Words of Wisdom from Sheriff Grady Judd On Owning and Carrying A Gun

You can either learn what’s in Florida’s new concealed carry law 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.

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

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

METHODS of CARRYING CONCEALED for Women – A FREE Presentation

This a training presentation NOT a sales seminar.

This is a free presentation put on by In-Gauge of Polk County, an NRA chartered, non-profit organization, for the purpose of introducing the various methods of carrying a concealed firearm, available to women. This is an information and learning seminar, not a sales seminar. Although various products will be displayed and demonstrated, there will be no products offered for sale.

Cost: FREE  (FULLY REFUNDABLE $20 registration fee required to reserve a seat. Registration fee refunded upon clinic attendance. Attendance is required to receive the refund.)

  • Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
  • Time: 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
  • Duration: 1 & 1/2 hours
  • Location:  Wild West Gun Store
    • 29350 US Hwy. 27
      • Lake Hamilton, Florida

Seating is limited – Pre-registration is required – No walk-ins will be allowed

This is a FREE, women only, METHODS of CARRYING CONCEALED presentation, conducted by In-Gauge of Polk CountyThis presentation will introduce the participant to the various methods of carrying a concealed firearm, while comparing and contrasting the advantages and disadvantage of the different methods available to women.

Registration can be done online through EVENTBRITE at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-womens-methods-of-carrying-concealed-seminar-tickets-679514966557 or through the Wild West Gun Store at: https://www.wildwildwestarms.com/products/class-6076-f4adb841-abd6-4219-ab2f-22c6ede48d7c

You can shop Amazon.  You can shop eBay.  You can watch YouTube videos.  But you will not learn the advantages and disadvantages of the various carry methods and which method will work for you.  Join us for this informative seminar.  Why, you may ask.  Because no one else is doing it and no one else will tell you the truth.  This is an information seminar, not a sales seminar.  No one is going to attempt to sell you anything.

This is not a sales seminar. Although various products will be demonstrated, this is not a sales seminar. Unlike classes and seminars conducted at hotels, there will be no insurance sales.

No license (permit) is required for participation in this presentation. This seminar is free and open to the public. However, preregistration is required, as seating is limited.

Please leave all firearms in your vehicle. No loaded firearms or live ammunition will be allowed in the training area.

FLORIDA’s CONCEALED CARRY LAW CHANGED JULY 1st – However . . .

You took a concealed carry class, but did it prepare you to carry a gun in public?

Florida’s New ‘Permitless Carry’ Law Went Into Effect July 1st –

If you are a law-abiding citizen, you are no longer required to have a license to carry a firearm in public. However, are you prepared?

You took a concealed carry class, but did it prepare you to carry a gun in public?

Contact us for both gun safety training and to qualify for a Florida concealed carry license. Our training is more than a concealed carry class. Our training not only trains you in the use of a firearm, but also qualifies you for applying for a Florida concealed carry license recognized 36 other states.

Contact us for training in the safe and proficient use of your firearm. We will educate you in Florida’s new ‘Permitless Carry’ law and qualify you for applying for a Florida concealed carry license.

In-Gauge of Polk County, Winter Haven, Florida: 863-206-1996

ANOTHER CLASS GRADUATED

They will have your back, while you are shopping, dining out, fueling your vehicle or attending church services.

Last weekend we graduated another class of trained public guardian, concealed firearm carriers. They took and completed over 15 hours of firearms training, even though with the change in Florida law taking effect July 1st, they did not have to.

These people completed over 15 hours of advanced firearms training and will have your back, while you are shopping, dining out, fueling your vehicle or attending church services. Unlike many of those about you after July 1st, these people have been trained.

They committed to being trained in the safe and proficient use of their firearm.

Beginning July 1st, in Florida, no training, background check or licensing will be required to carry a firearm in public.

When you decide to receive training beyond that you received in a ‘concealed carry’ class and want to become confident and proficient in the use of your firearm, contact us. It would be our pleasure to prepare you to carry a firearm in public or for home defense.

Firearms training is all we do. We are your neighbors. We are the only NRA chartered, non-profit firearms training organization in central Florida. We are here to serve you.

