Tag: 2nd Amendment

Gov. DeSantis Signs Florida’s New 2nd Amendment Protection Law Into Effect

Florida takes another step in protecting Floridians’ 2nd Amendment rights during local state of emergencies.

Florida Governor DeSantis signs 2nd Amendment protection law into effect.

The bill, which took immediate effect upon signing on May 28, 2025, removes provisions that previously prohibited the sale, display, and public possession of firearms and ammunition during emergencies such as riots or widespread public disturbances.

Floridians can now buy guns and ammo during local states of emergency under new law

Learn more about this law and Florida’s other laws regarding the “permitless” carrying of a firearm in Florida. Florida’s “permitless” carry law is not as simple as many believe. In-Gauge of Polk County conducts State of Florida recognized concealed carry classes monthly in Winter Haven. CLICK HERE to see our class schedule and register.

There is definitely a difference between having Florida concealed carry weapons license and not.

  • Are you familiar with Florida’s concealed carry law regarding school zones?
  • Are you aware of Florida’s concealed carry law regarding sporting events?
  • Are you award of Florida law regarding the transporting of a firearm in a private vehicle and an RV?
  • Are you aware of Florida law regarding carrying a concealed weapon in a private vehicle?

Not knowing the law regarding any of the above can result in a felony arrest and the permanent loss of your 2nd Amendment rights.

Also, when ‘Nationwide Concealed Carry Reciprocity’ takes effect, you need a license to have reciprocity. You are encourage to complete your Florida concealed carry license qualification training now and avoid the rush once the law goes into effect. When it does, you can expect a 2 -4 week waiting period to get into a class and a 1 – 3 month waiting period to receive your license from the State.

large inventory of all types of firearms, a wide assortment of ammunition, accepts transfers and sells used firearms on consignment. Concealed carry, firearms training and hunter safety certification qualification classes will be taught on site in a large, comfortable classroom.

Nationwide, national concealed carry reciprocity moves closer to becoming a reality

Don’t be left in a 3 to 6 month waiting line to get your concealed carry license when this law takes effect.

It should be understood that you will need a license or permit to have reciprocity, similar to your driver’s license.

Karoline Leavitt Confirms CCW Reciprocity May Be Coming To All 50 Beautiful States

May 6, 2025

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/karoline-leavitt-confirms-ccw-reciprocity-may-be-coming-to-all-50-beautiful-states/ss-AA1EcwBB

At a recent White House press briefing, Karoline Leavitt, President Trump’s press secretary, faced a direct question about concealed carry rights. A reporter asked if there were any “ongoing efforts for national reciprocity” so that Americans could carry concealed weapons “in all 50 beautiful states.” Leavitt didn’t dodge the question. Instead, she made it clear: the Trump administration is supportive of the idea, but Congress would have to act first.

According to Leavitt, this is something Trump talked about “on the campaign trail for sure.” Her message was simple – Trump backs law-abiding gun owners, but passing a national reciprocity law requires legislative support.  

Nationwide concealed carry reciprocity takes another step closer to becoming a reality. Congressman Richard Hudson appeared on Fox News, Friday, April 11, 2025 . . . .

Appearing on Fox News, Friday, April 11, 2025

Our concealed carry license qualification class cost:

See our upcoming class schedule and register for a class through EVENTBRITE at . . . https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/gun-safety-firearm-training-classes-ccw-permit-229249

Nationwide, national concealed carry reciprocity moves closer to becoming a reality

Appearing on Fox News Friday, April 11, 2025 . . . .

Nationwide concealed carry reciprocity takes another step closer to becoming a reality. Congressman Richard Hudson appeared on Fox News, Friday, April 11, 2025 . . . .

Appearing on Fox News, Friday, April 11, 2025

NATIONAL CONCEALED CARRY RECIPROCITY – Soon to become a reality

You must have a license (permit) to have reciprocity.
Avoid the rush. Do not be left on a waiting list, trying to get in a class, with inflated prices. Get your required training before the rush.

President-elect Donald Trump announces that he will sign a national concealed carry bill into law.

Official Florida recognized concealed carry license and firearms training classes conducted in Winter Haven weekly.

In-Gauge of Polk County is located in Winter Haven and licensed to conduct business in Polk County. We are not an out-of-town operation that visits Winter Haven to conduct classes at a local hotel.

