Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a $5 million lawsuit against the city of Jacksonville, alleging the local government maintained an illegal registry of firearms brought into city buildings between July 2023 and early 2025. The suit challenges the city’s previous decision to avoid criminal penalties despite a State Attorney’s Office investigation that confirmed the registry logs were in violation of state law.
JACKSONVILLE, FL — A major legal battle over privacy and the Second Amendment is unfolding in Northeast Florida. On Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Attorney General James Uthmeier took formal legal action against Jacksonville, seeking $5 million in civil penalties for what he characterizes as an “illegal gun registry”.
The controversy first came to light in May 2025, when City Councilman Nick Howland (R) blew the whistle on a secret tracking operation. Howland revealed that the city had been logging the personal information of citizens who entered two specific municipal buildings while legally armed.
“Not a Second-Class Right”
Following the initial reports, the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) confirmed the discovery of two binders containing detailed logs of citizens’ firearm information. While the SAO determined the logs were indeed illegal, they opted against pursuing criminal charges against city staff, citing a lack of malicious intent.
Attorney General Uthmeier, however, is not satisfied with the lack of accountability. “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” Uthmeier stated during the announcement. “We will use all power of this office to protect the rights of Floridians”.
The Chain of Command
The complaint filed by the AG’s office alleges that the gun log policy was not a rogue effort, but one explicitly approved by the city’s former Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Charles Moreland—a high-level position reporting directly to the Mayor’s Office staff.
Safety Tip: This case highlights the danger of “Administrative Overreach.” As a law-abiding citizen, you have a right to your privacy, especially when you are complying with state law by carrying legally. In Florida, many local governments have tried to skirt the state’s strict preemption laws by implementing “registration” as a form of security screening. If you are entering a municipal building and are asked to log your firearm, remember that the law dictates the scope of that request. If a city asks for more than a simple acknowledgement for liability purposes, you have every right to ask: “Under what state statute are you requiring me to register my firearm?” Always stay informed about your local government’s policies before you carry, and never feel obligated to provide data that exceeds what is required by law.
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