SB 256FLORIDA · STATEWIDESession 2026dead

Proposed Rules for Storing Handguns in Vehicles and Boats

Original title: Storage of Handguns in Private Conveyances and Vessels

March 13, 2026

firearms public safety criminal law transportation juvenile justice

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The Frame

What this does

The bill aimed to reduce handgun thefts from vehicles by establishing specific legal storage requirements for gun owners, with non-compliance potentially leading to criminal penalties.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Handgun owners

They would have been required to follow specific storage protocols when leaving handguns in unoccupied vehicles or vessels.

Firearm retailers

They would have been required to update written warnings for customers and post new signage at sales counters.

Law enforcement agencies

They would have been required to engage in promotional campaigns to educate the public on the new storage requirements.

Firearm safety instructors

They would have been required to incorporate the new storage requirements into their existing training curricula.

What changed

Last recorded activity March 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

This bill would have required handgun owners to lock their firearms in a trunk, glove box, or secured container when leaving them in an unattended vehicle or boat. It also mandated that firearm retailers update their warning signs and that safety training courses include instruction on these new storage requirements.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What would have been required for storing a handgun in a car?

If the car was unoccupied and , the handgun would have needed to be kept out of view and locked in a trunk, glove box, or a device securely attached to the vehicle.

Did this bill pass?

No, the bill died in the Criminal Justice Committee on March 13, 2026.

Why It Matters

The bill aimed to reduce handgun thefts from vehicles by establishing specific legal storage requirements for gun owners, with non-compliance potentially leading to criminal penalties.

News Coverage

Lean Left1

1 source

Blind spot - no right-leaning coverage

Despite Gov. DeSantis’ Union Crackdowns, AFSCME Florida Keeps Winning

Jacksonville Free PressJul 7, 2026

Bias ratings based on AllSides / Media Bias/Fact Check

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Legislative response to theft trends

The bill was explicitly motivated by data showing that over half of gun thefts in 2022 occurred from cars, a significant increase from a decade prior.

Florida Legislature

Connected Entities

organizationCriminal Justice Committee“The committee where the bill was introduced and subsequently died.”Map →

organizationJudiciary Committee“A committee to which the bill was referred.”Map →

organizationFlorida Legislature“The body that proposed the bill and declared the storage requirements an importa”Map →

organizationRules Committee“A committee to which the bill was referred.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy75
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz20
Current news / social attention level

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