Publix posts new firearm policy, discourages open carry in stores

• Publix has seemingly updated its store policy to kindly ask that only law enforcement openly carry firearms.
• This change would reverse a previous policy from last fall that allowed open carry in its stores.
• The new signage is phrased as a request rather than an outright ban.

Has Publix reversed course on its open carry policy? The grocery giant changed its longstanding prohibition against firearms last September to match new state laws, but as of May 6, new signs have appeared in the grocery giant's stores gently discouraging the practice.

“Publix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores,” the message reads, near the bottom of a broader list of store rules, alongside more routine policies like no pets and no soliciting. The company's online chatbot, when asked about open carry, returns the same message.

A Publix customer service representative confirmed the policy change to Suncoast Searchlight, although the chain has not issued an official notice. Questions sent to a Publix representative have not yet been answered.

The Lakeland-based chain started allowing open carry last fall after a court panel declared Florida's open carry ban to be unconstitutional, and state Attorney General James Uthmeier rushed to say that open carry was now the law of the land. Many other grocery stores and retailers did the same, although some, such as Walmart and Costco, did not.

The change comes days after a Texas man was arrested on a murder charge after fatally shooting an Ohio Costco employee, Randolph Corrigan, seven to eight times, according to police and media reports. Corrigan had tried to stop him from entering the store while carrying a handgun with a 50-round drum magazine sticking out of his pocket.

Will Publix throw you out if you open carry?

The sign is phrased as a strong preference, rather than a ban, and officials have not said what a store manager would do if the situation comes up.

But private businesses have the right to ask armed customers to leave, said  Spencer Myers, a state policy attorney with Giffords Law Center, a gun control lobbying group.

“A sign like that is meant to be a deterrent, rather than something that, on its own, is fully carrying the force of law,” Myers said. “It's likely that these signs are meant to serve as a deterrent to circumstances where a store owner would have to ask someone to leave and to, instead, deter them from creating that situation in the first place.”

What other stores ban open carry in Florida?

• Aldi: "We are asking that our customers refrain from openly displaying firearms in any of our stores, except for authorized law enforcement personnel,” the company has said. They do authorize concealed carrying.
• BJ's Wholesale Club: It does not have a straightforward firearms policy listed on its main website, but it notes that it reserves the right to refuse entry to anyone at any time.
• Costco: Costco does not allow open or concealed carry of firearms and prohibits all firearms in its warehouses.
• Publix: Publix previously asked customers not to carry firearms while shopping, reversed that policy in September, but has gone back to its previous position.
• Sam's Club: Sam's Club does not allow open carry of firearms and prohibits all firearms in its warehouses.
• Sprouts: Sprouts Farmers Market prohibits all firearms and dangerous weapons on its premises, and it posts signage at store entrances to indicate this policy. 
• Target: Since July 2014, Target has requested that firearms not be brought into its stores. “We … respectfully request that guests not bring firearms to Target – even in communities where it is permitted by law,” the company said in a statement.
• Trader Joe's:  Officials said in 2019 that they follow local laws, but they "do not welcome weapons of any kind in our stores and never have."
• Walmart: Walmart does not allow open carry of weapons in any of its stores, but they do allow the concealed carry of weapons in accordance with state laws. If a customer is observed openly carrying a firearm at a Walmart location, it is up to the discretion of the store management to decide what to do.
• Whole Foods: Whole Foods has a longstanding policy that prohibits firearms from its stores, regardless of local laws.
• Winn-Dixie: “Our priority is creating a safe and welcoming shopping experience for all customers and associates,” a spokesperson for the chain's previous owner, Southeastern Grocers, told the Orlando Sentinel last year. “As a private business, our policy remains unchanged: We do not permit open carry of firearms inside our stores. We respectfully ask customers to secure firearms safely before entering, and we appreciate the continued cooperation that helps us maintain an environment where everyone feels comfortable.”

What does open carry mean?

"Open carry" means you can publicly carry a legally owned firearm that is kept in plain sight or partially concealed, usually holstered.

Is open carry legal in Florida?

Yes. However, there is a lengthy list of sensitive locations such as police stations, courthouses, polling places, government meetings, athletic events, schools, bars and more where concealed weapons are not permitted.

Contributing: Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom of the Community News Collaborative serving Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties

C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.

(This story was updated to add new information.)