Tampa 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 regulation of firearms and ammunition, including the purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, storage, and transportation' to the exclusion of every Florida city, county, and special district. First enacted in 1987 and significantly strengthened in 2011 and 2021, the statute carries unusually severe penalties for non-compliant local officials: a court must invalidate and enjoin conflicting ordinances, a knowing-and-willful violator faces a personal $5,000 civil fine, removal from office or contract termination by the Governor, and citizens may sue for up to $100,000 in actual damages plus attorney's fees. Tampa's narrow remaining authority is limited to actions state law expressly permits, such as generally applicable zoning of firearm dealers as ordinary commercial businesses. Florida's permitless concealed-carry law (Ch. 2023-18) lets adults 21+ carry concealed without a license statewide.
Any Tampa ordinance conflicting with Sec. 790.33 is void. Courts must enjoin enforcement; knowing-and-willful violations bring $5,000 personal fines against officials, removal from office, and private damages up to $100,000 plus attorney's fees.
See how Tampa's local firearms preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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