GOA & GOF File for Summary Judgment to Overturn Florida’s Open Carry Ban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2025
Washington, D.C. — Gun Owners of America (GOA), Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), and Florida resident Richard Hughes have filed a motion for summary judgment in their federal lawsuit challenging Florida’s unconstitutional ban on the open carry of firearms.
This legal action seeks to have Florida Statute § 790.053(1), which criminalizes the open carry of handguns in public, declared unconstitutional. Plaintiffs argue that the ban blatantly violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments, especially following the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in Heller, Bruen, and Rahimi.
The case, Gun Owners of America v. Del Toro, is currently pending in the Southern District of Florida and represents a direct challenge to one of the few remaining open carry prohibitions in the country. If successful, the suit could restore open carry rights to millions of law-abiding Floridians.
Sam Paredes, on behalf of the Board of Directors for Gun Owners Foundation, issued the following statement:
“Florida’s open carry ban is an outdated and unconstitutional relic. The right to bear arms means exactly that—to carry arms, not just to keep them locked away. GOF and GOA are proud to stand with Floridians demanding their rights back, and we are confident the court will recognize the Second Amendment doesn’t stop at concealment.”
Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement:
“This is a critical moment for Florida gun owners. The state’s ban on open carry has no basis in history or tradition and is flatly unconstitutional under Bruen. Floridians should not have to hide their right to bear arms under a shirt or jacket to avoid being arrested. We’re asking the court to end this infringement once and for all.”
Luis Valdes, Florida State Director for Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement:
“This case is personal for me and millions of gun owners across the Sunshine State. Florida likes to brand itself as pro-Second Amendment, but this ban proves otherwise. We are fighting to restore a right that never should’ve been taken away—and we won’t stop until every Floridian can carry openly, freely, and constitutionally.”
GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.
-GOA-
