Repeal of open carry ban makes Florida unsafe — a Wild West cosplay zone

Ladra hopes you weren’t planning a peaceful stroll through downtown Miami without a sidearm. Because Florida’s top cop — handpicked by Gov. Ron DeSantis himself — just told everyone to holster up and show it off.
Because that’s what we need in the Sunshine State: more guns.
Attorney General James Uthmeier, a DeSantis loyalist appointed earlier this year who is already eyeing a 2026 run, sent out a memo early last week that reads more like a campaign flyer than legal guidance. In it, he declared that open carry is now the law of the land in Florida — despite confusion, disagreement, and a whole lot of “wait, what?”
He didn’t just whisper it, either. He blasted it out on X with the memo attached, like some kind of campaign launch ad.
“Meaning that, as of last week, open carry is the law of the state,” Uthmeier posted on X, formerly Twitter, with all the confidence of a man who’s never had to walk through Miami Gardens with hardware on his hip.
Florida now becomes the 47th state to allow open carry, which means you can visibly carry a legally owned firearm in plain sight. Only California, Illinois, New York and Washington, D.C., still ban the open display of firearms.
Read related: Mass shooting at FSU elicits ‘thoughts and prayers’ but no real gun solution
This sudden shift comes after a Tallahassee appeals court struck down Florida’s 40-year-old ban on openly carrying firearms. The case dates back to 2002, when an Escambia County commission candidate was arrested for standing on a street corner on the Fourth of July with the constitution in one hand and a visible handgun tucked in his waistband. Two words: Florida man.
He was convicted, but he fought it for two decades until the political winds shifted in his favor.
The 1st District Court of Appeal ruled on Sept. 10 that Florida’s ban didn’t hold up under recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions. It doesn’t line up with “historic firearm regulation.” Never mind that Florida’s own Supreme Court upheld the ban in 2017. Never mind that Ashley Moody, now a senator, defended it when she was AG.
Uthmeier says he won’t appeal because he agrees with the ruling. Is anyone surprised?
And while not everyone agrees that this ruling applies statewide — some legal experts say the ruling could apply only to the 32 counties in the 1st District Court of Appeals’ jurisdiction — top cops everywhere are telling their officers to stop arresting people who openly display firearms. That might be because the Florida Sheriffs Association has advised all 67 sheriffs in the county — which would include Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz — to stop arresting “law-abiding citizens” who want to make sure everybody at Publix sees the Glock in their pocket.
Cordero-Stutz did not answer several calls and texts for comment.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, who has advocated in the past to uphold rights afforded by the Second Amendment, said in a statement last week that the First DCA erred in its opinion.
Read related: Miami-Dade candidates for sheriff talk about guns, gun safety at KFHA forum
“Nationwide, we are seeing harrowing levels of gun violence, marked by assassinations, school shootings, and people being killed in places of worship. This is a moment in history when we need to promote safer environments, not embolden those who could abuse the ruling’s intent to sow seeds of terror,” Fried said.
Florida Gun Law Timeline: From Concealed to Unleashed
1987 – Florida passes its landmark “shall issue” concealed carry law, becoming a model for other states. No discretion: if you qualify, you get the permit.
2002 – Local county commission candidate Stan McDaniels is arrested in Pensacola for open carry while campaigning with a visible handgun and a copy of the Constitution. His case becomes the long fuse that blows up the ban.
2005 – Florida enacts the controversial “Stand Your Ground” law, removing the duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense.
2008 – “Take Your Gun to Work” law goes into effect. Employers can’t prohibit employees from keeping legal firearms locked in their cars on company property.
2014 – Florida passes the “Warning Shot” law, granting immunity to those who fire warning shots in self-defense.
2018 – After the Parkland school shooting, Florida raises the minimum age to buy rifles and shotguns to 21 and enacts a “Red Flag” law allowing temporary firearm removal from individuals deemed dangerous.
2023 – Permitless concealed carry becomes legal. No training or background check required to carry a hidden firearm.
September 2025 – The 1st District Court of Appeal strikes down Florida’s open carry ban, citing inconsistency with recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings. AG James Uthmeier declares open carry legal statewide, despite conflicting interpretations from local law enforcement.
“Historically, the Florida Sheriffs Association, many departments across the state, and leaders on both sides of the aisle have agreed: open carry will make Floridians less safe. The impact of this decision will have negative long-term effects on our communities and further erode Floridians’ trust in one another.”
Uthmeier’s direction of “prudence” — which apparently means letting people walk around with visible weapons — doesn’t apply in a courthouse, school, bar, college campus, or Disney World. Yes, Disney still bans guns. Mickey Mouse may be armed with magic, but he’s not packing a MAC-10.
Private property owners can still ask gun-toting guests to leave, and if they don’t, they can be charged.
In Miami Beach, Commissioner Alex Fernandez presented a resolution last week that would inform private businesses of their right to prohibit customers, employees and guests from bringing firearms onto their premises. They could even posts signs saying as much. The item was not heard because the meeting ran long, but Fernandez could bring it back at another meeting.
Meanwhile, Ladra wonders how many bar fights, parking lot standoffs, or meltdowns at Sedanos will it take before this “guidance” becomes a full-blown crisis?
This isn’t lawmaking. It’s law-by-memo. And it’s happening while DeSantis is busy auditioning for his next role — kingmaker, senator-maker, or maybe just the guy who made Florida the most armed state in the union. This is red meat for his base of gun-toting culture warriors.
So, don’t be surprised if you see one of these “law-abiding citizens” strolling into Starbucks with an AR-15 slung across their chest just because they can.

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