Florida Attorney General Sues Jacksonville Over Alleged Gun Registry
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has initiated a lawsuit against the City of Jacksonville, seeking a civil penalty of $5 million. The lawsuit claims the city illegally maintained a registry of law-abiding gun owners.
This legal action is based on records kept by city officials from 2023 to 2025, which allegedly documented personal and firearm information from individuals entering government buildings, like City Hall.
Uthmeier contends that such practices violate Florida’s laws prohibiting local firearm registries—intended to safeguard citizens’ privacy and Second Amendment rights.
Despite a prior investigation by the State Attorney’s Office that found no indications of criminal intent, Uthmeier’s lawsuit argues that city management was complicit in these actions, warranting the substantial fine outlined in state law.
“We are taking the City of Jacksonville to court for knowingly and willfully keeping an illegal gun registry in violation of Florida law,” Uthmeier stated.
He elaborated, “Jacksonville city management approved and implemented a log book, a gun registry that required security officers to screen visitors and record the visitor’s name, age, state-issued ID number, and the weapon type of anyone found to be carrying a firearm.”
The registry reportedly continued for nearly two years until a situation involving a lawfully armed citizen who was denied entry into a government facility after refusing to share personal information brought it to light.
Although State Attorney Melissa Nelson looked into the claims, she decided against filing charges, citing insufficient evidence of intent. This decision has attracted criticism from Uthmeier, who insists that the city management was fully aware of the illicit data collection and should be held accountable.
“The conclusion of this investigation without charges or accountability is unacceptable. State Attorney Melissa Nelson will be hearing from my office soon,” he posted on X. “The City of Jacksonville’s creation of a gun registry for any reason is unlawful and reprehensible. This isn’t over,” he added.
While the State Attorney’s Office acknowledged that the registry was illegal, they attributed its creation to a failure in communication rather than a deliberate infraction.
Nevertheless, Uthmeier appears determined to pursue the $5 million judgment against Jacksonville. The lawsuit not only demands this financial penalty but also seeks additional measures to ensure compliance with state firearm laws in the future.
“The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and we will use all power of this office to protect the rights of Floridians,” the attorney general reaffirmed.
