Bill to lower gun age from 21 to 18 has young people talking
By Rick Brunson
April 16, 2025 at 6:03 AM EDT
Florida lawmakers are considering whether to lower the age of buying and selling a firearm from 21 to 18. Proponents of the change argue that if an 18-year-old can be drafted and fight for their country, they should have the right to buy a gun. But opponents point out that gun violence is a leading cause of death of young people, and putting more guns in their hands would make them, and the public, less safe.
Under current Florida law, you have to be at least 21 years old to buy, sell or transfer a firearm. Some lawmakers want to see that changed. For the third consecutive year, legislators are pushing to lower the age to 18.
This session, Republican Reps. Michelle Salzman of Pensacola and Tyler Sirois of Merritt Island introduced HB 759, and after debate the bill passed 78-34 in the House on March 26. It’s been sent to the Florida Senate for consideration but is parked in the Rules Committee awaiting action.
Change prompted by Parkland mass shooting
The age was raised to 21 seven years ago after the Parkland massacre in 2018. That Valentine’s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida, a 19-year-old shot and killed 17 students and staff and wounded 17 more.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Legislature passed a bipartisan bill that raised the age of buying a firearm to 21. Then-Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, signed it into law. Under the law, an under-age person can receive a gun as a gift but are not allowed to buy, sell or transfer possession of a firearm.
For the past two years, Republicans in the Florida House have passed repeals of the age restriction only to see them stalled by Republicans in the Senate.
Current Gov. Ron DeSantis says the age restriction was a mistake and has urged the Legislature to repeal it. During a recent press conference DeSantis spoke about the issue.
“It totally eliminated rights for young adults,’’ DeSantis said. “I mean you have some 20-year-old Marine being out there carrying a firearm in Fallujah back where I served back in the day, and then they come here and they can’t purchase a rifle to go hunting or something like that, it’s just not something that is consistent with due processes.’’
At the University of Central Florida, students who would be affected by the measure expressed support and opposition.
Mary Connolly is president of the College Republicans at UCF. She says young people age 18-20 deserve the same right to protect themselves as older young adults. (3639x2724, AR: 1.3359030837004404)
Freedom to protect
Mary Connolly, 20, is a biology major and president of the College Republicans at UCF. She supports the change.
“I can understand the reasoning for the original bill. But my reasoning for supporting this bill is mainly because most people who own guns own them to protect themselves and their family, and I think it’s important not to forget that, and I think younger people should also have that privilege.’’
Connolly adds that if 18-year-olds are old enough to vote and serve in the military, they should have the right to buy a gun.
“If they’re old enough to be drafted, I think that is a pretty strong argument that they are also old enough to own a gun, so long as they meet the requirements.”
Kamelia Ortiz is vice president of College Democrats at UCF. She says lowering the gun age to 18 would make the community less safe. (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Safety concerns
But Kamelia Ortiz, a 21-year-old political science major and vice president of the College Democrats at UCF, opposes it. As the daughter of a Marine, she argues lowering the age would make communities less safe as more guns would go into the hands of younger people who may not have the training and maturity to properly use them.
“When individuals join the military at 18, they don’t have access to weapons just right off the bat,’’ Ortiz said. “They spend months at Parris Island or wherever they may be for their specified branch getting very in-depth training from professionals. So, it’s entirely different than an 18-year-old civilian being able to just access a gun.’’
Ortiz said she vividly recalls being in ninth grade at Osceola High School in Kissimmee the day of the Parkland school shooting. Her algebra teacher broke down in tears describing the news to her and her classmates. Seven years later, she says the trauma is still fresh.
Remembering Parkland
Debra Hixon chairs the Broward County School Board. She spoke last month at the Capitol in Tallahassee. Her husband, Chris Hixon, was among those killed at Stoneman Douglas. Hixon is angry about the push to loosen gun laws.
“And now you want to repeal things, and to me that makes me feel like you have forgotten who my husband and the other 16 victims were,’’ Hixson told lawmakers. “That’s just not right because it will not make our communities safer.’’
For now, the bill sits in the Senate awaiting further action by lawmakers there.
