From: [g--rk--m] at [envirolink.org] (george markham)
Date: 14 Jun 1995 22:05:35 -0500
Subject: NRA Alerts INFO: FL - Right-to-Carry Law Improvement Bill Becomes Law

Forwarded Information:
>From: NRA Alerts ([a--er--s] at [gatekeeper.nra.org]) on Tue, 13 Jun 1995 22:09:19 -0400
To: [r k ba alert] at [gatekeeper.nra.org]
Subject: INFO: FL - Right-to-Carry Law Improvement Bill Becomes Law

June 13, 1995

FLORIDA RIGHT TO CARRY LAW IMPROVEMENT BILL BECOMES LAW

At one minute after midnight (12:01 am, June 9, 1995), SB-1582, by
Senator Locke Burt (R-Ormond Beach) and Representative Tracy
Upchurch (D-St. Augustine) became law and went on the books. The
Governor had until midnight June 8, 1995 to take action.  Governor
Lawton Chiles, who could have signed the law, chose not to sign it
and simply allowed it to become law without action (A total of 98
bills had the same deadline.  Chiles signed 15 bills, vetoed 8
bills and allowed 75 bills to become law without his signature).
The Right To Carry improvement bill (SB-1582) passed the Senate 40-
0 and passed the House 116-3.  The new law takes effect July 1,
1995.

The bill lowered the statutory cap on license fees from $125 to $85
on the initial license, and from $100 to $70 on renewal license
fees.

However, newly elected Secretary of State Sandra Mortham announced
that the new fees will be even lower than the statutory cap. 
Secretary Mortham has set the fees at $75 for the initial 3-year
license and $65 for the 3-year renewal.

The background/fingerprint check required on the initial license
currently costs $42; which brings the total fees for an initial
license to $117.  The fingerprint/background check HAS BEEN
ELIMINATED ON RENEWAL LICENSES for Florida residents so the total
fee for the 3-year renewal license will be $65.

The fingerprint/background check will still apply to non-resident
renewals so the total renewal fee for out of state license holders
will be $107.

The law now allows sheriffs to charge UP TO $5.00 for
fingerprinting services for applicants.  Previously the law
required this service to be provided without charge as part of the
package of services the sheriffs provided.  Under the original 1987
law, the sheriff of the applicants county of residence received $20
for every new application and $10 for every renewal application. 
Those fees to the sheriffs were removed in SB-1582, which
contributes to the reduction of the fee structure.  Now, sheriffs
who wish to charge for fingerprinting MAY do so -- it is not
compulsory.

Additionally, the law now requires you to have the actual license -
- not a copy -- in your possession while you are carrying a
concealed weapon or firearm.  (All licenses now bear a color
photograph of the license holder and are laminated for protection.)

And finally, the new law adds federal judges -- resident in Florida
-- to the exemption for Florida judges.  Judges are required to
provide documentation of training but are exempt from the fees and
the other issuing requirements of the carry law when they apply for
a license.
The new fees and other provisions of the law take effect July 1,
1995.

FLORIDA RESIDENTS AND OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS MAY OBTAIN
APPLICATIONS FOR LICENSES BY CALLING (904) 488-0039 OR BY WRITING
THE CONCEALED WEAPONS BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, P.O. BOX 6687, 
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32314-6687.

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