The state of Florida’s mandatory 3-day waiting period for gun purchases is facing a new legal challenge after Attorney General James Uthmeier requested a federal judge to declare the law unconstitutional.
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Uthmeier’s plea against the more than 35-year-old statute is part of a proposed settlement agreement in a civil suit by the National Rifle Association (NRA).
The NRA argues that the waiting period is an infringement on U.S. citizens’ Second Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution.
Uthmeier Defends NRA's Position
“Every government office, including mine, exists to protect your God-given rights as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution,” Uthmeier wrote in a statement on X. “That’s why we’re settling a landmark federal case that declares Florida’s 3-day firearm purchase waiting period unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.”
What Does the Waiting Period Encompass?
The current waiting period – which was approved by voters through a constitutional amendment in 1990 – requires most buyers to wait a minimum of three days between purchasing a gun and taking possession of it.
The statute exempts concealed-weapon permit holders, law enforcement personnel, and individuals trading in another gun.
It also exempts individuals “who have completed a minimum of a 16-hour hunter safety course and who possess a valid hunter safety certification card,” per FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
In response to the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, state officials expanded the grace period in 2018 to include “long guns” as well.
Testimonies From Florida Residents
According to both Gulf Coast News Now and FOX 13 Tampa Bay, residents across Florida have expressed differing opinions on the subject.
Lucy Rowles, a resident who was considering taking her own life, told FOX, "I left and, you know, it gave me that breathing room. It gave me space in between that to, you know, sort my thoughts out," after finding out that she had to partake in the waiting period."
"If someone wants to cause a problem, they're not going to wait three days," Charles, a Cape Coral resident, told Gulf Coast News Now.
