TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In a significant legal development, Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the impending repeal of a longstanding state gun regulation following a pivotal case initiated last year.
On Friday morning, Uthmeier took to social media to reveal that his office is reaching a settlement in a major federal lawsuit challenging Florida’s mandatory three-day waiting period for firearm purchasers.
“Each government entity, including my office, has the duty to uphold your inherent rights as outlined in the U.S. Constitution,” Uthmeier stated in his post.
The lawsuit, partly spearheaded by the NRA, argues that the enforced waiting period fails to meet constitutional standards.
Legal documents submitted on Friday indicate that Uthmeier opted not to defend the existing rule, instead advocating for the court to deem the provision unconstitutional and remove it.
As it stands, Florida law mandates a minimum three-day waiting period (not counting weekends and holidays) for anyone purchasing a firearm, although there are certain exceptions to this rule.
The lawsuit Uthmeier referred to was brought on last year in part by the NRA, which contends that the mandatory waiting period doesn’t withstand constitutional scrutiny.
Court records filed on Friday show that Uthmeier declined to defend the rule, instead pushing for the court to strike the provision down as unconstitutional.
Under current rules, anyone in Florida who purchases a firearm is required to wait at least three days (excluding weekends and holidays) before actually receiving the firearm into their possession, with some exceptions.
This applies even if a background check is completed and approved right away.
“Law-abiding Floridians should never be delayed form exercising their fundamental rights,” NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford said. “This is a major victory, and we look forward to the court permanently striking down this restriction.”
🚨 LEGAL UPDATE: Today, the parties in the NRA’s challenge to Florida’s firearm waiting period law jointly filed an Offer of Judgment asking the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida to declare the law unconstitutional and permanently enjoin its enforcement. pic.twitter.com/n7qhLZ3RWn
— NRA (@NRA) June 5, 2026
Court records show that the waiting period was first added to the Florida Constitution back in the 1990s, though it only applied to handguns at the time.
But in 2018, then-Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation that expanded the waiting period to include all firearms — not just handguns — after a deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
This news also comes after Uthmeier pressured an HOA in Port St. Lucie to stop enforcing a new rule that prohibited anyone from carrying firearms into common areas.
Meanwhile, you can find the original complaint below:
