To get a Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License (CWFL), apply to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
To get a Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License (CWFL), apply to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Division of Licensing under Fla. Stat. § 790.06. The application is filed through the FDACS Division of Licensing online portal or in person at a county tax collector office appointed under § 790.0625, costs up to $55 for an original and up to $45 for a renewal under § 790.06(5)(b), and is decided within 90 days under § 790.06(6)(c). Florida's competence requirement under § 790.06(2)(h) is satisfied through any of seven qualifying training pathways with a live-fire discharge - the certificate is one of several documents submitted with the packet, not a precondition file. There is no county-sheriff filter on issuance and no municipal-police involvement; FDACS runs the entire program from Tallahassee, with the tax-collector network functioning as an in-person intake channel only.
This section is the procedural walkthrough. The substantive overview - the 14-element § 790.06(2) eligibility test, the § 790.06(3) crime-of-violence misdemeanor disqualifier, the 7-year term in § 790.06(1)(c), the § 790.01(1)(b) permitless-carry alternative, and the § 790.06(10) suspension-and-revocation framework - lives in PERMIT_BASICS. Here the focus is on mechanics: where to file, what goes in the packet, the fingerprint and FDLE workflow, the 90-day clock, denial in writing, and the chapter-120 administrative appeal.
§ 790.06(5) routes the application to FDACS or to "an approved tax collector pursuant to § 790.0625." Both channels feed the same Division of Licensing back-end review - no county-sheriff filter, no municipal-police filter, no county-clerk filter.
The applicant interacts with three intake mechanisms:
The § 790.0625 delegation is procedural only. § 790.0625(6)(a) prohibits the tax collector from maintaining a list or record of CWFL applicants; § 790.0601 (cross-referenced in § 790.0625(4)) makes the personal identifying information held by the tax collector confidential and exempt from § 119.07(1) disclosure; § 790.0625(6)(b) makes it a misdemeanor for any unappointed person to handle CWFL applications for a fee.
A non-resident applies through the same FDACS channel. Out-of-state applicants submit fingerprints with the application under § 790.06(5)(c) and again at renewal under § 790.06(11)(a) - Florida residents do not resubmit fingerprints at renewal.
§ 790.06(4) sets the contents of the application form, completed under oath. § 790.06(5) sets the items submitted with the form.
The applicant submits the § 790.06(4) form together with:
The application does not require character references, an employer affidavit, a stated reason beyond the § 790.06(4)(e) self-defense attestation, or any document showing residence within a particular county. § 790.06(16) is a hard ceiling on what FDACS may require: "Subjective or arbitrary actions or rules which encumber the issuing process by placing burdens on the applicant beyond those sworn statements and specified documents detailed in this section or which create restrictions beyond those specified in this section are in conflict with the intent of this section and are prohibited."
In-person filing at an appointed § 790.0625 tax collector layers a separate convenience-fee schedule on top of the § 790.06(5)(b) license fee: $22 for each new application, $12 for each renewal, $12 for each replacement license, $9 for fingerprinting tied to an online or mail filing, and $9 for photographing tied to an online or mail filing. The tax collector remits the § 790.06 license fees weekly to FDACS for the § 790.06(14) Trust Fund; the convenience fees stay with the tax collector.
§ 790.06(5)(b) exempts active-certification law-enforcement, correctional, and correctional probation officers under § 943.10(1), (2), (3), (6), (7), (8), or (9) from the licensing requirement entirely. An exempt officer who wants a CWFL anyway (for reciprocity, NICS exemption, etc.) is exempt from the background investigation and its fees but pays the regular § 790.06(5)(b) license fee. A retired officer is exempt from fees and background investigation for one year after retirement.
§ 790.06(6)(a) sets the back-end workflow: on receipt of the § 790.06(5) items, FDACS forwards the fingerprint set to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for state and federal processing - specifically for any criminal-justice information as defined in § 943.045, "provided the federal service is available." FDACS pays FDLE for the processing as an internal pass-through funded from the Division of Licensing Trust Fund under § 790.06(14).
