Orlando cannot enact local firearm ordinances — Florida Statutes Section 790.33 reserves the whole field of firearm and ammunition regulation to the state Legislature. Local officials who knowingly enact preempted rules face civil fines up to $5,000 and removal from office.
Fla. Stat. Sec. 790.33 occupies the whole field of firearm and ammunition regulation — purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, storage, and transportation — to the exclusion of every Florida county, city, and special district. Enacted in 1987 and strengthened by Ch. 2011-109 and Ch. 2021-15, it imposes uniquely severe penalties: courts must invalidate and permanently enjoin conflicting local laws, knowing-and-willful violators face personal $5,000 civil fines, the Governor may remove them from office or terminate their employment, and individuals can sue for up to $100,000 in actual damages plus attorney's fees. Orlando's narrow remaining authority is limited to actions state law expressly permits, including generally applicable zoning of firearm dealers as ordinary businesses. Florida's permitless concealed-carry statute (Ch. 2023-18) lets adults 21+ carry concealed without a license statewide.
Any Orlando ordinance conflicting with Sec. 790.33 is void. Courts must enjoin enforcement; knowing-and-willful violations bring $5,000 personal fines, removal from office, and private damages up to $100,000 plus attorney's fees.
See how Orlando's local firearms preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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