Despite the state's permitless carry law, bringing a gun into airports is still illegal and punishable by criminal penalties. Under Florida law, bringing a weapon into the airport is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by: Up to 60 days in jail. A maximum fine of $500.

In Florida, it is illegal to conceal carry a firearm in the passenger terminal or "sterile" areas of an airport, even under the 2023 "permitless carry" law. While Florida allows adults to carry a concealed weapon in many public places without a permit, airports are specifically listed as prohibited locations under Florida Statute 790.06. This means you cannot carry a gun—openly or concealed—into the ticketing area, baggage claim, or through security checkpoints. The only legal way to transport a firearm through a Florida airport is to have it unloaded and locked in a hard-sided container as checked luggage. You must declare the firearm at the airline check-in counter upon arrival. Bringing a weapon to a TSA security checkpoint, even accidentally, can result in severe federal civil penalties of up to $15,000, the permanent loss of TSA PreCheck eligibility, and potential criminal charges under both state and federal law. Security officials emphasize that "permitless carry" does not grant any special authority to bypass these strictly enforced aviation safety regulations.