FLGR and NAGR celebrate as state officials agree Florida’s three-day gun purchase delay is unconstitutional
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is taking steps to eliminate Florida’s long-standing three-day firearm purchase waiting period, marking a major development in the fight for Second Amendment rights in the Sunshine State.
The move comes as part of a settlement in a federal lawsuit challenging the Constitutionality of the waiting period. State officials have now agreed that the law violates the Second Amendment and have asked a federal court to permanently block its enforcement.
In a statement on X, Uthmeier said:
“Every government office, including mine, exists to protect your God-given rights as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. That’s why we’re settling a landmark federal case that declares Florida’s 3-day firearm purchase waiting period unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.”
Florida Gun Rights, state affiliate of the National Association for Gun Rights, expanded, saying:
“This is what a Pro 2A Attorney General looks like! On the other hand, Republican supermajorities should have never passed waiting periods in the first place.”
Under current Florida law, most firearm purchasers must wait at least three days before taking possession of a firearm, even if their background check is completed and approved immediately. The requirement was originally added to the Florida Constitution in 1990 for handguns and was expanded in 2018 to cover all firearms following the Parkland school shooting.
Uthmeier has argued that the mandatory delay is arbitrary and infringes on the Constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens who have already passed a background check. He announced that his office would no longer defend the restriction in court and instead supports striking it down.
FLGR and NAGR argue that Constitutional rights should not be subject to arbitrary delays, particularly when modern background check systems can often provide near-instant results.
The final decision now rests with a federal judge. If the court accepts the proposed settlement, Florida’s statewide waiting period could soon be eliminated, delivering one of the most significant pro-gun legal victories in the state in decades.
FLGR and NAGR are watching closely, viewing the case as part of a broader national effort to challenge firearm restrictions that lack historical support under recent Supreme Court precedent.
Read more at WCTV.
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