Florida’s 2025 Hunting, Fishing & Camping Sales Tax Holiday: What’s Exempt (Sept 8–Dec 31)

Heads up, Florida shoppers: from Monday, September 8 through Wednesday, December 31, 2025, you can buy select hunting, fishing, and camping gear tax-free across the state. The holiday was created by the Florida Legislature, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and is administered by the Florida Department of Revenue.

The short version

• When: Sept 8–Dec 31, 2025.
  

• Where it applies: Eligible sales in Florida (but not in theme parks, entertainment complexes, public lodging establishments, or airports).
  

• What’s included: A defined list of hunting supplies (including firearms, ammunition, bows/crossbows, and specified accessories) and camping/fishing gear under set price caps (see below).
  

• What’s not covered: Rentals, repairs, purchases for commercial use, and any items outside the defined lists (e.g., silencers/suppressors).
  
  

What qualifies and price caps

Hunting supplies

• Firearms (pistols, rifles, shotguns).
  

• Ammunition (as defined in statute).
  

• Bow & crossbow gear (bows, crossbows, arrows/bolts/quarrels, quivers, releases, wristguards, and listed sights/optics).
  

• Firearm accessories limited to: charging handles, cleaning kits, holsters, pistol grips, sights/optics, stocks.
  Note: For this holiday, silencers/suppressors are not exempt.
  

Camping & fishing supplies

• Bait or fishing tackle: up to $5 if sold individually (or $10 if sold as a set).
  

• Flashlights, camping lanterns, tackle boxes/bags: up to $30.
  

• Camping stoves, collapsible chairs, portable hammocks, sleeping bags: up to $50.
  

• Rods or reels: up to $75 individually ($150 if sold as a set).
  

• Tents: up to $200.
  
  

Need-to-know rules

Online orders & marketplaces

Buying from a remote seller or marketplace? You still get the exemption if the seller accepts your order during the holiday for immediate shipment, even if delivery happens later. Confirmation emails/order numbers count as acceptance. 

Gift cards

Using a gift card? If the purchase of the qualifying item happens during the holiday, it’s exempt; regardless of when the card was bought. Purchasing a gift card by itself is never taxable.

Layaway

Put it on layaway during the holiday or take delivery during the holiday. Either way, qualifying items are tax-exempt.

Bundles & “sets”

If an exempt item is sold together with a taxable item as one package, tax applies to the entire set. (Example: a rifle scope bundled with a taxable vest.) 

Exchanges & returns

Swap an eligible item purchased during the holiday for the same item later (e.g., different model)? No tax due. Return a holiday purchase and use the credit toward a non-qualifying item? That new item is taxable.

Where it doesn’t apply

The exemption does not apply to rentals or repairs, commercial-use purchases, or sales inside a theme park, entertainment complex, public lodging establishment, or airport. 

Why Florida did this (and where to get official info)

The 2025 holiday is established in state law and detailed by the Florida Department of Revenue in TIP #25A01-09 (revised Sept 4, 2025), which also clarifies definitions and the specific firearm accessories covered. For questions or edge cases, check the state’s consumer FAQ and the official TIP.

• Official holiday page (overview + promo materials): Florida Dept. of Revenue “Hunting Season Sales Tax Holiday.”
  

• Tax Information Publication (TIP #25A01-09): Definitions, price caps, online/layaway rules, returns, and more.
  
  

Quick FAQ

Can I buy online and still qualify?
Yes, if the order is accepted during the holiday for immediate shipment.

Can I use a rain check?
Only if you buy the item during the holiday using the rain check. A rain check issued during the holiday doesn’t make a later purchase tax-free. 

What if I was charged tax by mistake?
Bring your receipt back to the business and request a refund; they can verify the rules in the TIP.