admin
Attorney General James Uthmeier just did what officials in Jacksonville should have done long ago: he sued the city for keeping what his office says was an illegal gun-owner registry. The civil complaint filed in Duval County accuses city staff of keeping logbooks that recorded the names, ID numbers and weapon types of people who legally carried firearms into municipal buildings. The AG is seeking up to $5 million in penalties under Florida law.
AG sues Jacksonville over alleged gun registry
The suit targets logbooks kept at City Hall and the Yates Building that reportedly recorded more than 140 entries tied to roughly 100 people from mid-2023 through spring 2025. Attorney General Uthmeier says those records amount to a banned “list, record, or registry” of privately owned firearms under Florida Statute 790.335. The filing says the practice continued even after leadership should have known about it, and it asks the court for civil penalties and other relief.
What the complaint alleges and the political fallback
The AG’s office calls the conduct “knowing and willful,” which is the key phrase that turns a sloppy policy into a potential statutory violation. State Attorney Melissa Nelson investigated and chose not to bring criminal charges, saying she didn’t find proof of a willful crime — a decision that raised eyebrows and predictably drew the AG into civil enforcement. City leaders, including Mayor Donna Deegan, have said some staff weren’t aware of the logbook practice and that it was stopped when discovered. Translation: someone created a registry, someone signed off, and now everyone is shrugging.
Why this fight matters — privacy, the Second Amendment and taxpayer risk
This case is more than a local political squabble. It is about whether government workers can quietly compile lists of people who own or carry guns. Florida law explicitly bans government-run registries for that reason. If Jacksonville did keep that list, it’s not just illegal — it’s a privacy breach and a danger to trust between citizens and government. There’s also a budget angle: the AG is pursuing the maximum civil penalty, and city residents could end up paying for the cover-up of a bad policy. That’s a headline none of the city’s leaders will want on their record.
Bottom line: accountability, not excuses
Attorney General Uthmeier is doing what an AG should do when local prosecutors decline action but the law appears broken — he’s asking the courts to sort it out. Jacksonville officials should stop playing bewildered and start cooperating. If the city truly acted in good faith, the records and the court process will clear it. If not, the taxpayers and gun owners deserve answers and, where appropriate, penalties. Keep an eye on the Duval County docket — this lawsuit will tell us whether Jacksonville’s leaders protect citizens’ rights or quietly rack up an illegal spreadsheet at public expense.
