Governor DeSantis touts Florida's Second Amendment sales tax holiday now in effect

Gov. DeSantis on sales tax holiday

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference on Monday to talk about the start of Florida's latest sales tax holiday, which includes guns and ammunition.

PLANT CITY, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis ushered in Florida’s newest sales tax holiday on Monday – one that adds guns and ammunition along with recreational supplies.

The governor spoke alongside Lt. Gov. Jay Collins at a news conference in Plant City.

Pictured: Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference in Plant City on Sept. 8, 2025.

Tax holiday expanded

The backstory:

Earlier this year, DeSantis called for a "Second Amendment sales tax holiday" as part of the 2025-26 state budget.

Lawmakers ultimately added exemptions on guns and ammunition to the 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Season Sales Tax Holiday, which began on Monday.

RELATED: Florida's new tax holiday expands to all guns and ammo

What items are exempt from sales tax?

Dig deeper:

This year’s tax holiday includes the following exemptions:

Hunting supplies

• Ammunition
• Firearms
• Firearm accessories: charging handles, cleaning kits, holsters, pistol grips, sights or optics, stocks
• Bows
• Crossbows
• Bow and crossbow accessories: arrows, bolts, quarrels, quivers, releases, sights or optics, wrist guards.

Camping and fishing supplies

$5 or less

• Bait or fishing tackle if sold individually ($10 or less if multiple items are sold together)

$30 or less

• Flashlights
• Camping lanterns
• Tackle boxes or bags

$50 or less

• Camping stoves
• Collapsible camping chairs
• Portable hammocks
• Sleeping bags

$75 or less

• Rods and reels if sold individually ($150 or less if sold as a set)

$200 or less

• Tents

Pictured: Bill Jackson's Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park.

What they're saying:

During Monday's news conference, DeSantis talked about his continued push for tax relief, ranging from sales tax to property tax.

"We've lived through a really tough period of inflation, prices at the grocery store, all these other things," DeSantis said. "As a state, certainly, we can't control the overall economic situation in terms of prices nationally. We're affected by that. The one thing we can control is the tax."

What's next:

The 2025 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Season Sales Tax Holiday runs through Dec. 31.