Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 790.27 (2025)

Alteration or removal of firearm serial number or possession, sale, or delivery of firearm with serial number altered or removed prohibited; penalties.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session

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790.27 Alteration or removal of firearm serial number or possession, sale, or delivery of firearm with serial number altered or removed prohibited; penalties.—

(1)(a) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly alter or remove the manufacturer’s or importer’s serial number from a firearm with intent to disguise the true identity thereof.

(b) Any person violating paragraph (a) is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(2)(a) It is unlawful for any person to knowingly sell, deliver, or possess any firearm on which the manufacturer’s or importer’s serial number has been unlawfully altered or removed.

(b) Any person violating paragraph (a) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

(3) This section shall not apply to antique firearms.

History.—s. 2, ch. 79-58; s. 179, ch. 91-224.

Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 790.27

M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd

§790.27(1)ALTER IDENTIFICATION ON WEAPREMOVE SERIAL NUMBER FROM FIREARMF · 3rd

§790.27(2)WEAPON OFFENSEDELIVER POSSESS SELL ALTERED FIREARMM · 1st

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 10 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1989–2026 · leading case: In Re Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases—Report No. 2008-08, 6 So. 3d 574 (Fla. 2009).

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In Re Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases—Report No. 2008-08, 6 So. 3d 574 (Fla. 2009). · cites it 4× “18 ALTERING OR REMOVING FIREARM SERIAL NUMBER/SALE OR DELIVERY OF FIREARM WITH SERIAL NUMBER ALTERED OR REMOVED § 790.27, Fla. Stat. To prove the crime of Sale or Possession of Firearm with Altered or Removed Serial Number, the State must prove the following [two] [three]…”

Moreland v. State, 552 So. 2d 937 (Fla. 2d DCA 1989). · cites it 2× “See section 790.27, Florida Statutes (1987). First, the officer who conducted the search testified that that pistol had *939 been "a concealed weapon.”

Braham v. State, 724 So. 2d 592 (Fla. 2d DCA 1998). · cites it 2× “(1995)), and possession of a firearm with the serial number removed (§ 790.27, Fla. Stat.(1995)). Appellant moved to suppress the evidence and certain statements he had made, arguing that the officers had not waited long enough before they made forcible entry, and that this…”

Hinson v. State, 967 So. 2d 424 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007). · cites it 2× “See §§ 790.27(2)(b), Fla. Stat. (1995) (possession of a firearm with altered serial number is a first-degree misdemeanor); 775.”

B.L.S. v. State, 14 So. 3d 1087 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009). · cites it 2× “, challenges his delinquency adjudication for possession of a firearm with serial number altered or removed in violation of section 790.27(2)(a), Florida Statutes (2008), and the trial court’s failure to resentence him after granting his motion to correct sentencing error by…”

K.D.T. v. State, 128 So. 3d 254 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013). · cites it 7× “See § 790.27(2); Fla. Std. Jury Instr. (Crim.”

BLS v. State, 14 So. 3d 1087 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009). · cites it 2× “, challenges his delinquency adjudication for possession of a firearm with serial number altered or removed in violation of section 790.27(2)(a), Florida Statutes (2008), and the trial court's failure to resentence him after granting his motion to correct sentencing error by…”

In Re: Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases - Report 2019-06 (Fla. 2019). · cites it 2× “Thus, the title as amended now is “[Altering or Removing Firearm Serial Number with Intent to Disguise True Identity] [Possession or Sale or Delivery of Firearm with Serial Number Altered or Removed].”

State of Florida v. Robert Jean Morris (Fla. 4th DCA 2024). · cites it 2× “See § 790.27(2)(a), Fla. Stat. (2014). This makes the video depicting Defendant holding a firearm like the one used to shoot Victim relevant.”

Margarito Ramirez-Aguilar v. U.S. Attorney Gen. (11th Cir. 2026). “021 , and possession of a firearm with an altered serial number, in violation of Fla. Stat. § 790.27 . The Florida court sentenced him to two years of community control under the su- 1 We are precluded from reviewing any final order of removal against an alien who is removable…”

— 790.27(1) — 1 case

In Re Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases—Report No. 2008-08, 6 So. 3d 574 (Fla. 2009). “18 ALTERING OR REMOVING FIREARM SERIAL NUMBER/SALE OR DELIVERY OF FIREARM WITH SERIAL NUMBER ALTERED OR REMOVED § 790.27, Fla. Stat. To prove the crime of Sale or Possession of Firearm with Altered or Removed Serial Number, the State must prove the following [two] [three]…”

— 790.27(2) — 2 cases

K.D.T. v. State, 128 So. 3d 254 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013). “See § 790.27(2); Fla. Std. Jury Instr. (Crim.”

— 790.27(2)(a) — 5 cases

B.L.S. v. State, 14 So. 3d 1087 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009). “, challenges his delinquency adjudication for possession of a firearm with serial number altered or removed in violation of section 790.27(2)(a), Florida Statutes (2008), and the trial court’s failure to resentence him after granting his motion to correct sentencing error by…”

BLS v. State, 14 So. 3d 1087 (Fla. 5th DCA 2009). “, challenges his delinquency adjudication for possession of a firearm with serial number altered or removed in violation of section 790.27(2)(a), Florida Statutes (2008), and the trial court's failure to resentence him after granting his motion to correct sentencing error by…”

In Re: Stand. Jury Instructions in Crim. Cases - Report 2019-06 (Fla. 2019). “Thus, the title as amended now is “[Altering or Removing Firearm Serial Number with Intent to Disguise True Identity] [Possession or Sale or Delivery of Firearm with Serial Number Altered or Removed].”

State of Florida v. Robert Jean Morris (Fla. 4th DCA 2024). “See § 790.27(2)(a), Fla. Stat. (2014). This makes the video depicting Defendant holding a firearm like the one used to shoot Victim relevant.”

K.D.T. v. State, 128 So. 3d 254 (Fla. 2d DCA 2013). “See § 790.27(2); Fla. Std. Jury Instr. (Crim.”

— 790.27(2)(b) — 1 case

Hinson v. State, 967 So. 2d 424 (Fla. 1st DCA 2007). “See §§ 790.27(2)(b), Fla. Stat. (1995) (possession of a firearm with altered serial number is a first-degree misdemeanor); 775.”

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