Will Florida legislators lower the age requirement for purchasing firearms?

TALLAHASSEE — A new bill filed for the 2026 legislative session would lower the minimum age to purchase firearms from 21 to 18. If passed, it would reverse a major component of a law passed after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Currently, 18 to 20-year-olds in Florida can receive firearms as gifts, but cannot buy them directly from licensed dealers. House Bill 133 was sponsored by Rep. Tyler Sirois (R-Merritt Island).

After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, which killed 17 students and staff, Florida raised the minimum age to purchase long guns to 21.

Opponents of the bill argue that Florida's new open carry policy and the removal of formal training requirements to obtain a firearm that occurred after the state passed a "constitutional carry" statute make it even more dangerous for 18-year-olds to be allowed to purchase firearms than when the current law was passed.