Florida Deputy Told Armed Fairgoers to Keep Quiet About Carry
A sheriff's deputy at the North Florida Fair in Tallahassee told armed visitors they could carry on the grounds, then asked them not to tell anyone. Members of Florida Carry and Gun Owners of America arrived at the Leon County event after the fair's website listed a "no weapons" policy. The deputy said the group would not be denied entry. He asked them to consider locking their guns in their vehicles, and he made clear he did not want word getting out that carry is allowed. Florida's preemption statute makes that posted policy unenforceable on publicly owned fairgrounds.
Key Details
The facts are simple, and they come from a Florida Carry and GOA contingent that confronted fair officials before the event.
- Venue: North Florida Fair, Tallahassee, in Leon County.
- Trigger: The fair's website listed a "no weapons" policy.
- Pre-event contact: GOA Florida State Director Luis Valdes says his group contacted fair officials before opening day and got vague answers.
- Entry process: Armed visitors passed through walk-through security monitoring towers, then a guard escorted the open carrier to a sheriff's deputy.
- Deputy's position: The deputy said he would not deny entry for being armed, respected carry rights under Florida law, and asked visitors to secure firearms in their vehicles without forcing them to do so.
- Stated concern: The deputy said security screening exists to keep armed people out and that he did not want word spreading that carry was permitted.
- Outcome: The group entered the fair without incident. Valdes posted video of the exchange to Facebook.
- Legal structure: Florida fair associations are created by statute and receive authority from county commissions, so they act as extensions of the county.
- Lease: Valdes says the fair association is legally separate from Leon County and leases the grounds for $1.
- Preemption statute: Chapter 790.33 gives the state legislature exclusive authority over firearm regulation, including sensitive locations defined in 790.06(12).
Background
Florida has preempted local gun regulation for decades. Under Chapter 790.33, cities and counties cannot write their own firearm rules, and the state alone decides where guns are restricted. The statute carries penalties for officials who ignore it, including fines and removal from office. The list of sensitive places is short and specific. Schools are on it, which is why a fair held on school grounds, such as the Youth Fair in Miami, can lawfully be a gun-free zone. A public fair on government land does not qualify.
Valdes calls the tactic used in Leon County the "municipal two-step." The county disclaims the ban, the fair association claims it is a private entity, and each party points at the other. The arrangement lets a government impose a restriction it could not legally impose directly. Gun Owners of America has sued other jurisdictions over similar setups, according to Valdes. Since the Supreme Court decided New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen in 2022, courts have required governments to justify firearm restrictions by reference to historical tradition. Paper-thin workarounds carry little weight under that test.
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
Florida residents who carry lawfully should know that a posted sign does not automatically stop them. Many public venues, including fairs, festivals, county parks, and municipal buildings, post "no weapons" notices. Many of those signs have no legal basis when the property is publicly owned and not on the statutory sensitive-places list. A sign can still create confusion at the door, so expect staff to ask questions.
Carriers planning to attend a county or municipal event should check whether the site falls within a statutory sensitive location. Call the venue ahead of time and ask for the policy in writing. If staff give vague answers, as the North Florida Fair did, note the date, the person, and what they said. Keep a copy of Chapter 790.33 on your phone. Also, verify your own eligibility and know the recording rules where you live before filming any encounter, since the law on that varies by state and by setting.
Out-of-state carriers should watch for the same pattern. Florida's preemption language is strong, but other states have their own preemption rules with different enforcement mechanisms.
DownRange Analysis
This was a win, but it was a soft one. A deputy admitted that the fair could not stop armed visitors, then asked them to stay quiet about it. That is the municipal two-step in practice: the government concedes the law and hopes nobody publicizes it. The "no weapons" sign on the fair's website is a legal fiction that a court would likely strike down under Chapter 790.33, and a Bruen-style analysis offers no historical support for banning carry on public land.
Gun owners should not treat the deputy's courtesy as a policy. Document the policy, the staff responses, and the statutory basis before you go. If a venue refuses entry or threatens arrest, call an attorney or a group like Florida Carry or GOA. The right move is to publish the exchange, as Valdes did. Silence is the outcome officials want, and public records and video are how that changes.
