St. Augustine Pays $40,000 to End Florida Carry Lawsuit Over a Gun Ban Sign at the Visitor Information Center, and the Signs Are Down

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - The city of St. Augustine has agreed to pay $40,000 to settle a lawsuit by the gun-rights group Florida Carry over signs that banned firearms at the downtown Visitor Information Center, according to Jacksonville Today and the St. Johns Citizen. The signs have been removed, and the case was dismissed earlier in the week of Nov. 2, Jacksonville Today reported. City spokeswoman Melissa Wissel confirmed to Jacksonville Today that Florida Carry accepted the settlement.

The St. Johns Citizen reported that city commissioners approved the deal 5-0 on Oct. 26 after a closed-door discussion of litigation costs and strategy. City Attorney Isabelle Lopez told commissioners the payment would cover Florida Carry's attorney fees, the newspaper reported. This report summarizes what the two outlets have published, along with what Florida law says about local gun rules.

What the settlement says

The $40,000 covers Florida Carry's attorney fees, according to the St. Johns Citizen. Florida Carry agreed to dismiss the suit with prejudice, which means it cannot bring the same claims again, the newspaper reported. Court records showed the case was formally dismissed during the week of Nov. 2, according to the St. Johns Citizen.

The signs were removed from the Visitor Information Center, Jacksonville Today reported. The St. Johns Citizen's headline said the city removed signs banning firearms at public buildings. A city spokesperson declined to comment on Thursday, Nov. 5, the newspaper reported, and the settlement amount was the only term of the deal the outlets described.

How the dispute unfolded

Florida Carry sent the city a written notice in late February about a firearms-prohibition sign at the Visitor Information Center on South Castillo Drive, the St. Johns Citizen reported. After months passed without further action by the city, the group sued in July in St. Johns County Circuit Court, the newspaper said. Florida Carry's website lists the case as filed July 28, 2026.

The complaint included a photo of the sign and alleged that similar signs were posted at City Hall, according to the St. Johns Citizen. The group also said it found signs at other municipal buildings and reported city employees enforcing firearm restrictions, the newspaper reported. The lawsuit sought damages, attorney fees and a jury trial.

Source: St. Johns Citizen and Jacksonville Today.

What Florida Carry argued

Florida Carry argued that the city's signs violated a Florida law that reserves firearms regulation to the state, according to both outlets. The group said the signs discouraged members from carrying firearms on public property where state law allowed it, the St. Johns Citizen reported. Florida Carry's press release said, "Local governments are forbidden from regulating firearms in any way," and added, "Nowhere in statute are publicly owned visitors centers deemed prohibited places," according to Jacksonville Today.

Florida Carry did not respond to Jacksonville Today's request for comment. The reports reviewed here do not include a city explanation of why the signs were posted. A city spokesperson declined to comment to the St. Johns Citizen. Further details of the settlement terms were not available in either report.

What the state preemption law provides

The state's firearms preemption law is Section 790.33 of the Florida Statutes. It says the Legislature claims exclusive authority over the regulation of firearms and ammunition, except as expressly provided by the state Constitution or general law, and it declares existing local rules void, according to the statute's text. The law covers the purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, storage and transportation of firearms. The statute also bars future local rules on those subjects.

The law also sets penalties for local governments and officials. A court must assess a civil fine of up to $5,000 against an elected or appointed official or agency head if it finds a violation was knowing and willful, according to the statute. A knowing and willful violation by someone acting in an official capacity is also cause for termination or for removal from office by the governor, the statute says.

Fees and damages under the law

The statute says a court must award a prevailing plaintiff reasonable attorney fees and costs. If a defendant voluntarily changes the challenged measure after a complaint is filed, the plaintiff is treated as the prevailing party, according to the statute. A plaintiff may also recover actual damages, up to $100,000.

The articles reviewed did not say whether Florida Carry sought any of the fines or damages beyond the fees. They also did not name the statute. The settlement amount, $40,000, was described only as covering attorney fees.

What visitors should know

The Visitor Information Center is on South Castillo Drive in the city's historic downtown, according to the St. Johns Citizen. The reports reviewed do not say whether any other signs remain at city buildings. The city had not announced changes to its policies in the coverage reviewed.

• Settlement: $40,000, covering attorney fees
• Commission vote: 5-0 on Oct. 26
• Dismissal: With prejudice, week of Nov. 2
• Signs: Removed from the Visitor Information Center, according to Jacksonville Today