In-Gauge of Polk County, Winter Haven, Florida

Phone: 863-206-1996 – www.ingaugeofpolkcounty.com

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.

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.

Florida’s New ‘Permitless Carry’ Law – It is not as simple as you may think

Not knowing the new law can result in a felony arrest and a criminal record.

So you think you understand Florida’s new ‘Permitless Carry’ law. Can you correctly answer the following questions?

The new law went into in effect with Governor DeSantis’ signature and is now the law of the land in Florida.TRUE / FALSE
Anyone over the age of 18 can now legally carry a concealed firearm in public without a license in the state of Florida.TRUE / FALSE
You can now legally carry a concealed firearm or other weapon in public without a license.TRUE / FALSE
You can now legally carry a concealed firearm or other weapon anywhere in public unless specifically posted otherwise.TRUE / FALSE
A license and background check are no longer required to purchase a firearm in Florida.TRUE / FALSE
See the correct answers below

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An incorrect answer to any of the above statements could result in a felony arrest, a criminal record and the loss of your right to own a gun forever.

You can either learn what Florida’s new concealed carry law is and carry your gun legally or you can get arrested, charge 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

The correct answers are . . .
The new law went into in effect with Governor DeSantis’ signature and is now the law of the land in Florida.FALSE
Anyone over the age of 18 can now legally carry a concealed firearm in public without a license in the state of Florida.FALSE
You can now legally carry a concealed firearm or other weapon in public without a license.FALSE
You can now legally carry a concealed firearm or other weapon anywhere in public unless specifically posted otherwise.FALSE
A license and background check are no longer required to purchase a firearm in Florida.FALSE

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.

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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.

FLORIDA: Permitless / Constitutional Carry, Be careful what you wish for

Gov. DeSantis wants to see constitutional carry implemented in Florida

Convictions For Unlawfully Carrying Guns Skyrocket After Texas Passed Constitutional Carry

December 20, 2022

On September 1, 2021, Texas’ “permitless carry” law took effect. Since then, there have been a 550% increase in unlawful carrying of a weapon convictions. That is “convictions” not arrests.

Gov. DeSantis wants to see constitutional carry implemented in Florida

AUSTIN, Texas ― Few people are more enthusiastic about carrying handguns than Mike Cargill. The owner of Central Texas Gun Works often carries three ― two concealed, plus one holstered outside his belt.

He’s also enthusiastic about handgun education. Even after the Republican-dominated state legislature passed a “constitutional carry” law, which allows Texans to carry handguns both openly and concealed without getting a license, Cargill kept teaching classes and range qualifications for the now-optional License to Carry Program (LTC). Cargill says a license offers a lot of benefits, not least of which is helping people navigate the state’s complicated gun laws.

And since Texas became one of about half of the states in the country that view carrying a gun as a constitutional right, it looks like people are getting confused by those complicated laws. Several of Cargill’s students over the last year and a half signed up for an LTC class hoping to avoid conviction for unlawfully carrying a weapon ― usually after taking a gun somewhere they shouldn’t have.

When Cargill checked the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website, he found that his experience wasn’t an anomaly. Convictions for unlawfully carrying weapons skyrocketed in the state, from 1,049 in 2020 to nearly 7,000 last yeara spike of 550% and the highest number by far since 2016, the last year of complete data. The state adopted the constitutional carry law in September 2021.

“Yes, it’s your right to carry a gun,” Cargill said. “But you have to know how to carry that gun. If not, that’s a problem.”

No Obvious Explanation

It’s not clear why convictions for unlawfully carrying a weapon have risen so sharply. HuffPost reached out to several local law enforcement agencies asking for an answer. Few responded. Those that did hadn’t noticed the trend, though some agreed with Cargill that confusion might help account for it.

The “apparent rise in unlawful carrying cases across the state is alarming,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg wrote in an email to HuffPost.

“In Harris County, we seem to have filed more than one charge against some suspects which indicates that defendants freed on bond have been charged with the same crime more than once,” Ogg wrote. “Around the rest of the state, they may have the same problem or it could be something else, such as a lack of education about the constitutional carry laws or other laws regarding the possession of firearms.”

Although permitless carry sounds simple, gun laws are complicated. Even under the new law, places like airports, courthouses, hospitals and schools generally don’t allow weapons. Private businesses can also prohibit people from bringing in guns, either by displaying a sign or warning people verbally.

