When You Fight, You Win: Floridians Finally Have Open Carry, No Thanks to the Florida Legislature

Florida is finally joining the big leagues. Last week, the Florida First District Court of Appeal struck down the state’s decades-old ban on open carry, bringing the Sunshine State into line with Texas and the majority of America.

The ruling means Floridians can now carry handguns openly as well as concealed — without a government permission slip. Attorney General James Uthmeier quickly confirmed what gun owners already knew: open carry is now the law of the state.

This victory means nearly 90% of U.S. states now recognize some form of open carry — whether permitless or permitted. That fact alone shows the tide of freedom has shifted.

What Constitutional Carry Means

Constitutional Carry simply recognizes the plain reading of the Second Amendment: if you are a law-abiding citizen, you don’t need a license to exercise your God-given right to bear arms.

Whether you choose to carry openly or concealed is up to you.

Florida Gun Rights, a sister organization of Texas Gun Rights, led the grassroots charge in Tallahassee. Of course, in Texas, TXGR members already proved that unrelenting grassroots pressure can move mountains.

“Florida gun owners have fought for years to secure the same rights Texans enjoy, and this ruling shows what can happen when you refuse to compromise,” said Chris McNutt, President of Texas Gun Rights. “Constitutional Carry is the true standard — not half measures, not carve-outs, and not begging for permits.”

Texas: From No Open Carry to the 21st Constitutional Carry State

The history in Texas makes Florida’s win all the more significant.

When the first constitutional carry bills were filed in Austin in January 2015, Texas had no form of open carry at all. While more than 30 states already recognized some form of open carry at the time, Texans were forced to keep their handguns concealed under penalty of law.

In fact, when Senator Don Huffines and Representative Jonathan Stickland filed Texas’ first ever constitutional carry bills — drafted by attorneys from TXGR and the National Association for Gun Rights — only six states had adopted true constitutional carry.

That meant Texas, of all places, was lagging far behind the rest of the country.

But TXGR members refused to let it stand.

Incremental “Victories” Were Never Enough

Following the initial filing of constitutional carry, RINO Republicans tried to pacify gun owners with scraps year after year:

2015: Licensed open carry & campus carry.

2017: A reduction in License to Carry fees.

2019: Constitutional carry during declared disasters.

But those crumbs weren’t enough to satisfy a grassroots army demanding real constitutional carry. “Politicians thought we’d settle for token victories, but TXGR members kept the pressure on, session after session — and held Republicans accountable during each primary season — until the legislature had no choice,” McNutt said.

Finally, in 2021, Texas became the 21st constitutional carry state in the nation — a landmark win credited to no-compromise activism and thousands of gun owners refusing to back down.

Florida Follows Texas’ Lead

Now Florida has finally caught up, thanks to the work of Florida Gun Rights and the no-compromise gun rights movement out east. With 29 constitutional carry states now nationwide — and nearly 90% of states recognizing open carry in some form — the momentum is undeniable.

“Every inch of ground we’ve gained has come from grassroots gun owners standing together, refusing to compromise, and demanding their legislators get out of the way,” said McNutt. “Florida proves again that when you fight, you win.”