat violence injunction blocks the application and will suspend an existing license.⁶
A controlled substance conviction within the past three years disqualifies you.
Chronic alcohol impairment is disqualifying; the law presumes it with two or more DUI convictions in the past three years or a habitual offender designation.⁶
An adjudication as incapacitated or an involuntary mental commitment disqualifies you unless you have received relief from firearms disabilities.

The license covers more than handguns. Florida’s concealed weapon definition includes knives, metallic knuckles, chemical weapons, and other deadly weapons, and one license authorizes both concealed weapons and concealed firearms.

The Training You Have to Show

You must demonstrate firearms competency, but the law accepts several ways to prove it, and you only need one:¹

A firearms safety course taught by an NRA-certified or state-certified instructor, including courses run by law enforcement agencies, colleges, and private schools.
A hunter education course approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or an equivalent out-of-state agency.
Documented U.S. military service, including a DD-214, or participation in organized shooting competition.
A firearms course completed through a law enforcement or security training program.
A current or prior Florida concealed weapon license, unless it was revoked for cause.

FDACS publishes the full list of acceptable documents.⁷ For the instructor-led routes, the instructor must certify that you safely handled and discharged a firearm in their physical presence using live ammunition. Enforcement of that live-fire step is uneven; some providers meet it with a single low-powered round. Basic courses generally run $50 to $150.

How to Apply, What It Costs, and How Long It Takes

You have three options for submitting the application: in person at a regional FDACS office or participating county tax collector, by mail, or through the FDACS online portal. In-person is the fastest. Staff will handle the electronic application, digital fingerprints, photo, and payment in about 20 minutes. Mail applications need a completed form, a passport-style color photo, and an ink fingerprint card.

The cost has two main pieces: a $55 state license fee and a $42 fingerprint processing fee. County tax collector offices add a service fee of about $20 to $25, which brings the typical resident total to roughly $119.⁸ Applying directly to FDACS avoids the service fee but you will need to arrange fingerprinting separately.

FDACS has 90 days from receipt of a complete application to issue or deny the license.¹ If a pending criminal charge shows up in the background check without a final disposition, the clock pauses until the case resolves. Approved licenses arrive by mail.

Where the License Does Not Let You Carry

Section 790.06(12) lists locations where concealed carry is off-limits regardless of your license:¹

Elementary, secondary, and college campuses.
Courthouses and courtrooms, unless a judge authorizes an exception in their own courtroom.
Polling places during elections.
Legislative sessions and meetings of county commissions, school boards, municipal councils, and special district boards.
Any portion of an establishment primarily devoted to serving alcohol for on-premises consumption. The bar area of a restaurant counts; the dining area may or may not, depending on layout.
Jails, prisons, and detention facilities.
Professional athletic events not related to firearms.
Airport passenger terminals and sterile areas past security, though you can bring a legally encased firearm into the terminal to check it as luggage.

Knowingly carrying in any of these places is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. The same restrictions apply to permitless carriers.

While carrying, you must have your license and photo ID on you and show them when a law enforcement officer asks. Failing to display on request is a noncriminal violation with a $25 fine. Florida has no duty-to-inform rule, so you are not required to volunteer that you are armed unless the officer asks. If you move, you must notify FDACS in writing within 30 days.⁹

Renewal and the 180-Day Cliff

The license is valid for seven years. FDACS mails a renewal notice at least 90 days before expiration.¹⁰ Renewal is simpler than a first application: you do not need to retake training. Submit the renewal form with a sworn statement that you still qualify, a new photo, and the renewal fee. Out-of-state residents also submit fresh fingerprints and the fingerprint fee.

If you miss the expiration date, you have 180 days to renew with an extra $15 late fee.¹¹ After 180 days the license is permanently expired and you have to start over with a full initial application, new fingerprints, background check, and full initial fees. Note the expiration when your license arrives and do not count on the mailed notice reaching you.

Which States Honor a Florida License

Florida has reciprocity agreements with 37 states, covering most of the Southeast, Midwest, and Mountain West, along with states like Pennsylvania, Maine, and Colorado.³ California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, and Hawaii are not on the list. Agreements change, so check the current FDACS reciprocity page before you travel.

A Florida license opens the door in reciprocity states, but the destination state’s laws control your conduct while you are there. Some impose their own prohibited locations or magazine capacity limits on visiting license holders. Because the reciprocity list is so broad, the Florida non-resident license is one of the most widely held in the country, and non-residents pay the same fees and get the same seven-year term as residents.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm
2
Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.01 – Carrying of Concealed Weapons or Concealed Firearms
3
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Concealed Weapon License Reciprocity
4
Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.0655 – Purchase and Delivery of Firearms; Mandatory Waiting Period; Exceptions; Penalties
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 922 – Unlawful Acts
6
Florida Senate. Florida Code 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm
7
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Acceptable Firearms Training Documentation
8
Hillsborough County Tax Collector. Concealed Weapon License Application – Payments and Fees
9
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Change of Address, Division of Licensing
10
Florida Legislature. Florida Code 790.06 – License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm
11
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Renew Your Concealed Weapon License