Click on the button below to see our class schedule and to register for a class.

class schedule / register for a class

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

In-Gauge Conducts Youth Gun Safety Class at Liberty Link 360, Bartow, Florida

At the invitation of the Liberty Link Foundation 360, Bartow, Florida, In-Gauge of Polk County, a private, non-profit organization, chartered by the National Rifle Association, conducted a free youth gun safety class, for the participants of Liberty Link 360’s summer youth program. The class was conducted Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at the Liberty Link Foundation 360, facility in Bartow, Florida.

Recognizing the alarming rise of accidental child shootings, the Liberty Link Foundation 360 invited In-Gauge of Polk County to educate the teenage participants of its summer youth program on gun safety.

Using an audio visual presentation and physical props In-Gauge emphasized the importance of gun safety.

The overall message was: If you are not authorized and trained in the use of a gun, don’t touch it and always assume that every gun is loaded.

At the completion of the presentation, each participant was issued with a gun safety lock to accompany their certificate of training.

In-Gauge of Polk County routinely conducts gun safety training classes for the public and child gun safety seminars throughout the year, making available free gun locks to the public. The locks are provided through the generosity of local businesses that are concerned with child gun safety.

In 2023, In-Gauge of Polk County distributed over 500 gun locks, free to the public. In-Gauge of Polk County relies solely on the financial generosity of local businesses to fund its child gun safety program.

For information on how to donate to In-Gauge of Polk County’s child gun safety gun lock program, call 863-206-1996 or send an email inquiry to: robert_admin@ingaugepolkcounty.org

Florida’s ‘Permitless Carry’ Law Went Into Effect July 1st – Have A Medical Marijuana Card? How It Will Affect You.

Basically, the change in Florida’s concealed carry law will not affect your status of possessing a Florida medical marijuana card and possessing a firearm.

First, it is licenseless carry, not permitless or Constitutional carry.

In other states, it may be a permit. But in Florida, it is a license.

How will Florida’s new licenseless carry law affect you if you possess a medical marijuana card?

Basically, the change in Florida’s concealed carry law will not affect your status of possessing a Florida medical marijuana card and possessing a firearm. You will still be prohibited from doing so. See the news article below.

FLORIDA’S NEW CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY LAW AND POT-NO GUN FOR YOU
By Howard Levy – June 25, 2023 – Deerfield News

Part one-
Deerfield-News. com-Deerfield Beach, Fl-What is the law regarding pot smokers with or without a medical card buying, carrying, and or possessing a gun?
On Monday, April 3, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 543 into law. This bill, strengthening the second amendment, eliminates the requirement that an individual obtain a permit to carry a concealed firearm in Florida. This law goes into effect July 1,2023.

FLORIDA’S NEW CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY LAW AND POT-NO GUN FOR YOU

Before we get into the medical marijuana laws that conflict with gun laws in Florida, we first have to clear the air or some misunderstandings that have come up around this issue.
First, we have to address the fact that Florida has not passed any laws barring medical marijuana patients from owning guns.

The conflict between medical marijuana laws and gun laws is that cannabis remains to be federally banned. Anyone with any addiction to any illegally obtained drug including marijuana, is exempt from gun ownership and possession.

Under Federal Law, no one who uses cannabis should own or possess a weapon. This law certainly pertains to marijuana users who do not have a medical card or those that smoke it and buy it on the black market. The unchanging federal prohibition on controlled substances, including marijuana, prohibits the possession or purchase of firearms by anyone who uses those controlled substances, including marijuana.

Plainly stated, this means that if you are going to be a medical marijuana patient and get a legal medical marijuana card, you will not be able to purchase or possess firearms. Technically the same applies to nonmedical marijuana card holders that use marijuana.

Conflict Between Federal And State Law

  • There are three federal laws that are in conflict with local state laws that allow for the legal possession and purchase of medical marijuana, they are:
  • The controlled substances act: cannabis and THC are classified as Schedule 1 drugs which means prohibits anyone from producing, possessing, or selling them.
  • Title 18, Section 922 of the United States Code: this law states that it is illegal for anyone who uses a controlled substance to buy or possess a firearm.
  • The same law also prohibits the sale or transfer of a gun to anyone who uses a controlled substance.
  • Form 4473: The ATF has implemented this form as part of the legal process of purchasing a gun from a gun store.


