Florida appeals court strikes down concealed-carry ban for 18- to 20-year-olds

A Florida appeals court has struck down the state’s ban on concealed carry for adults ages 18 to 20, ruling that the restriction violates the Second Amendment.

The unanimous decision from Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal removes a criminal-law barrier that had been part of the state’s post-Parkland gun restrictions. It also reverses the concealed-carry conviction of Jaylen Eubanks, whose case became the vehicle for the challenge.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the ruling aligned with his office’s position and that the state would not seek further review. He also said his office would work with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to implement the court’s order.

The ruling

Judge Spencer D. Levine wrote for the panel. The court said adults 18 to 20 are among the people protected by the Second Amendment and that Florida failed to identify a historical tradition that would justify the age-based restriction.

The panel relied on Supreme Court precedent including Heller, Bruen and Rahimi. It also pointed to founding-era militia laws involving 18-year-old men as part of its historical analysis.

The decision is the latest setback for a Florida gun law adopted after the 2018 Parkland school shooting. The age restriction had been one piece of a broader legislative response that has continued to face challenges in court.

The case

The appeal grew out of the case against Eubanks, who was 18 at the time of a 2024 arrest. Officers found an unholstered firearm on his waist, according to the research packet.

The appellate court reversed his concealed-carry conviction and sent the case back for further proceedings. The ruling now leaves Florida prosecutors and enforcement officials to adjust to a legal standard that no longer permits the under-21 concealed-carry ban.

What it means

The immediate effect is to remove the concealed-carry age barrier for Florida adults 18 to 20. That group can no longer be prosecuted under the invalidated restriction, and state agencies are expected to align enforcement with the decision.

The ruling may also affect pending or similar prosecutions, although the practical reach of the mandate and any case-by-case fallout were not immediately clear from the available reporting.

The case adds to continuing litigation over Florida gun laws under the Supreme Court’s modern Second Amendment framework. That framework has required lower courts to look for historical support when evaluating firearm regulations.

Florida has already been the site of other significant gun-law rulings, including a 2025 decision striking down the state’s open-carry ban. Together, the cases show how much of Florida’s carry regime remains under constitutional pressure.

For now, the state’s concealed-carry age ban is no longer enforceable against adults 18 to 20, and the attorney general’s office says it will not ask the Florida Supreme Court to take up the ruling.