JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is the latest law enforcement agency in Northeast Florida to instruct its officers not to enforce Florida’s open carry ban.
The announcement came after a state appeals court found the open carry ban unconstitutional on Wednesday, saying it violated the Second Amendment.
The Clay County and Bradford County sheriff’s offices have also called for their deputies not to enforce the state law that prohibits residents from openly carrying their guns.
On Friday, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office also joined the list of agencies deciding not to enforce the open carry ban.
In Thursday’s post, the JSO detailed what the change meant and how it would impact gun owners.
JSO said officers cannot arrest or detain individuals solely for carrying a firearm.
RELATED: Appeals court finds Florida’s open carry ban unconstitutional
If you are a gun owner in a public space, you can legally possess your firearm, but businesses, stores, and private property owners still have the right to prohibit open or concealed carry of firearms on their premises.
Open carry is still not allowed in restricted areas such as courthouses, police and sheriff’s offices, certain government buildings, school property, school buses, school-sponsored events, and colleges and universities.
It is still illegal for convicted felons to possess a gun while committing a crime.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office took a different approach to the overturned law.
“I want to emphasize that this opinion is not final until the disposition of any timely and authorized motion under Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure 9.330 or 9.331.,” Sheriff Chad Scott said in a post on Thursday. “As of today, the status of the law concerning open carry of firearms is the same as it was yesterday—there has been no change."