Order online, pick up at a licensed dealer in Columbia County. Lake City is a crossroads town where I-10 meets I-75 in the pine flatwoods of north Florida, with the Osceola National Forest at its door. Columbia County dealers run the FDLE check and the three-day wait.
Pick an FFL dealer near you that accepts shipped transfers and name it at checkout. We confirm their license and ship the firearm to them. Ammunition, optics and parts ship straight to your door where Florida law allows.
Hunting licences, tags and season dates come from the state wildlife agency, not from the dealer; the dealer handles the firearm transfer described here. Florida requires a buyer to be 21 or older to buy any firearm from a dealer, handgun or long gun. The dealer submits your details to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which runs the state and federal check. State law sets a waiting period of three business days, or until the check clears if that is later, on every firearm sold by a dealer. Concealed Weapon License holders, trade-ins and long-gun buyers with a hunter safety card are exempt from the wait, and a few counties such as Miami-Dade set up to five days. A handgun bought from a Florida dealer must go to a Florida resident under federal law.
Dealers in these communities all work for Lake City-area buyers:
Since July 2023 anyone who meets the eligibility rules for a Concealed Weapon License may carry a concealed handgun without one, carrying valid ID. The First District Court of Appeal struck down Florida's open carry ban in September 2025 and the state did not appeal, so open carry is now lawful. In June 2026 an appeals court opened the Concealed Weapon License to adults aged 18 to 20. The licence is still issued by the FDACS Division of Licensing, and many Columbia County Tax Collector offices take applications; it adds reciprocity and skips the three-day wait. Courthouses, schools, polling places and the other places listed in section 790.06 stay off limits.
Florida splits deer hunting into Zones A, B, C and D with very different calendars; Zone A in the south opens general gun season in September while Zone B waits until December. Antler rules follow the deer management unit around Columbia County. Wild hogs on private land can be taken year-round with landowner permission and no licence; check the FWC season pages for the current zone dates. Centerfire rifles, shotguns, handguns and muzzleloaders are all used for deer, and rimfire cartridges are not legal for deer.
Columbia County is the gateway to the Osceola National Forest, with the FWC's Osceola range on its edge; general gun season runs from early November in Zone C.
The Osceola range and forest are the reason hunters stop here; deer, turkey and hogs in the flatwoods keep bolt rifles and turkey shotguns moving.
These ranges are run by or officially listed by a state wildlife agency, a state forest or a national forest. Most ask for a hunting licence, a range permit or a small day fee, and hours change with the season, so check the agency page before you drive out to sight in.
Source: State wildlife agency, state forest and U.S. Forest Service public range listings, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.
Yes. Order here, name a licensed FFL dealer in Fort White, Live Oak, Lulu, Lake City or anywhere in Columbia County, and we ship the firearm to them. You fill out ATF Form 4473 at their counter and they run the background check.
No. You must be 21, pass the FDLE check at the dealer and wait three business days unless you hold a Concealed Weapon License or another exemption applies. Columbia County may add its own waiting period.
Yes, if you meet the same eligibility rules as a licence applicant and carry valid ID. Open carry has also been lawful since the September 2025 appeals ruling. Prohibited places still apply.
Many Florida owners keep one because it is honoured in a number of other states and exempts you from the waiting period.
A bolt-action in .308, 6.5 Creedmoor or .243 covers deer anywhere it is legal; where the state restricts rifles to straight-walled cartridges, a .350 Legend or .450 Bushmaster.
Each dealer sets its own fee, commonly $20 to $75. Call before you order to confirm the price and that they accept firearms shipped from an online store.
General information, not legal advice. Rules current as of September 2026. See our buying guide and check with FDACS Division of Licensing (applications at many Columbia County Tax Collector offices) or a local attorney about your own situation.