How buying a gun in Miami works
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Florida law allows.
Florida imposes a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases under the state constitution, counted from the sale day and excluding weekends and holidays, with counties allowed to extend it. Florida concealed weapon licence holders are exempt. The minimum age to buy any firearm from a dealer is 21, a rule subject to ongoing litigation. Background checks are conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and dealers charge a small state fee.
Dealers in these communities all work for Miami-area buyers:
- Hialeah
- Coral Gables
- Miami Gardens
- Homestead
- Kendall
- Doral
- North Miami
- Miami Beach
- Pembroke Pines
Carrying a gun in Miami-Dade County
Florida permits concealed carry without a licence for adults 21 and over who can legally possess a handgun and carry identification, effective July 2023. Open carry regulations have changed due to appellate litigation, so verify current rules. The concealed weapon licence, issued by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, remains valuable for exempting holders from the handgun waiting period and facilitating dealer transactions. Carry is restricted in schools, courthouses, polling places, bars, and posted properties.
Hunting near Miami
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission divides Florida into four deer management zones, with varying season dates due to the rut's south-to-north progression. Archery season starts first, followed by crossbow and muzzleloading, and general gun season ranges from September to February depending on the zone. Legal firearms for deer include centerfire rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, pistols, and bows, with additional rules for wildlife management areas. Feral hogs can be hunted year-round on private land with permission.
Miami-Dade is in Zone A, where general gun season starts in September. The Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA are the closest large public tracts, accessible mainly by airboat or buggy.
Hunters often travel west on the Tamiami Trail to the Everglades, with the nearest FWC-managed range located in Palm Beach County off Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
Public shooting ranges near Miami
The ranges on the city pages are public ranges run or listed by the state wildlife agency, a state forest or a national forest, chosen by distance from each city. Fees, passes and hours are the agency's.
Source: State wildlife agency and public-land range listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.