What are Penalties for Illegally Carrying a Concealed Weapon in Florida?
Florida statute 790.01 Carrying concealed weapons makes it a third-degree felony to carry a concealed firearm without a license and permit. Third-degree felonies carry maximum penalties of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. For purposes of self-defense, you can carry without a license or permit the following weapons:
- Self-defense chemical spray
- Non-lethal stun guns, remote stun guns or other non-lethal electric weapons or devices that do not fire a dart or projectile and are designed solely for self-defense
Except for these legal types of self-defense weapons, it is illegal to carry concealed weapons or electric weapons and devices, and violations are punishable as a first-degree misdemeanor. First-degree misdemeanors carry penalties of up to one year in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine.
Weapons charges in Jacksonville can vary, depending on the type of weapon involved. For example, unconcealed firearms are a much more serious offense than other types of unconcealed weapons. A concealed weapon means any deadly weapon that a person carries in a way that conceals it from the ordinary view of someone else. Weapons include many different types, including:
- Dirk
- Metallic knuckles
- Slingshot
- Billy club
- Tear gas gun
- Chemical weapon or device
- Bomb
- Grenade
- Mine
- Pipe bomb
- Missile
- Explosive
- Firearm
Robert Shafer & Associates has provided clients with strong criminal defense in cases involving weapons-related charges since 1979.