Florida bill would let churches use armed volunteers instead of licensed security

A Florida bill could allow churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship to use armed volunteers for security without requiring them to hold a professional security license.

Senate Bill 52, which unanimously passed the chamber earlier this month, would authorize houses of worship to use armed volunteers instead of hiring licensed security guards, which supporters say would help cut costs while still keeping people safe.

“It’s now common for synagogues, churches, and mosques to have armed security,” state Sen. Don Gaetz, who sponsored this measure, said to FOX 13. “Often using paid professional licensed security personnel.”

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The legislation now heads to the state House.

This measure comes amid concerns about violence targeting places of worship across the country. In August, a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minnesota left two children dead and around 20 others injured. And in Mississippi last month, a suspect set fire to a synagogue, causing extensive damage and destroying sacred Torah scrolls.

Elvis Piggott, the pastor at Triumph Church of Tampa, was arrested in October 2025 after allegedly pulling out a gun during a dispute following a Tampa City Council election forum. He later said he acted in self-defense.

Piggott, reacting to reports of violence at houses of worship, said the threats are an unfortunate reality.

“Some of these things you would have never thought in a million years would happen inside of the place of worship,” he told FOX 13.

“It can get very costly,” Piggot said of hiring licensed security. “Just for myself at an event could be roughly $900 to $1,000 for two hours.”

If House lawmakers approve the legislation, it would then go to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The changes would take effect in July if the governor signs the bill into law.

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“Unfortunately, when a lot of people are congregated closely together, that’s a high value target for bad guys,” Aaron Chappell, who co-founded Vulture Training Group, a company that provides security guard certification and training, told FOX 13.

“Do you want somebody who is five or six minutes away?” he added. “Or somebody who’s on scene when something happens.”