Florida Carry Sues St. Augustine Over Firearm Ban at Visitor Center

Court filing | St. Johns County

A newly filed lawsuit argues that St. Augustine unlawfully prohibited firearms at its Visitor Information Center despite a Florida law reserving firearms regulation to the state.

Florida Carry, Inc. filed the complaint on July 27, 2026, in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in St. Johns County. The case is listed as Florida Carry, Inc. v. City of St. Augustine, Florida, et al., case number 55-2026-CA-001218. The city is named as a defendant along with City Manager David Bircham, Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, and commissioners Jim Springfield, Jon DePreter and Cynthia Garris in their individual capacities.

What prompted the lawsuit

The complaint focuses on signs at the city-owned Visitor Information Center at 10 South Castillo Drive. Photographs included in the filing show notices stating that weapons are not allowed in the building. Florida Carry alleges that the signs deter its members and other people from lawfully possessing or carrying firearms on public property.

The organization says the location is especially important because it provides public restrooms and sits near public parking used by visitors to the historic district. The complaint also alleges that similar firearm-prohibition signs have been placed at other city facilities, including City Hall.

The legal argument

Florida Carry relies primarily on section 790.33, Florida Statutes, commonly known as the state's firearms-preemption law. The complaint argues that the statute gives the Florida Legislature exclusive authority over firearms and ammunition regulation and prevents cities and counties from creating their own rules governing possession or carry.

According to the lawsuit, posting and enforcing the signs amounts to a local policy regulating where firearms may be possessed. Florida Carry characterizes the alleged violation as knowing and willful because the preemption law has been in effect for years.

What Florida Carry is asking the court to do

The three-count complaint alleges a violation of section 790.33 and seeks declaratory and injunctive relief. Florida Carry asks the court to:

• Declare the challenged signs and related city policies invalid and preempted by state law.
• Order the city to stop enforcing firearm restrictions not expressly authorized by state law.
• Require removal or replacement of signs, publications and electronic material reflecting the disputed policy.
• Award authorized damages or statutory fines, attorneys' fees and costs.

The complaint also demands a jury trial. At this stage, these are requests made by the plaintiff; the court has not decided whether the city violated the law.