Carrying Concealed At The Gun Rights Policy Conference

A comment to a post by Miguel at GunFreeZone.net started me looking into Florida’s concealed carry laws and prohibited locations. The Gun Rights Policy Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport which is located in the main terminal of the Orlando Airport. I confirmed with the Hyatt that they are actually considered part of the airport terminal (or so the Front Desk said).

According to Florida Statue Section 790.06 (12)a, you are prohibited from carrying in the following locations:

(12)(a) A license issued under this section does not authorize any person to openly carry a handgun or carry a concealed weapon or firearm into:

1. Any place of nuisance as defined in s. 823.05;

2. Any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station;

3. Any detention facility, prison, or jail;

4. Any courthouse;

5. Any courtroom, except that nothing in this section would preclude a judge from carrying a concealed weapon or determining who will carry a concealed weapon in his or her courtroom;

6. Any polling place;

7. Any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district;

8. Any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof;

9. Any school, college, or professional athletic event not related to firearms;

10. Any elementary or secondary school facility or administration building;

11. Any career center;

12. Any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to such purpose;

13. Any college or university facility unless the licensee is a registered student, employee, or faculty member of such college or university and the weapon is a stun gun or nonlethal electric weapon or device designed solely for defensive purposes and the weapon does not fire a dart or projectile;

14. The inside of the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport, provided that no person shall be prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the terminal, which firearm is encased for shipment for purposes of checking such firearm as baggage to be lawfully transported on any aircraft; or

15. Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law.

If the Hyatt Regency is legally part of the terminal at the Orlando Airport, carrying concealed even with the proper license/permit is forbidden. People traveling to the conference who would normally be carrying should be aware of this. I knew you couldn’t carry in the bar portion of restaurants but I didn’t know about the airport portion of the law.

If you have any different information as to the status of the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport, please share it in the comments below.

UPDATE: I just spoke with Vera of the Public Affairs Department of the Orlando International Airport regarding this issue. I asked specifically whether the Hyatt Regency was considered part of the main terminal for the purposes of concealed carry. She replied, “It is in the airport.” Unless we hear differently from the Orlando Police Department, I would operate under the presumption that concealed carry is not allowed at the Hyatt Regency.  See my separate update – the Orlando PD, airport division says the hotel is a private holding and is NOT part of the airport for CCW purposes.