There are specific questions on the 4473 Form that, if answered honestly, would prohibit a medical marijuana patient from purchasing a gun. The form even has this warning:
“Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.”

So if the gun seller knows that you are a medical marijuana patient, they would be in their right to deny selling you a gun.

Reports are that some police departments in Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Hawaii have taken it upon themselves to enforce federal law over state law by informing medical marijuana patients they must either turn in or dispose of their guns.

The Situation In Florida

Although other states have taken the hard stance of denying medical marijuana patients the right to own a gun, Florida seems to be one of the states where that is not the case for these reasons:

  • The gun-show loophole: Although buying from a private dealer does not make it legal under federal law for a marijuana user to own a gun, the transaction can be made without filling out the federal 4473 form.
  • The FORMER Florida Agricultural Commissioner, Nikki Fried, has a medical marijuana card and also has a concealed carry permit. Her office has made it clear that they will not deny gun rights to medical marijuana patients. Here is her official statement:

“ON CONCEALED WEAPONS LICENSES AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARDS, THE ISSUE IS PRETTY CLEAR — FLORIDA STATUTE 790.06 PROVIDES A LIMITED LIST OF FACTORS (SUCH AS FELONY ARRESTS, WHETHER THE INSTRUCTOR DEEMS THE APPLICANT CAPABLE, ETC.) UPON WHICH OUR DEPARTMENT MUST APPROVE OR DENY A CONCEALED WEAPONS LICENSE. THEREFORE, THE DEPARTMENT IS PROHIBITED FROM ASKING QUESTIONS OUTSIDE THAT SCOPE, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE MEDICAL MARIJUANA CARD POSSESSION.”

Office of Nikki Fried Florida Agricultural Commisioner. Tweet

While Florida has changed its stance on Marijuana, the federal government has not.
So it is technically illegal to possess and purchase a gun while having a medical marijuana card, the state of Florida is not actively denying you that right as of now. This question will be settled in Federal Court or by an Act of Congress. There are currently 3 cases pending on this issue on point. The Supreme Court will have the final say if Congress does not change the law.

More U.S. Pastors Rely on Armed Congregates as Church Security – Study Confirms

“Most churches are small, so security plans often don’t need to be elaborate or expensive,”

06-08-2023 – Talia Wise – CBN News

A new Lifeway Research study confirms that most pastors are making their congregant’s safety one of their top priorities.

According to “Planning and Armed Congregants Top Church Security Measures”, 81 percent of U.S. Protestant pastors say their church has some type of security measure in place.

Although churches are meant to be safe places, recent mass shootings make it hard for churches to ignore that they must be prepared for the unthinkable.

“Churches are not immune to violence, disputes, domestic disagreements, vandalism, and burglary,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “While loving one another is a core Christian teaching, churchgoers still sin, and non-churchgoers are invited and welcomed. So real security risks exist whether a congregation wants to acknowledge them or not.”

Fifty-seven percent of pastors are most likely to say their congregation has an intentional plan for an active shooter situation. While 54 percent say armed church members are part of the measures they have in place.

More than a quarter use radio communication among security personnel, while 1 in 5 say they have a no firearms policy in the building where they meet or have armed private security personnel on-site.

Fewer have uniformed police officers on church grounds (5%) or metal detectors at entrances to screen for weapons (1%).

As CBN News reported, American churches have seen a steady rise in acts of hostility in recent years.

The FRC’s “Hostility Against Churches” report documents 420 acts between January 2018 and September 2022. They include vandalism, arson, bomb threats, gun-related incidents, and more.

“Criminal acts of vandalism and destruction of church property are symptomatic of a collapse in societal reverence and respect for houses of worship and religion – in this case, churches and Christianity,” the report states.

“Americans appear increasingly comfortable lashing out against church buildings, pointing to a larger societal problem of marginalizing core Christian beliefs, including those that touch on hot-button political issues related to human dignity and sexuality,” the FRC explains.

Andy Willis, who heads up security at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, told CBN News he has the monumental task of keeping their almost 30,000-member congregation safe.

