Can You Carry a Gun in a Bank in Florida?

If you own firearms, you may still have questions about Florida’s carry laws, even though they were relaxed two years ago. You no longer need a permit, and you do not need to take a training course to carry a concealed weapon. However, there are rules that could disqualify you, and open carry is still illegal in most cases in the State. Openly carrying a gun can get you fined or a short stint in jail. Can you carry a gun in a bank in Florida? Yes, with caveats. To ensure you are not tripped up by the current rules, our Attorneys at Leifert & Leifert are sharing an overview.

What a Concealed Weapon Is and Is Not

Concealed carry means your weapon must not be visible to anyone when you enter an approved establishment. Florida Statutes § 790.001(4)(a) defines a concealed weapon as a handgun, tear gas gun, knife, stun gun, or billie club. You cannot carry a machine gun or fully automatic weapons, nor can you conceal bombs or other explosives or anything containing poison gas.

While a concealed weapon is hidden on your person, open carry is illegal in Florida unless you are fishing, hunting, camping, or target shooting. You can openly carry on your way to or from these activities, too. Those exempt professions include members of Law Enforcement, game wardens, Corrections Officers, Military Members, forest rangers, and security guards. So what about that gun you want to carry into the Chase Bank Forest Hill, West Palm Beach office? If you meet the criteria for carrying a concealed weapon, you should be fine. If you carry it openly, you are facing a second-degree misdemeanor with a maximum jail sentence of 60 days or a fine of up to $500. If you become tangled in the legal system, a Leifert & Leifert Attorney will get the best result possible for you. You can begin with a free initial consultation and case review.

Criteria for Concealed Carry

Not just anyone can carry a concealed weapon. You must be at least 21 years old, but this age requirement does not apply to Military Service Members or Veterans honorably discharged. You must be a U.S. citizen and have legal possession of the gun. You cannot have been convicted of a felony, and if you were adjudicated delinquent for committing one when you were younger than 24, you still cannot carry a concealed weapon. You must always carry a valid ID because Law Enforcement Officers can ask you for it. Florida allows reciprocity, so if you are visiting the West Palm Beach area from another state, you can carry a concealed weapon as long as you meet the State’s criteria.

Understanding the Recent Change in Open Carry Laws

In late 2025, the Florida First District Court of Appeal ruled that the open carry ban mentioned above—codified in FL Stat. §790.053—was unconstitutional. Accordingly, as of September 25, 2025, there are no enforceable legal prohibitions on the rights of law-abiding state residents to openly carry any type of firearm, including handguns as well as long guns like rifles and shotguns.

It is important to emphasize, though, that this ruling has not struck down any of the numerous other restrictions that Florida state law places on the rights of state residents to keep, purchase, and publicly possess firearms. To start with, if you were not lawfully permitted to own or purchase a firearm prior to the open carry ban being declared unconstitutional, that limitation on your right to bear arms is still in effect. This ruling applies only to people who are already allowed under Florida state and United States federal law to carry firearms.

Furthermore, there are various places in the Sunshine State where you still cannot carry a firearm openly or concealed, regardless of whether you are authorized to carry a firearm elsewhere. There are currently some unanswered questions within the Florida legislature about whether state law actually expressly prohibits people from carrying long guns in designated gun-free zones. A member of our team can provide the most up-to-date information possible on this and other gun-related legal matters during a private consultation.

What Can You Legally Do with a Firearm Inside a Bank?

Regardless of whether you are carrying a firearm openly or concealed inside a bank that permits customers to carry firearms on its property, there are still certain rules you will be expected to follow as a matter of Florida state law. For example, as per FL Stat §790.10, you cannot pull out your gun in a rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner while in the presence of one or more other people unless you are doing so in necessary self-defense.

If you do, you could be charged with improper exhibition of dangerous weapons or firearms under this statute, which is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year of jail time and $1,000 in fines. Depending on the circumstances, you can also be charged with Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, which carries a three-year minimum mandatory prison sentence. As long as you keep your gun in its holster or on a sling around your shoulder, you should be fine legally if you want to take it inside a bank, but taking it out of the holster or doing anything else with it while inside could land you in legal trouble. Please note that any private establishment or property can ban the presence of firearms on or in their premises.

Furthermore, private property owners have the right to set their own policies about whether they want to allow people with firearms onto their property. If a bank manager or owner asks you to leave their bank while you are otherwise lawfully carrying a firearm, they have every right to do so, and you have a legal obligation to leave at their request. If you refuse to leave, you may not only face criminal charges for trespassing under FL Stat. §810.08, but since you have a firearm on your person, your charge would automatically be elevated to a third-degree felony offense instead of a misdemeanor.

Places Where Concealed Weapons are Banned

Although the bank, Publix, and Tanger Outlets permit you to carry a concealed weapon, some establishments prefer that you do not and will post the request on the door. You are not permitted to carry weapons in places that disrupt the manners or morals of the public, such as massage parlors, houses of prostitution, illegal gambling parlors, bars and taverns, and anywhere gang activity occurs. Other places where concealed carry is not allowed in Florida include:

• Places dedicated to the legal system, such as Police and Sheriff’s stations, State Prison, County Jail, the Palm Beach County Courthouse, or any courtroom except at the Judge’s discretion
• Any government meeting
• Any polling place
• Any elementary or secondary school or administration building and any school or college event unrelated to firearms
• Any college or university unless the party is enrolled as a student, a faculty member, or employee and the weapon is non-lethal, such as a stun gun to be used for defensive reasons
• Any career center
• Inside the airport’s passenger terminal and sterile area, unless the firearm is disassembled and checked as baggage
• Any location where firearms are prohibited by federal laws

All it takes is one slip up and you could find yourself violating the laws for weapons and concealed carry. Call Leifert & Leifert now and speak with one of our skilled attorneys who can fight on your behalf if you are charged with a gun crime.