A Broward County judge ruled that Florida’s law banning concealed carry for 18 to 20-year-olds is unconstitutional. The decision supports Second Amendment rights for legal adults and aligns with recent national legal trends challenging restrictive gun laws.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (3-minute read) — A Broward County circuit judge has ruled that Florida’s concealed carry ban for 18 to 20-year-olds violates the Second Amendment, a decision that could impact how gun laws are enforced across the state.
The case began when Joel Walkes, 19, was arrested in March after a police officer noticed a bulge in his waistband. He was found to be carrying a semi-automatic pistol and charged with a third-degree felony for unlawful concealed carry. However, Judge Frank Ledee dismissed the charge, stating in a detailed nine-page ruling that the Florida law unfairly strips legal adults of a constitutional right.
In his decision, Judge Ledee emphasized that the state failed to provide any historical evidence from the Founding era to justify age-based restrictions on carrying firearms. He referenced recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that require courts to evaluate the historical tradition of firearm regulation when deciding Second Amendment cases. “The state has failed to identify Founding-era law that broadly prohibited the concealed carry of firearms by eighteen-to-twenty year olds,” Ledee wrote.
This case specifically addresses the right to carry a firearm, not to purchase one. Florida law still prohibits individuals under 21 from buying firearms, a restriction enacted after the tragic Parkland shooting in 2018. Federal law also continues to bar handgun purchases by anyone under 21. However, minors can legally possess firearms in certain cases, such as receiving one as a gift.
The ruling arrives amid ongoing legal challenges to gun laws in Florida and across the country. The National Rifle Association is contesting Florida’s law banning long gun purchases by those under 21, and a separate Florida court recently struck down the state’s longstanding ban on open carry.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has publicly supported similar rulings and even issued statewide guidance telling law enforcement not to arrest individuals openly carrying firearms if they are otherwise law-abiding.
As legal battles continue, this decision marks a significant moment in the national debate over the rights of young adults to bear arms and raises questions about how concealed carry laws should be applied going forward.
Safety Tip: If you’re under 21 and plan to carry a firearm where legally permitted, make sure you fully understand both state and federal laws. Carrying without a permit or in violation of local laws can still result in serious criminal charges.