How buying a gun in Ocala works
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.
To buy any firearm from a Florida dealer you must be 21 or older and pass an FDLE background check at the FFL when you pick up. Handgun buyers must be Florida residents under federal law. State law sets a waiting period of three business days (weekends and legal holidays excluded) or until the check clears, whichever is later, on all firearms. Concealed Weapon License holders, trade-ins and rifle or shotgun buyers with a hunter safety card are exempt. Some counties, such as Miami-Dade and Alachua, set up to five days.
Dealers in these communities all work for Ocala-area buyers:
- Belleview
- Dunnellon
- Silver Springs
- Summerfield
- Reddick
- Fort McCoy
- Citra
- The Villages
Carrying a gun in Marion County
Since July 1, 2023, anyone who meets the eligibility rules for a Florida Concealed Weapon License may carry a concealed handgun without one, as long as they carry valid ID and show it to an officer on request. A September 2025 appeals ruling ended enforcement of the open carry ban. The license is still issued by the FDACS Division of Licensing, and many Marion County Tax Collector offices take applications. It adds reciprocity in other states and skips the three-day wait. Courthouses, schools, polling places and other listed places stay off limits.
Hunting near Ocala
Florida splits deer hunting into Zones A, B, C and D, and the dates differ a lot. For 2026-27 the FWC lists general gun season as Sept. 19 to Oct. 18 and Nov. 21 to Jan. 3 in Zone A, Dec. 5 to Feb. 21 in Zone B, Nov. 7 to Jan. 24 in Zone C, and Nov. 26-29 plus Dec. 12 to Feb. 21 in Zone D. Centerfire rifles, shotguns, handguns and muzzleloaders are used for deer; rimfire cartridges are not legal for deer. Antler rules follow the local deer management unit around Marion County.
Marion County is Zone C. The Ocala National Forest, one of the state's largest public hunting areas, holds deer, hogs and bear habitat east of town.
Scrub, longleaf and swamp in the national forest give Marion hunters deer, hogs and turkey within a short drive.
Public shooting ranges near Ocala
These public ranges are run by or with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, several of them on wildlife management areas and national forests. Fees, hours and supervision differ, so check each range page before you go; Cecil M. Webb needs a management area permit or a day entry fee.
Source: FWC-Managed Public Shooting Ranges list, September 2026. Distances are approximate; call or check the agency site before you drive out.