(1)(a) All persons holding active certifications from the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission as law enforcement officers or correctional officers as defined in s. 943.10(1), (2), (6), (7), (8), or (9) shall have the right to carry, on or about their persons, concealed firearms, during off-duty hours, at the discretion of their superior officers, and may perform those law enforcement functions that they normally perform during duty hours, utilizing their weapons in a manner which is reasonably expected of on-duty officers in similar situations.

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Terms Used In Florida Statutes 790.052

  • Concealed firearm: means any firearm, as defined in subsection (9), which is carried on or about a person in such a manner as to conceal the firearm from the ordinary sight of another person. See Florida Statutes 790.001
  • Concealed weapon: means any dirk, metallic knuckles, billie, tear gas gun, chemical weapon or device, or other deadly weapon carried on or about a person in such a manner as to conceal the weapon from the ordinary sight of another person. See Florida Statutes 790.001
  • Firearm: means any weapon (including a starter gun) which will, is designed to, or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive; the frame or receiver of any such weapon; any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; any destructive device; or any machine gun. See Florida Statutes 790.001
  • Law enforcement officer: means :
    (a) All officers or employees of the United States or the State of Florida, or any agency, commission, department, board, division, municipality, or subdivision thereof, who have authority to make arrests;
    (b) Officers or employees of the United States or the State of Florida, or any agency, commission, department, board, division, municipality, or subdivision thereof, duly authorized to carry a concealed weapon;
    (c) Members of the Armed Forces of the United States, the organized reserves, state militia, or Florida National Guard, when on duty, when preparing themselves for, or going to or from, military duty, or under orders;
    (d) An employee of the state prisons or correctional systems who has been so designated by the Department of Corrections or by a warden of an institution;
    (e) All peace officers;
    (f) All state attorneys and United States attorneys and their respective assistants and investigators. See Florida Statutes 790.001
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
(b) All persons holding an active certification from the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission as a law enforcement officer or a correctional officer as defined in s. 943.10(1), (2), (6), (7), (8), or (9) meet the definition of “qualified law enforcement officer” in 18 U.S.C. § 926B(c).
(c) All persons who held an active certification from the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission as a law enforcement officer or correctional officer as defined in s. 943.10(1), (2), (6), (7), (8), or (9), while working for an employing agency, as defined in s. 943.10(4), but have separated from service under the conditions set forth in 18 U.S.C. § 926C(c), meet the definition of “qualified retired law enforcement officer.”
(d) This section does not limit the right of a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer to carry a concealed firearm off duty as a private citizen under the exemption provided in s. 790.06 that allows a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer as defined in s. 943.10(1), (2), (3), (6), (7), (8), or (9) to carry a concealed firearm without a concealed weapon or concealed firearm license or as otherwise provided by law. The appointing or employing agency or department of an officer carrying a concealed firearm as a private citizen is not liable for the use of the firearm in such capacity. This section does not limit the authority of the appointing or employing agency or department from establishing policies limiting law enforcement officers or correctional officers from carrying concealed firearms during off-duty hours in their capacity as appointees or employees of the agency or department.
(2) The superior officer of any police department or sheriff’s office or the Florida Highway Patrol, if he or she elects to direct the officers under his or her supervision to carry concealed firearms while off duty, shall file a statement with the governing body of such department of his or her instructions and requirements relating to the carrying of said firearms.