Florida’s rules for adults ages 18 to 20 changed on June 17, 2026, when the Fourth District Court of Appeal decided Eubanks v. State. This guide is for adults, families, instructors, and carriers trying to separate the ruling from misleading headlines. Stephen L. Cohen, an NRA Law Enforcement Certified firearms instructor with 32+ years in senior law-enforcement operations, explains what changed, what did not, and which court and agency sources to verify before acting.
Quick answer
Florida can no longer disqualify an otherwise eligible adult from concealed carry solely for being 18, 19, or 20.
The Eubanks court held Florida Statute 790.06(2)(b) facially unconstitutional as to adults ages 18 to 20. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, or FDACS, says it is accepting Concealed Weapon License applications from people age 18 and older. Its current notice says qualifying licenses will be issued once the court’s mandate is issued.
That is not the same as saying every 18-to-20-year-old may buy a handgun, carry in every location, or ignore another disqualifying condition. Carry, purchase, possession, and location are separate legal questions.
Status verified July 16, 2026
The court ruling is current, but the published statute and agency process are not fully synchronized.
FDACS says the Attorney General will not seek further review and that, because no other Florida appellate court has ruled differently, Eubanks is effectively the law statewide. The same FDACS notice still says licenses will be issued after the mandate. Meanwhile, the online text of Section 790.06 still shows the old age-21 wording.
This is why a responsible article must give a date, link to the current agency notice, and distinguish the court’s holding from the administrative steps that follow it.
“Under 21” Does Not Mean “Minor”
People who are 18, 19, or 20 are legal adults. Referring to them as children or minors confuses the issue. Eubanks concerns adults who were excluded from the carry rules available to other adults solely because of their age.
The decision does not change the separate laws that apply to people younger than 18. It also does not make age the only eligibility question for adults ages 18 to 20. Criminal history, substance abuse, mental-health adjudications, residency, firearm competency documentation, and other statutory conditions may still affect a person’s eligibility.
What Eubanks v. State Actually Decided
Jaylen Tyrus Eubanks was convicted of carrying a concealed firearm. He challenged the Florida provision that made adults under 21 ineligible under Section 790.06, with narrow military exceptions. The Fourth District Court of Appeal concluded that the age-only restriction was inconsistent with the Second Amendment and the historical analysis required by recent United States Supreme Court decisions.
The court declared Section 790.06(2)(b) facially unconstitutional as to adults ages 18 to 20 and vacated Eubanks’ concealed-carry conviction. Florida’s permitless concealed-carry statute, Section 790.01, uses the eligibility criteria in Section 790.06. That connection is one reason the decision matters beyond the license application form.
The Fourth District’s archive page does not currently expose this individual opinion clearly. Use the direct 18-page opinion PDF or the searchable HTML copy below, then compare the holding with the current FDACS eligibility notice.
Case at a glance
Jaylen Tyrus Eubanks v. State of Florida
- Court: Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal
- Docket: 4D2025-1698
- Decision date: June 17, 2026
- Statute reviewed: Florida Statute 790.06(2)(b)
- Holding: The age-only concealed-carry disqualification is facially unconstitutional as to otherwise eligible adults ages 18 to 20.
The clean distinction
What changed, and what did not change
What changed
- Florida’s age-only disqualification for otherwise eligible adults ages 18 to 20 was held unconstitutional.
- FDACS says it is accepting Florida CWL applications from applicants age 18 and older.
- The court vacated Eubanks’ concealed-carry conviction.
- The decision is effectively statewide law unless a later controlling decision changes the legal landscape.
What did not change
- Florida’s separate age restrictions on purchasing a firearm remain a separate issue.
- Other CWL and permitless-carry eligibility requirements remain in place.
- Schools, courthouses, police stations, airport passenger terminals, and other prohibited or sensitive locations did not become unrestricted.
- A private property owner may still prohibit firearms on the property.
- The ruling did not turn minimum legal eligibility into safe handgun skill or sound judgment.
Possession, Purchase, and Carry Are Different Questions
This is the most important distinction in the entire update.
- Possession asks whether a person may lawfully have a firearm under the circumstances.
- Purchase asks whether a particular transaction is lawful. FDLE currently states that a person generally must be 21 to purchase a firearm in Florida, subject to stated exceptions.
- Carry asks whether and how a person may have the firearm on or about the body or in a vehicle, and whether the person and location satisfy the applicable rules.
Eubanks was a carry case. The opinion expressly distinguished NRA v. Bondi, a separate case involving Florida’s purchase restriction for adults under 21. A person should never treat a carry ruling as permission to complete a transaction that another law prohibits.
For the current purchase rules, use the FDLE Requirements to Purchase a Firearm. Individual facts can change the answer, so this article does not provide a transaction-specific workaround.
Can Adults Ages 18 to 20 Apply for a Florida CWL?
FDACS says yes. Its current eligibility page says the department is accepting applications from applicants age 18 or older. The same notice says licenses will be issued to applicants who meet all other requirements once the Fourth District’s mandate is issued.
A Florida CWL remains useful even after permitless carry. Depending on the facts, it may matter for interstate reciprocity, the federal school-zone license exception, and purchase waiting-period rules. A license also gives the holder a physical credential, but it does not authorize carry everywhere.