Last month, a federal appellate court upheld Florida’s current law, noting people under 21 were restricted from purchasing firearms at the time of the nation’s founding. But after the court’s 8-4 ruling, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced his office would not enforce the state statute because he believes it violates the U.S. Constitution.
Under current Florida law, you have to be at least 21 years old to buy, sell or transfer a firearm. Some lawmakers want to see that changed. For the third consecutive year, legislators are pushing to lower the age to 18.
This session, Republican Reps. Michelle Salzman of Pensacola and Tyler Sirois of Merritt Island introduced HB 759, and after debate the bill passed 78-34 in the House on March 26. It’s been sent to the Florida Senate for consideration but is parked in the Rules Committee awaiting action.
Change prompted by Parkland mass shooting
The age was raised to 21 seven years ago after the Parkland massacre in 2018. That Valentine’s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida, a 19-year-old shot and killed 17 students and staff and wounded 17 more.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Legislature passed a bipartisan bill that raised the age of buying a firearm to 21. Then-Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, signed it into law. Under the law, an under-age person can receive a gun as a gift but are not allowed to buy, sell or transfer possession of a firearm.
For the past two years, Republicans in the Florida House have passed repeals of the age restriction only to see them stalled by Republicans in the Senate.
Current Gov. Ron DeSantis says the age restriction was a mistake and has urged the Legislature to repeal it. During a recent press conference DeSantis spoke about the issue.
“It totally eliminated rights for young adults,’’ DeSantis said. “I mean you have some 20-year-old Marine being out there carrying a firearm in Fallujah back where I served back in the day, and then they come here and they can’t purchase a rifle to go hunting or something like that, it’s just not something that is consistent with due processes.’’
At the University of Central Florida, students who would be affected by the measure expressed support and opposition.
Mary Connolly is president of the College Republicans at UCF. She says young people age 18-20 deserve the same right to protect themselves as older young adults. (3639x2724, AR: 1.3359030837004404)
Freedom to protect
Mary Connolly, 20, is a biology major and president of the College Republicans at UCF. She supports the change.
“I can understand the reasoning for the original bill. But my reasoning for supporting this bill is mainly because most people who own guns own them to protect themselves and their family, and I think it’s important not to forget that, and I think younger people should also have that privilege.’’
Connolly adds that if 18-year-olds are old enough to vote and serve in the military, they should have the right to buy a gun.
“If they’re old enough to be drafted, I think that is a pretty strong argument that they are also old enough to own a gun, so long as they meet the requirements.”
Kamelia Ortiz is vice president of College Democrats at UCF. She says lowering the gun age to 18 would make the community less safe. (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Safety concerns
But Kamelia Ortiz, a 21-year-old political science major and vice president of the College Democrats at UCF, opposes it. As the daughter of a Marine, she argues lowering the age would make communities less safe as more guns would go into the hands of younger people who may not have the training and maturity to properly use them.
“When individuals join the military at 18, they don’t have access to weapons just right off the bat,’’ Ortiz said. “They spend months at Parris Island or wherever they may be for their specified branch getting very in-depth training from professionals. So, it’s entirely different than an 18-year-old civilian being able to just access a gun.’’
Ortiz said she vividly recalls being in ninth grade at Osceola High School in Kissimmee the day of the Parkland school shooting. Her algebra teacher broke down in tears describing the news to her and her classmates. Seven years later, she says the trauma is still fresh.
Remembering Parkland
Debra Hixon chairs the Broward County School Board. She spoke last month at the Capitol in Tallahassee. Her husband, Chris Hixon, was among those killed at Stoneman Douglas. Hixon is angry about the push to loosen gun laws.
“And now you want to repeal things, and to me that makes me feel like you have forgotten who my husband and the other 16 victims were,’’ Hixson told lawmakers. “That’s just not right because it will not make our communities safer.’’
For now, the bill sits in the Senate awaiting further action by lawmakers there.
Last month, a federal appellate court upheld Florida’s current law, noting people under 21 were restricted from purchasing firearms at the time of the nation’s founding. But after the court’s 8-4 ruling, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced his office would not enforce the state statute because he believes it violates the U.S. Constitution.