Florida Employees May Keep Firearms in Vehicles at Work

Effective July 1, 2008, Florida employees obtained the right to bring legally owned guns to work, provided they keep them in a locked personal vehicle. Employers may no longer condition employment on the fact that an employee or prospective employee holds a gun license, or discriminate against or terminate an employee for keeping a gun in their privately locked vehicle on company property. Exceptions apply for schools, correctional facilities, or employers performing national defense, aerospace or homeland security work, or those dealing with combustible or explosive materials. Employers may also ban employees from possessing a firearm in a company owned vehicle.

If an employer believes a firearm may be present in a vehicle owned by a person who does not possess a valid concealed weapons permit it may not search the vehicle, but must instead contact a law enforcement officer to conduct the search in compliance with due process and other constitutional principles. Further, employers are immunized from liability for any harm to third parties injured as a result of a legally possessed firearm inside a vehicle on the employer’s premises.

Employers who violate the Act may be sued, and employees may recover all reasonable personal costs and losses suffered, as well as court costs and attorneys’ fees.