Applicants should verify the current FDACS eligibility page immediately before applying. Anyone planning to rely on the new ruling in a real-world carry decision before receiving a license should obtain advice from a qualified Florida firearms attorney.
School Zones and Other Prohibited Places Did Not Disappear
The age ruling did not cancel Florida’s prohibited-place rules or the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act. Carry around schools is especially easy to misunderstand because Florida law and federal law can apply at the same time, and a state-issued license may matter under a federal exception in a way permitless carry does not.
Start with Tactical U’s detailed guides to Florida school zones and firearm risk controls and the school-zone trap. Those pages remain supporting resources. Eubanks does not turn a prohibited location into a lawful one.
What the Wolford Private-Property Decision Changed
A separate United States Supreme Court decision, Wolford v. Lopez, arrived on June 25, 2026. The Court struck down Hawaii’s rule that made private property open to the public a default no-carry zone unless the owner gave express permission.
The decision did not create a blanket right to carry on all private property. It concerned property open to the public and Hawaii’s express-permission default. Property owners still retain the right to prohibit firearms, and the decision did not erase sensitive-place restrictions. Florida did not use the same statewide default rule that Hawaii used, so Wolford should be treated as an important national clarification, not as a claim that every Florida property rule changed overnight.
Read the official Supreme Court opinion in Wolford v. Lopez.
Before relying on the new rule
Verify the person, the firearm, the manner of carry, and the place.
- Confirm that no federal or state disqualification applies to the individual.
- Confirm that the firearm was acquired and possessed lawfully.
- Check the current FDACS notice and whether the court mandate has issued.
- Know whether the carry is concealed, openly displayed, or secured in a vehicle.
- Check every location rule, including school zones and private-property instructions.
- Do not use training, a certificate, or a website article as a substitute for legal advice about a disputed fact pattern.
Legal Eligibility Is Not Carry Competence
The law answers whether an otherwise qualified adult may be excluded solely because of age. It does not answer whether that person can safely load, unload, conceal, draw, fire, make a lawful decision under stress, or manage the aftermath of a defensive incident.
Tactical U separates three needs:
- Four-hour Florida CCW/CWL certification for students who need a thorough private certification path.
- Private handgun training for one-on-one fundamentals, safety, handling, and live-fire correction.
- Concealed Handgun Tactics and Safety for licensed or otherwise eligible carriers who need defensive decision-making and realistic carry work.
Training does not create legal eligibility. It builds the physical and judgment skills that the law assumes a responsible carrier will use.
Contact Tactical U
Tell us what you are trying to train for.
Tell Tactical U what you are trying to accomplish so we can route you to the right Florida CWL, private handgun, or defensive handgun training path.
Source and legal note
Primary sources used for this update
- Jaylen Tyrus Eubanks v. State of Florida, No. 4D2025-1698, direct 18-page opinion PDF
- Jaylen Tyrus Eubanks v. State of Florida, searchable opinion text
- FDACS Florida CWL eligibility requirements and Eubanks implementation notice
- Florida Statute 790.01, carrying concealed weapons and firearms
- Florida Statute 790.06, concealed weapon or firearm licenses
- FDLE Requirements to Purchase a Firearm
- Wolford v. Lopez, United States Supreme Court, No. 24-1046
This article is general educational information, not legal advice. Firearm laws and agency procedures can change. Verify current official sources and speak with a qualified attorney about a specific situation.
Florida Concealed Carry Under 21 FAQ
Can an 18-year-old carry concealed in Florida now?
Eubanks held Florida’s age-only disqualification unconstitutional for otherwise eligible adults ages 18 to 20. FDACS says the ruling is effectively statewide law, is accepting CWL applications from age 18, and will issue qualifying licenses once the court mandate is issued. Because implementation and individual eligibility matter, verify the current FDACS notice and obtain legal advice before relying on the ruling in a real-world carry decision.
Can an adult ages 18 to 20 buy a handgun in Florida?
Eubanks did not invalidate Florida’s separate purchase restriction. FDLE currently says a person generally must be 21 to purchase a firearm in Florida, subject to stated exceptions. Purchase, possession, and carry are different legal questions.
Does Eubanks allow guns at schools?
No. Eubanks addressed an age-only carry restriction. It did not erase Florida prohibited-place rules or the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act. School-zone questions require separate analysis.
Can adults ages 18 to 20 apply for a Florida CWL?
Yes. FDACS says it is accepting applications from applicants age 18 and older. Its current notice says licenses will be issued to applicants who meet all other eligibility requirements once the court mandate is issued.
Does Wolford mean I can carry on all private property?
No. Wolford invalidated Hawaii’s express-permission default for private property open to the public. Property owners still may prohibit firearms, and sensitive-place rules remain. The decision did not create a blanket right to carry everywhere.
Do adults ages 18 to 20 still need firearm training?
Yes. The ruling changes an age-based legal barrier, not a person’s skill. A Florida CWL application still requires acceptable proof of firearm competency, and responsible carry requires safe handling, judgment, and live-fire ability beyond minimum paperwork.