Overview
- The Fourth District Court of Appeal unanimously ruled Wednesday that Florida’s statute barring concealed‑carry licensing for 18‑ to 20‑year‑olds violates the Second Amendment and reversed Jaylen Eubanks’ conviction.
- Judge Spencer D. Levine wrote that the plain text of the Second Amendment covers law‑abiding 18‑ to 20‑year‑olds and that the state failed to identify a historical tradition supporting the age‑based restriction.
- The panel relied on recent Supreme Court precedent including Heller, Bruen and Rahimi and cited founding‑era militia laws such as the Militia Act of 1792 in its historical analysis.
- Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who earlier declined to defend the law, said the state will not seek further review and will coordinate with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to implement the court’s order.
- The ruling follows similar appellate decisions in other courts and could prompt immediate enforcement changes, but lower‑court steps on remand and administrative actions by FDACS will determine how and when licensing or enforcement actually shifts.