§ 790.06(6)(b) authorizes the sheriff's office to provide fingerprinting service if requested, with a fee not to exceed $5 - an alternative capture point for applicants who do not want the tax-collector channel or a private livescan vendor.
§ 790.06(6)(d) covers fingerprint failure: if a legible set cannot be obtained "after two attempts," FDACS determines eligibility based on name checks conducted by FDLE. The eligibility determination shifts to a name-check basis with no third-attempt requirement.
The dual-check structure - FDLE for Florida Crime Information Center records, FBI for the national criminal-history check - is the principal driver of the 90-day timeline. A delayed FBI return is the most common reason FDACS holds an application open under § 790.06(6)(c)3.
The headline fees are statutory caps under § 790.06(5)(b), with the actual fee in effect set by FDACS within the caps. Florida does not waive the § 790.06(5) license fee for servicemembers or veterans - military and veteran applicants receive expedited processing under § 790.06(5)(f) and § 790.06(6)(f), not a fee waiver. There is no senior fee reduction. The age floor under § 790.06(2)(b) is a flat 21 - no military or under-21 carve-out exists in chapter 790.
| Item | Amount | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Original CWFL application | Up to $55 | § 790.06(5)(b) |
| Renewal CWFL application | Up to $45 | § 790.06(5)(b) |
| Sheriff fingerprint service (optional) | Up to $5 | § 790.06(6)(b) |
| Tax-collector new-application convenience fee | $22 | § 790.0625(5) |
| Tax-collector renewal-application convenience fee | $12 | § 790.0625(5) |
| Tax-collector replacement-license convenience fee | $12 | § 790.0625(5) |
| Tax-collector fingerprinting (online/mail support) | $9 | § 790.0625(5) |
| Tax-collector photographing (online/mail support) | $9 | § 790.0625(5) |
| Late renewal fee (within 180 days) | $15 | § 790.06(11)(a) |
| Lost or destroyed license duplicate | $15 | § 790.06(9) |
| Consular security official license (1-year term) | $300 | § 790.06(6)(e) |
§ 790.06(6)(c) is the operative timing statute. Within 90 days after receipt of the § 790.06(5) items, FDACS must either (1) issue the license or (2) deny the application based solely on the ground that the applicant fails to qualify under the criteria listed in subsection (2) or subsection (3). The "based solely" language is unusually direct - FDACS may not deny on grounds outside the § 790.06(2) eligibility criteria and the § 790.06(3) crime-of-violence misdemeanor bar. There is no character-and-reputation review, no good-cause showing, and no discretionary public-safety inquiry. § 790.06(16) reinforces the same constraint by barring "subjective or arbitrary" rules.
The 90 days run from receipt of the completed § 790.06(5) items; an incomplete packet does not start the clock. Two extension levers apply: § 790.06(6)(c)3 suspends the clock when FDACS receives criminal-history information with no final disposition on a potentially disqualifying crime, until receipt of the final disposition or proof of restoration of civil and firearm rights - the most common cause of pending CWFL applications running past 90 days; § 790.06(3) suspends processing on notification (with written verification) by a law-enforcement agency, court, or FDLE that the applicant is arrested or formally charged with a disqualifying crime, or that a chapter-741 domestic-violence injunction or chapter-784 repeat-violence injunction is entered against the applicant.
The 90 days are not auto-issuance. § 790.06 has no provision under which a fingerprint receipt becomes a temporary license if FDACS misses the deadline. If FDACS holds an application past 90 days without invoking § 790.06(6)(c)3 or § 790.06(3), the applicant's remedy is a chapter-120 administrative challenge, not automatic issuance.
A consular security official under § 790.06(2)(a) operates on a faster track: § 790.06(6)(e) requires issuance within 20 days on receipt of a completed application, certification document, color photograph, and a $300 license fee, with a one-year term. Servicemember and veteran applications receive expedited processing under § 790.06(6)(f) without a fixed shorter day-count.
If the investigation is favorable, FDACS issues the license. § 790.06(1)(b) requires a color photograph of the licensee on each license. § 790.06(1)(c) sets the term at 7 years from the date of issuance - no shorter-initial-then-longer-renewal structure.
