{"id":683,"date":"2026-05-19T19:01:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T19:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=683"},"modified":"2026-05-19T19:01:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T19:01:50","slug":"what-is-publixs-open-carry-policy-supermarket-explains-new-signs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=683","title":{"rendered":"What is Publix\u2019s open-carry policy? Supermarket explains new signs"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n

Can you open-carry in Publix?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Last October, Publix indicated that yes, shoppers can enter with visible firearms: \u201cFlorida law allows the open carry of firearms. Publix follows all federal, state and local laws,\u201d the company said in a statement at the time.<\/p>\n

Read more Does it cost more to fly after Spirit Airlines shut down? \u2018Upward pressure\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In May, Publix appeared to roll back that new gun policy. New signs went up on the front door that say: \u201cPublix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Florida supermarket chain didn\u2019t explain the change or respond to media inquiries.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

This week, company spokesperson Lindsey Willis responded in an email to the Miami Herald: \u201cOur policy has not changed. We kindly ask that only law enforcement officials openly carry in our stores.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Willis hasn\u2019t responded to follow-up questions about how that corresponds with Publix\u2019s initial statement last October that open-carry would be allowed as per Florida law. She also didn\u2019t address whether Publix\u2019s new \u201cask\u201d is just that \u2014 an ask \u2014 or a binding rule that can get a gun-packing shopper tossed from a store.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The new signs and message on the company website mirror a Publix policy in 2019. Back then, the Lakeland-based grocery giant said that it \u201crespectfully requests that only law enforcement officials openly carry firearms in our stores.\u201d That policy applied even in states where open carry was legally allowed at the time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Last fall, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a memo to law enforcement officers that open carry is \u201cthe law of the state,\u201d following a First District Court of Appeal ruling that Florida\u2019s ban on open carry was unconstitutional. Uthmeier\u2019s ruling went into effect on Sept. 25.<\/p>\n

Read more Stabbing leads police to shut down part of Biscayne Blvd. in downtown Miami<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Publix\u2019s decision to allow customers to open carry came in early October, about two weeks after the effective date.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Publix allows open carry, but what about Miami-area Winn-Dixie, malls, theaters?<\/b><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

During the six months of open carry at Publix, no major incidents were reported. In late April, a person accidentally discharged a weapon at a Miramar Publix and police conducted a safety sweep of the store. No one was hit or hurt, and it\u2019s not known whether the accidental shooter was open-carrying the firearm, the Herald reported.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Then in May, the new signs were posted that seemingly pulled back from open-carry for anyone.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Despite Florida\u2019s open-carry law, private businesses have the right to set their own policies. Most stores and malls in South Florida ban concealed guns and the open carry of firearms. And open-carry is banned in many public buildings including schools, hospitals, courts and police stations.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in states with broad firearm protections, private businesses still generally have the right to set rules for conduct inside their stores,\u201d Judge Tarlika Nunez-Navarro, a former Florida Circuit Court judge and dean at St. Thomas University College of Law, told The New York Post in a story published May 12.<\/p>\n

Read more Should Miami-Dade keep a tax for teacher pay, school security? Voters will decide<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Publix says its open carry policy in Florida stores remains unchanged after confusion over new signage that 'kindly asks' only law enforcement to openly carry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is Publix\u2019s open-carry policy? 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