Florida Carry Demands Alachua County Scrap Four Illegal Ordinances
Florida Carry, a Second Amendment advocacy group, has formally notified Alachua County officials that four local ordinances contradict Florida state law. The group identified the violations independently, bypassing the usual state enforcement route through Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. This move signals mounting pressure on counties attempting to maintain gun restrictions that state lawmakers have already prohibited.
Key Details
- Four separate ordinances in Alachua County conflict with state statute
- Florida Carry initiated the compliance review, not state officials
- County officials have been formally warned of non-compliance
- No specific ordinance titles or details released yet regarding which regulations are targeted
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
Local ordinances that exceed state preemption laws create confusion and liability for gun owners trying to stay legal across jurisdictions. When counties maintain restrictions Florida statute already prohibited, permit holders face real risk of prosecution over rules that shouldn't exist. Florida Carry's direct action means advocacy groups—not just the Attorney General—are now actively policing county compliance. Gun owners in Alachua County should expect these four ordinances to be challenged or repealed, but until they fall, know which rules apply in your county before carrying, purchasing, or transporting firearms there.
DownRange Analysis
This reflects a broader pattern: counties test the limits of state preemption, hoping to slip restrictions past busy state AG offices. Florida Carry's move outsources enforcement to the group with the most to lose—gun owners themselves. The fact that four ordinances survived this long suggests county officials either ignored preemption warnings or actively resisted them. Under Florida's strong preemption statute, these ordinances should not have survived. Expect rapid resolution once formal notice lands; most counties fold when faced with direct legal pressure from advocacy groups backed by case law. This is how the Second Amendment gets enforced at the local level now.