Online-portal applicants receive the printed license by mail. Tax-collector applicants may, under § 790.0625(8) (renewals) and § 790.0625(9) (lost-or-destroyed replacements), receive the license printed and delivered at the tax-collector office on the spot upon FDACS approval; original new licenses issued through tax-collector intake are mailed by FDACS.
§ 790.06(7) requires FDACS to maintain "an automated listing of licenseholders and pertinent information" available online to law-enforcement agencies through the Florida Crime Information Center (FCIC) - the LE-facing verification database. The listing is not a public-record item; § 790.0601 makes the personal identifying information confidential and exempt from § 119.07(1) disclosure. § 790.06(14) deposits all § 790.06 revenue in the Division of Licensing Trust Fund, deferred over the 7-year licensure period.
§ 790.06(6)(c)2 requires FDACS, on denial, to "notify the applicant in writing, stating the ground for denial and informing the applicant of any right to a hearing pursuant to chapter 120." The "based solely" limitation ties denial to the § 790.06(2) and § 790.06(3) criteria. The most common written grounds:
Element-by-element discussion is in PERMIT_BASICS. § 790.06(2)(g) (self-defense desire) is an attestation, not a substantive denial ground.
A CWFL denial is appealable through the Florida Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 120. § 790.06(6)(c)2 requires FDACS to inform the applicant in writing of "any right to a hearing pursuant to chapter 120," and § 790.06(10) routes suspensions and revocations through the same chapter-120 framework.
Formal hearing under § 120.57(1). When the applicant disputes a material fact in the denial - denies the underlying conviction, contests a § 744.331 incapacity adjudication, disputes the § 856.011(3) habitual-offender determination, or challenges the § 790.06(3) crime-of-violence categorization - the appeal proceeds as a formal hearing before an administrative-law judge at the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH). The administrative-law judge takes evidence, makes findings of fact, and issues a recommended order; FDACS issues a final order accepting, modifying, or rejecting it.
Informal hearing under § 120.57(2). When no material fact is in dispute - for example, the applicant concedes the underlying conviction but argues it does not satisfy the § 790.06(2)(d) felony bar as a matter of law - the appeal proceeds as an informal hearing. The hearing officer takes legal argument and issues a final order.
Service and hearing-request deadline (§ 120.60(5), § 790.06(10)). FDACS serves by certified mail (return receipt requested) to the last known FDACS address or by personal service; if a certified-mail notice is returned undeliverable, FDACS makes a second attempt by first-class mail or by email. Such mailing constitutes notice; failure to actually receive does not stay the effective date. A request for hearing must be filed within 21 days after personal-service notice, or within 26 days after FDACS deposits the notice in the U.S. mail (21 days plus 5 days for mailing).
A § 120.57(1) hearing is a fresh evidentiary proceeding. Applicants whose denial turns on a clean factual record (a documented felony conviction, an active § 790.06(2)(m) injunction, an undisputed federal § 922(g) disqualifier) generally cannot prevail. Applicants whose denial turns on a contested mental-health adjudication, a disputed § 856.011(3) habitual-offender determination, or a contested § 790.06(2)(h) competence record are well advised to retain counsel. A final order is appealable to the relevant Florida District Court of Appeal under § 120.68.
§ 790.06(11)(a) structures renewal around four applicant-side items, with FDACS sending an expiration notice at least 90 days before expiration. The licensee files with FDACS (or through an appointed tax collector under § 790.0625(8)), on or before the expiration date: (1) the renewal form with a sworn affidavit that the licensee remains qualified under § 790.06(2) and (3); (2) a § 790.06(5)(e) color photograph; (3) the § 790.06(5)(b) renewal fee (up to $45); and (4) for out-of-state residents, a complete set of fingerprints and the fingerprint-processing fee. § 790.06 does not specify a shorter day-count for renewal decisions; the § 790.06(6)(c) 90-day window governs.
