Yes, private investigators can carry guns in Florida while working, but only with a Class G statewide firearm license in addition to their investigator license. An investigator who is 21 or older and holds both may carry a concealed firearm on duty anywhere in the state, when the job requires it and the employing agency approves.
Section 493.6115 lets only certain licensees, including Class C investigators and Class CC interns, bear a firearm on the job, and each must also hold a Class G license. The same section allows a Class C or CC licensee aged 21 or older with a Class G license to carry concealed while performing duties, valid throughout the state. A weapon may be carried only when the duties require it, no more than two firearms at once, and only the type and caliber the licensee qualified with.
A concealed weapon license under section 790.06 does not exempt anyone from these rules, the statute says, and FDACS guidance for investigators states that firearms may not be carried openly. In 2025 the Florida Attorney General advised that the McDaniels decision striking down the open carry ban did not change the Class G requirement for licensed work, although investigators may openly carry when not performing licensed duties. Most investigation work does not call for a gun at all.
An armed investigator mainly makes sense for protective assignments, and section 493.6201 lets a Class C licensee perform bodyguard services without a separate Class D license. The license steps are covered in how to become a private investigator in Florida, and the matching rules for guards appear in armed or unarmed guard.