Florida's Gun Policy for Residents and Non Residents

Florida's Gun Policy Analysis and Critique
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Florida's Gun Policy Analysis and Critique
Florida is known as a "shall issue" state. Indeed, the state issues licenses to carry concealed weapons to non-residents from honored states and residents. Gun policy in Florida is crucial since it regulates the use, possession, and sale of ammunition and firearms. In the United States of America (USA), the topic of gun control is controversial, and without proper laws in place, firearms can lead to numerous deaths of citizens and violence. The best thing about Florida is that it recognizes firearm licenses from other states that honor its gun policy as long as a person is a resident from such places and 21 years old and above. Currently, Florida honors gun permits from 35 other states. Some of them include Indiana, Alabama, Utah, Delaware, Georgia, Alaska, Oklahoma, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Tennessee, Kentucky, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Arizona, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Texas, Ohio, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire (Giffords Law Center, 2022). Notably, Florida is strict when it comes to gun ownership and does not honor permits from states that do not recognize its licenses. If an unlicensed person carries a concealed weapon without a permit in Florida, the individual commits a third-degree felony, punishable by the law. The provision in Title XLVI, Chapter 790, Section 790.06, gives specific requirements to be met by a person who wants to get a license and be allowed to carry a concealed weapon in Florida. The paper describes, analyzes, discusses, and critiques Florida's gun policy.
Problem Description
Gun violence is a significant problem in the USA. If firearms are not regulated in Florida, there can be a rise in cases of deaths since it would be challenging to know whose weapon was used to commit crimes. For instance, Florida was ranked 26th when it comes to the highest rate of gun death nationwide and 34th in gun exports in 2019 (Giffords Law Center, 2022). Florida's guns policy is meant to save people's lives from gun violence. The law makes it clear to gun owners that they should avoid leaving loaded firearms in places where minors can access them. The weapon should be securely locked in a safe or box where children cannot get it. Florida's gun laws require a licensed manufacturer, dealer, or importer to conduct a buyer's background check to confirm whether the individual is mentally sound or has been prohibited from owning a firearm. A potential purchaser is required to use his or her identity without faking to ensure that the individual can be traced if the weapon is involved in any crime. As such, it becomes easy to control guns usage in Florida, and firearm licensing promotes public safety.
Firearms are deeply ingrained in the USA's political debates and society. The USA's Constitution allows Americans to bear and keep weapons for self-protection, as stated in the Second Amendment. Although many adults have firearms, the rate of murder can rise without gun policy since anyone, regardless of their mental status, age, or training, can own a firearm. According to a 2021 report by Pew Research Center, about 4 out of 10 adults admitted that they live in households with a weapon. In addition, 3 out of 10 Americans agreed that they have a gun (Schaeffer, 2021). During the coronavirus pandemic, gun sales increased, and more federal background checks of purchasers were conducted. In July 2020, approximately 3.6 million federal background checks were conducted, which was 44% more than what was done during the same period in 2019 (Schaeffer, 2021). Many gun owners in Florida say that they purchased firearms to protect themselves. However, Americans believe that gun violence is a significant issue in the country, and the most appropriate way to combat it is by implementing an effective gun policy.
Florida's gun policy has been crucial in eliminating the issue of a mass shooting. For example, in 2018, Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old, killed 17 individuals and wounded 14 people by shooting them using an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle (Chuck, Johnson, & Siemaszko, 2018). The gunman opened his fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. After proper investigations, it was found out that Cruz's mother had died in November 2018, and the suspect was staying with another family. The family that hosted Cruz for around three months said that he had no issues, and it was shocking to hear the news about the heinous crime committed by the teenager. However, Florida's gun policy helps to alleviate such issues where minors can access firearms and use them to kill others.
Analysis of Florida's Gun Policy
According to Title XLVI, Chapter 790, Section 790.01, only licensed people should carry concealed weapons in Florida. An unlicensed individual who carries a firearm or weapon commits a first-degree misdemeanor. Additionally, a person commits a third-degree felony if he or she carries a concealed firearm without a permit (The Florida Senate, 2022). The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) issues permits or licenses to carry concealed firearms or weapons to qualified individuals based on Section 790.015. First, only people aged 21 years and above can be licensed to carry firearms. Second, the individual should have a valid license, and if non-resident, he or she should come from a state that honors Florida's gun laws. Third, a person should be a resident of the USA. Fourth, a non-resident can be allowed to carry a concealed firearm or weapon if Florida establishes legal residence through voter registration, filing a homestead tax exemption on a property in Florida, and making a domicile pursuant statement (Handgunlaw.us, 2022). Nevertheless, the above conditions do not hold for the USA's veterans who are discharged from the Armed Forces under honorable conditions.
Residents of Florida can apply for a license to carry concealed firearms or weapons by mail, online, and in-person. Specifically, the state recognizes that citizens have the constitutional right to own firearms for self-protection. That is why it makes it easy to apply for a gun permit so that unlicensed firearm holders cannot cite inaccessibility of application materials or channels for gun ownership as an excuse for not having a license. The most significant requirement to get a gun license is to have undergone proper training in using a firearm. Moreover, one must fulfill all the eligibility requirements as outlined in Section 790.015. A digital passport photo taken within at most 30 days from the day of application is required, and the person ought to make all payments, which are non-transferable and non-refundable (Handgunlaw.us, 2022). Individuals in the USA's Armed Forces are allowed to submit their Military ID Card copy to show that they have undergone appropriate training. Consequently, anyone living in Florida and meeting the above requirements can apply for a firearm license.
Despite having a gun license, there are places that individuals are not allowed to carry a concealed firearm, handgun, or weapon in Florida. For instance, one cannot take a firearm in places of nuisance, highway patrol, sheriff, police station, jail, prison, detention facilities, courthouse or courtroom, polling station, special district, county, municipality, etc public school district meetings. Additionally, one should not carry a weapon in a legislature meeting, college, professional, or school athletic events, career center, premises licensed to sell alcoholic beverages, inside passenger terminals, such as airport, and any other place prohibited by the federal law (Handgunlaw.us, 2022). In that light, Florida's gun policy restricts licensed individuals to carry firearms in the above-mentioned places to avoid violence where many people can be injured as a result.
The most significant thing about Florida's gun policy is that it gives residents the right to carry licensed firearms to protect themselves even in their cars. However, the state does not undermine public safety since it prohibits carrying concealed weapons or firearms in public vehicles. On that note, even gun owners cannot harm individuals in public transport since it is punishable by law. Private and public employers are restricted from preventing customers, invitees, or employees from entering specific parking lots since they have a legal firearm carried for lawful pur...