In theory, you can’t bring a gun into a place that earns more than 51% of its revenue from alcohol. But in practice, you can take a gun into a bar if the bar’s liquor license classifies it as a restaurant, which requires checking the Texas Alcohol Beverage Control’s website.

Permitless carry added a new layer of complexity by creating two classes of people allowed to carry handguns ― those with licenses and those relying on the constitution.

The most commonly cited perks of getting a license are that it allows the holder to concealed carry in most other states, and license holders only have to submit federal background checks for application and renewal, instead of every time they buy a gun.

But the law favors LTC holders in many other ways. Carrying a gun with a blood alcohol content of up to 0.08 is legal for license holders. Without one, drinking any alcohol at all while carrying a gun is illegal. An LTC exempts the license holder from the restriction on carrying a gun within 1,000 feet of a school under federal law (though bringing one inside a school building generally remains illegal).

The once-required classes explain all these details. Those carrying a gun because they read a news article saying they can, might not know, for example, unholstering a handgun while inside a car and leaving it in plain view is a crime.

Still, it’s not clear how confusion alone would translate into more gun charges. If someone’s doing a decent job concealing the handgun, they’re not likely to get caught with it.

Instead, many people are charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon only after police arrest them for something else, according to attorney Shane Phelps ― usually drinking and driving, or possession of marijuana.

The only people Phelps regularly sees with unlawfully carrying a weapon as their only charge are felons caught with guns. But Texas tallies the crime of possessing a gun despite a felony conviction separately from unlawfully carrying a weapon.

“That’s kind of a shocking statistic to me ― I don’t have an explanation for it,” Phelps said, referring to the increase in charges. “It’s really hard right now in Texas to get arrested for just carrying a weapon.”

The introduction of permitless carry may not account for the shift, given that it can take several months to cycle defendants from charging to conviction. The data increase could also be due to a historic and sustained spike in gun sales that started during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harris County, for example, showed a clear rise in unlawfully carrying a weapon dating back to 2019, with the number of people charged more than doubling in two years to 4,454. Incomplete numbers for this year were on track to slightly exceed last year.

For the complete story, go to: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/12/28/states-try-curb-mass-shootings-bullets-ammo-laws/10760437002/

CONSUMER ALERT – Florida Concealed Carry Classes Conducted At Local Hotels

Information provided as a community service.

Beware of CONCEALED CARRY CLASSES conducted in rented hotel rooms!

What those who conduct such classes at local hotels do not want you to know:

  • They are NOT local providers or instructors.  They are from out of town and in most instances, from out of state.
  • They do NOT provide any handgun instruction or training.
  • There is NO live-fire range time or training.  If the class is conducted in a rented hotel room, you fire one paint cartridge at a paper target taped to a cardboard box.  No hotel is going to allow you or anyone to fire a real gun inside the hotel.
  • They may not be licensed to conduct business where they are conducting classes.

Before registering for a concealed carry class and paying your money, do your homework, ask questions.

  • What firearm training is provided in the class?  Will you be taught how to correctly use and fire a firearm?
  • What range does the provider use for the training?
  • How many rounds of ammunition will you fire during your training?
  • What are the instructor’s credentials?
  • Is the certificate of training issued recognized by the State of Florida for applying for a Florida concealed carry weapons license?
  • Is the class provider licensed to conduct business in the city and county where the class is conducted?
  • What is the class provider’s business address?  Who do you contact if there is a problem with your paperwork after you complete the class?
  • Is there a local phone number to call?
  • Is the class provider licensed and insured?
  • Will the class instructor or provider attempt to sell you insurance?  Ever been to a timeshare presentation?
  • Will the class instructor or provider attempt to sell you books or other materials?

If you do not ask the questions above, you have little to no regard for the training you receive and your hard earned money.  

You can ask the questions above and get the concealed carry/firearms training you want or pay the out-of-town providers once and pay again to get a class and training that provides you necessary training to make you confident and proficient in the use of a firearm to defend your life and the lives of your loved ones.

Not all concealed carry classes are alike.  There is a definite difference.  Do your homework, ask questions and shop around.