State desk
Ranks 4th of 50 on the Liberty Index, with no state income tax.
Where Florida stands on 12 policies, sourced from our 50-state trackers, with the latest headlines from 22 Florida outlets.
12 policies · each strip is all 50 states, grouped by rule · Florida in red. Free to cite with attribution.
No permit required to carry a concealed handgun since July 2023; optional permits remain available for reciprocity.
Florida is 1 of 29 states with this rule
15 · Shall-Issue Permit6 · Restrictive: Permit Required
Florida levies no individual income tax, so wage and salary income is untaxed at the state level. Eight states do the same.
Florida is 1 of 8 states with this rule
1 · Capital Gains Only15 · Single Flat Rate26 · Graduated Brackets
Florida charges 40.10 cents per gallon in state tax, ranking 12 of 50, which is among the highest in the country. With the federal 18.40 cents added, a driver pays 58.50 cents per gallon in tax. Diesel is taxed at 40.97 cents.
Florida is 1 of 17 states with this rule
16 · Near the Middle17 · Among the Lowest
Retains the death penalty.
Florida is 1 of 23 states with this rule
4 · Retains it, executions paused23 · Abolished
Right-to-work protected in the state constitution since 1944.
Florida is 1 of 26 states with this rule
24 · No Right-to-Work Law
State minimum wage is $14.00, above the federal $7.25 floor; adjusted annually for inflation; rising to $15.00 on September 30, 2026.
Florida is 1 of 30 states with this rule
12 · Matches the Federal Floor3 · Below Federal, So Federal Applies5 · No State Minimum Wage Law
Voters are asked for photo ID; those without one can still cast a counted ballot via affidavit or poll-worker verification.
Florida is 1 of 14 states with this rule
10 · Strict Photo ID4 · Strict Non-Photo ID8 · ID Requested (No Photo)14 · No Document Required
Family Empowerment and tax-credit scholarships expanded to universal eligibility for all K-12 students in 2023.
Florida is 1 of 17 states with this rule
16 · Limited Program17 · No Private-Choice Program
NCSL lists Florida among states recognizing, by statute or court case, that there is no duty to retreat in any place where a person is lawfully present. Self-defense law here also shields a person from civil suit for damages.
Florida is 1 of 31 states with this rule
7 · Recognized by Court Decision12 · Not Listed by NCSL
Any registered voter may request a vote-by-mail ballot without providing a reason.
Florida is 1 of 29 states with this rule
8 · All-Mail13 · Excuse Required
Florida's unemployment rate was 4.4% in September 2026, seasonally adjusted, down 0.1 percentage points from 4.5% in August. It ranks 37th lowest of 51 (the 50 states and D.C.), up from 39th. A year earlier, in September 2025, it was 4.2%. The U.S. rate was 4.2%.
Data retrieved from the BLS public API on October 30, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Elected statewide to a four-year term.
Florida is 1 of 43 states with this rule
5 · Appointed by the governor1 · Chosen by the legislature1 · Appointed by the state supreme court