A licensee who misses the expiration date may renew up to 180 days after expiration by paying a $15 late fee in addition to the renewal fee. A license expired for 180 days or more is permanently expired - the licensee must reapply under § 790.06(5), pay original-application fees, and undergo the full background investigation again. False statements carry the same § 837.06 exposure as the original.
§ 790.06(11)(b) - servicemember 180-day post-orders extension. A CWFL issued to a servicemember does not expire while the servicemember is serving on military orders that have taken him or her over 35 miles from residence, and is extended up to 180 days after return. If the renewal requirements are met within that 180-day extension, the servicemember pays no additional costs above the normal license fees and must present a copy of the official military orders or a written verification from the commanding officer to FDACS before the end of the period.
§ 790.06(8) - within 30 days after a change of permanent address, or after a license is lost or destroyed, the licensee must notify FDACS. Failure is a noncriminal violation with a $25 penalty. § 790.06(9) - a lost or destroyed license is automatically invalid; the licensee may obtain a duplicate on payment of $15 and submission of a notarized statement. § 790.0625(9) authorizes the appointed tax collector to print and deliver the replacement on the spot upon FDACS confirmation.
Most uncomplicated adult Florida residents close inside three to six weeks: complete one of the § 790.06(2)(h) competence pathways, file through the FDACS portal (or at an appointed § 790.0625 tax collector) with the § 790.06(5)(b) license fee, submit fingerprints under § 790.06(5)(c), the § 790.06(5)(d) competence document, and the § 790.06(5)(e) photograph; FDACS forwards prints to FDLE under § 790.06(6)(a); FDACS issues or denies within 90 days under § 790.06(6)(c); and the license is mailed. Applicants with prior criminal records, mental-health adjudications, pending charges, or any element flagged by the FBI national check should plan for the full 90 days and budget for a § 790.06(6)(c)3 pending-disposition suspension.
| Statute | Subject |
|---|---|
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(1)(b)-(c) | FDACS issuing-authority designation; 7-year term |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(2) | 14-element eligibility test (PERMIT_BASICS) |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(3) | Crime-of-violence misdemeanor disqualifier; mid-application suspension trigger |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(4) | Application contents (under oath; § 837.06 false-statement warning) |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(5) | Submission requirements; $55 / $45 fee caps; LE-officer exemption; fingerprints; competence document; photograph; expedited-processing identification |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(6)(a)-(d) | FDACS-to-FDLE forwarding; sheriff $5 fingerprinting; 90-day decision window; unreadable-fingerprints name-check fallback |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(6)(e)-(f) | Consular security official 20-day issuance ($300, 1-year); servicemember and veteran expedited processing |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(7) | FCIC licenseholder listing |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(8)-(9) | 30-day address-change notice; lost-or-destroyed $15 duplicate |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(10) | Suspension and revocation; chapter-120 procedure; service mechanics |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(11)(a)-(b) | Renewal procedure; $15 late fee within 180 days; permanent expiration; servicemember 180-day post-orders extension |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.06(14), (16) | Division of Licensing Trust Fund; statewide preemption |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.0625 | Tax-collector appointment, convenience-fee schedule, on-site printing |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.0601 | Confidentiality of CWFL personal identifying information |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.065(2)(a) | Relief from firearms disabilities |
| Fla. Stat. § 790.23 | Felons and certain delinquents - firearm-possession prohibition |
| Fla. Stat. ch. 120 | Florida Administrative Procedure Act (§ 120.57 hearings; § 120.60(5) service) |
| Fla. Stat. § 837.06 | False official statements |
| Fla. Stat. ch. 394, 397, 741, 784, 893 | Mental-health, substance-abuse, DV-injunction, repeat-violence, controlled-substance chapters |
| 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), (t) | Federal firearms-disability list (incorporated by § 790.06(2)(n)); NICS |
The issuing authority is FDACS - single statewide system, no county-sheriff filter. Procedural questions go to the FDACS Division of Licensing through the online portal or to an appointed § 790.0625 tax collector. Neither gives individualized eligibility advice; an applicant whose eligibility under § 790.06(2) or § 790.06(3) is in doubt should consult a Florida attorney before paying the § 790.06(5)(b) license fee.
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