“Today, churches that speak the truth, that teach and preach true biblical principles, they draw a lot of attention because there are a lot of components of society today that don’t want to hear that,” Willis said.

“As a church security team, we have to be prepared for those kinds of situations, to intervene and to protect the flock,” he added.

The Lifeway Research shows that churches are not just relying on security teams but are softening to the idea of allowing congregants to carry firearms.

Last year, only 45 percent of the pastors polled said part of their security measures include having armed church members. That number has jumped up to 54 percent this year.

In 2019, 27% said they enforced a no firearms policy at their building, but that number has dropped to 21% now.

“Most churches are small, so security plans often don’t need to be elaborate or expensive,” McConnell said.

Meanwhile, those polled say they are less likely to rely on intentional planning to address potential security threats. In 2019, 62 percent said they had such a plan in place for an active shooting situation. Since then, that number has fallen to 57 percent.

“While churches may have different convictions on how to maintain security, it is surprising that fewer churches have an intentional plan for an active shooter than did in 2019,” said McConnell. “As churches cut back on activities during COVID, this may have been one of the initiatives that did not resume for some churches.”

Florida’s New Concealed Carry Law – You have a choice

Florida’s new ‘PERMITLESS CARRY’ law is not as simple as many people believe.

You can either learn what Florida’s new concealed carry law is and carry your gun legally or you can get arrested, charged with a felony and find out the hard way from a judge.

Florida’s new ‘PERMITLESS CARRY’ law is not as simple as many people believe. Not knowing the new law can result in a felony arrest and a criminal record.

There are benefits to having a Florida concealed carry weapon and firearm license. Learn and know what they are.

Not knowing them can result in arrest, criminal charges, an appearance before a judge, extensive legal fees, a criminal record and the loss of your 2nd Amendment rights.

We are still conducting Florida concealed carry license and handgun training classes. Contact us to enroll in a class at: 863-206-1996

Florida – It is “Permitless Carry” not Constitutional Carry

It does not allow the open carrying of a firearm or other weapon.

What changes are in Florida’s revised Florida Statute 790.00 – “Permitless Carry” law?

Off the top, it should be understood that the changes in Florida concealed carry weapons law (Florida Statute 790.oo) makes it legal for law-abiding citizens, 21 years of age or older, to carry a concealed firearm or other weapon, on one’s person, in public without a license or formal training.

.

Florida’s “permitless carry” law will not go into effect until July 1, 2023.

Until such time, anyone desiring to carry a concealed firearm or other weapon is required to have a conceaeled carry license or permit recognized by the state of Florida. Failure do so is a third degree felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison or 5 years of probation, and a $5,000 fine.

What it is and what it isn’t

  • It is permitless carry not Constitutional carry.
  • It does not permit the open carrying of a firearm or other weapon.
  • A person must be a minimum of 21 years of age to legally carry a concealed firearm or other weapon on one’s person.
  • No license or permit is required to carry a concealed firearm or other weapon in public.
  • No formal training is required to carry a concealed firearm or other weapon in public.
  • No fingerprinting or other background check is required to carry a concealed firearm or other weapon in public.
  • Official, State issued identification must be carried on one’s person while carrying a concealed firearm or other weapon. That identification must be presented upon demand by a law enforcement officer.

Gun Free Zones

Those venues that were gun free zones prior to the law change remain gun free zones.

Those venues include, but are not limited to:

  • Government buildings where government business is conducted
  • Public and private school property
  • School sponsored events
  • Federal buildings and federal installations
  • Law enforcement headquarters, substations or offices
  • Polling places
  • Organized sporting events
  • Private property where firearms or other weapons are prohibited

Florida’s Concealed Carry Weapon License – Still Available

Florida’s concealed carry licensing process remains in effect and licenses are available through the Florida Department of Agriculture.

Why would you want a Florida concealed carry weapon and firearm license?

  • Florida’s concealed carry weapon and firearm license is recognized in 37 states, allowing a license holder to carry a concealed firearm or other weapon in 36 other states.
  • Possessing a Florida concealed carry weapon and firearm license allows a gun buyer to avoid the manditory 3-day waiting period when purchasing a firearm.
  • Posssessing a Florida concealed carry weapon and firearm license provides positve identification when carrying a concealed weapon.