Florida Legalizes Open Carry – But Here’s Why It’s a Bad Idea

Florida’s new open carry law takes effect on September 25, and on paper it looks like a triumph for gun-rights advocates. But if you listen to the two people who should be cheering the loudest – a Florida sheriff who backs the Second Amendment and one of the most prominent gun-rights voices online – they’re both pumping the brakes. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told WFLA viewers he’s “not a fan” of open carry in practice, and Colion Noir says flatly that open carry is “an outdated concept tactically.” I support the right; I’m skeptical of the tactic. Here’s why.

What The Law Changes – And What It Doesn’t

“Open carry will be the law effective September 25,” Sheriff Grady Judd explained, “but there still are some restrictions.” He urged Floridians not to misread the headline. Even with open carry, you can’t bring a firearm into schools, courthouses, or government buildings, and you can’t carry “when governments are meeting.” Judd’s message was simple: open carry does not mean open carry everywhere. As someone who’s watched good people step into legal potholes, I think his caution is spot on. The statute may have changed; the geography of off-limits places largely hasn’t.

Legal Gray Areas Create Real Risk

Sheriff Judd said he personally spoke with state leaders and asked lawmakers to “cover the corners” in a future clean-up bill. Until then, he advises gun owners to default to concealed-carry rules – especially for where you cannot carry. That’s wise. Early after any major change, the most common problems aren’t bad actors; they’re misinterpretations: walking into a restricted location because the sign wasn’t obvious, assuming “open means anywhere,” or confusing what’s unlawful with what’s merely unwise. In those gray zones, it’s the citizen – not the criminal – who pays the price.

Why Concealed Carry Wins On Tactics

Sheriff Judd supports the Second Amendment, but tactically he prefers concealed carry because it preserves the element of surprise. “Carrying a concealed firearm gives those carrying the firearm the element of surprise,” he said. That’s the only genuine edge a private citizen has in a violent encounter. From a tactics perspective, surprise compresses your opponent’s decision cycle and buys you the fraction of a second you need to move, draw, or disengage. When you open carry, you voluntarily give that edge away.

The ‘Deterrence’ Myth Meets 2025 Reality

For years, some argued that visible guns deter crime. Colion Noir – who strongly supports the right to open carry – says that logic belongs to “1985, not 2025.” Bad actors today are bolder, faster, more practiced at exploiting distraction. Sheriff Judd didn’t mince words: a “real bad guy” isn’t intimidated by a holstered pistol or a slung rifle – he’ll take it and “use it against you.” That’s not fearmongering; it’s a sober read of offender behavior. An open carrier isn’t a deterrent; he’s the first problem a criminal plans to solve.

When The Gun On Your Hip Becomes The Bad Guy’s Gun

Colion Noir has documented case after case of open carriers being disarmed in public – guns snatched off hips at checkout lines and parking lots. Yes, retention holsters and training reduce that risk. No, they don’t eliminate it. Weapon-retention techniques are difficult to apply while you’re surprised, encumbered, or holding a child’s hand. In a crowd, anyone can close distance and create the exact hands-on fight open carry invites. The harsh reality is that the gun you bought to protect your family can, in an instant, become the threat to your family.

Accidental Exposure Versus Intentional Display

Here’s where open carry laws do matter: accidental exposure. As Colion Noir points out, life happens – shirts ride up, jackets blow open, you reach high for something, and your gun prints or flashes. Without legal protection, brief exposure can morph into a brandishing complaint or a needless police encounter. On that front, Florida’s change is welcome. But there’s a difference between protecting accidental exposure and advertising your gun. The first prevents technical violations; the second erases your only tactical advantage.

Places You Still Can’t Carry – And How People Get In Trouble

Sheriff Judd recommended a simple rule while the legislature clarifies the statute: avoid schools, courthouses, and government buildings at every level. Add government meetings to that list. Many citizens also stumble over private property policies: if a business asks you to leave, refusing can become a trespass issue – even if your carry is otherwise legal. Airports and secure facilities are a separate universe with their own rules. When in doubt, don’t guess. The “I thought it was allowed” defense won’t keep you out of handcuffs.

Policing Reality: What Officers See First

Another Judd reality check: the law may change faster than public expectations. That means early on, open carry will generate “man with a gun” calls. You might do nothing wrong and still find yourself in a tense conversation with an officer responding to a frightened 911 report. If that encounter goes sideways, the consequences fall on you. That’s one more reason Sheriff Judd tells people to stick with concealed carry for now. Blend in, stay lawful, and avoid becoming the focus of other people’s anxiety – or their phone cameras.

The Culture War Versus Personal Survival

Colion Noir draws a crucial distinction: politically, he supports open carry; tactically, he rejects it. I agree. The public square is one debate; a violent moment is another. In the latter, there’s no prize for on-body virtue signaling. There’s only survival. The Second Amendment’s real deterrent power is uncertainty – the idea that anyone could be armed, not that one guy is armed. Open carry kills that ambiguity and shifts a bad guy’s plan from “Is anyone armed?” to “Neutralize the armed one first.”

Best Practices If You Still Choose To Open Carry

If you decide to open carry, stack the odds. Use a high-quality retention holster (at least Level II), train weapon-retention techniques, and keep your strong-side hip clear of grab opportunities. Maintain 360-degree awareness at lines, doorways, and crowded spaces – these are grab zones. Don’t lean over strangers, don’t get buried in your phone, and don’t mistake attention for respect. Above all, follow Sheriff Judd’s venue guidance and leave immediately if a property owner or officer instructs you to do so. But if you’re asking for the safest general rule, it’s Judd’s: carry concealed.

A Right You Don’t Have To Exercise

Florida’s open carry law is a genuine rights victory with a practical warning label. Sheriff Grady Judd urges Floridians to default to concealed carry and stay out of restricted spaces until lawmakers “square up the corners.” Colion Noir says the tactic itself is a relic, because the element of surprise is the citizen’s only ace, and open carry throws it away. My view: celebrate the legal protection against accidental exposure, but don’t confuse a political win with a tactical one. In the world we actually live in, concealed carry beats open carry – every single time.