Residents could soon see changes to Florida’s gun laws following a recent appellate court decision.

Attorney General James Uthmeier this week issued guidance to law enforcement agencies across the state in response to the First District Court of Appeals ruling in McDaniels v. State. In his interpretation, Uthmeier stated that the decision makes Florida’s longstanding statutory ban on the open carry of firearms unconstitutional.

As a result, the Leesburg Police Department announced that it will follow the Attorney General’s guidance and the court’s ruling. The agency said it will not enforce Florida Statute 790.053, the law that prohibits open carry.

However, police emphasized that the ruling is not final until September 26, 2025. “Everyone should respect that effective date,” the department said in a statement.

Officials also stressed that the court’s decision does not mean open carry will be without restrictions. State law continues to prohibit firearms in certain places, including schools, government meetings, courthouses, and police or sheriff’s offices under F.S. 790.06(12)(a). In addition, firearms may not be carried “in a rude or careless manner,” according to F.S. 790.10.

Businesses and private property owners also retain the right to prohibit firearms on their premises, whether carried openly or concealed. Violating those rules could result in an arrest for armed trespass, a felony offense under Florida law.

The department urged residents to remain respectful of both property owners’ rights and public safety as the new legal landscape develops.

“This is about balancing constitutional rights with community responsibility,” the statement noted.

What does this mean for gun owners? Once effective, the ruling allows open carry in public places where it is not otherwise prohibited, but it does not create unlimited rights to carry “anywhere and everywhere.”