Publix appears to be quietly backing away from open carry in its Florida stores, with new in-store signs and the company’s online chatbot now telling shoppers that only law enforcement should openly carry firearms. The apparent course correction surfaced Tuesday after a Publix customer service representative told reporters that new guidance had gone out.
What Reporters Found
According to WKMG ClickOrlando, also known as News 6, a call to Publix customer service reached a representative who said the grocer had issued updated guidance that limits open carry in stores to law enforcement. When News 6 posed the same question to Publix’s online chatbot, it kicked back nearly identical language about who can openly carry.
Publix's Official FAQ
Publix’s own customer service FAQ now includes a clear line on the topic: “Publix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores.” The sentence appears alongside routine store rules on the company website and matches the wording that employees and shoppers say they are seeing on posted signs inside some locations.
How We Got Here
The latest move traces back to a September appellate ruling that struck down Florida’s long-standing open carry ban, a decision first reported by Bay News 9. Following that decision, and as coverage mounted in October, several outlets, including a previous Hoodline report, noted that Publix had adjusted its store rules to track the legal change and would allow open carry in Florida stores.
Reactions and Retailer Choices
The earlier shift toward allowing open carry drew criticism from gun safety advocates and some shoppers, who argued that visible firearms in grocery aisles were a recipe for anxiety if not outright conflict. Experts say the new “ask” language on Publix signs looks designed to cool tensions rather than operate as a strict legal ban.
Spencer Myers, a state policy attorney with Giffords Law Center, told WGCU that signage like this is meant to cut down on confusion and reduce the chances of confrontations when officers respond to calls. Other big chains, including Walmart and Winn-Dixie, had already said they would continue to prohibit open carry, a stance highlighted by Axios when Publix first moved to allow it last fall.
Legal Note
The First District Court of Appeal’s opinion in McDaniels v. State invalidated Florida Statute §790.053, the law that had barred open carry. Even so, private property rights still give businesses wide latitude to set rules for their premises and to refuse service to customers who create safety problems.
Local law enforcement agencies quickly updated their enforcement practices after the ruling, according to WLRN. State materials from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement lay out the statutory exceptions and the specific locations where firearm possession remains restricted.
News 6 reported that it had asked Publix for more details on the change and was still waiting for a response. For now, the chain’s public FAQ reflects the “only law enforcement” wording. It remains to be seen whether Publix will frame this as a temporary instruction, a full policy reversal, or simply a clarification of how much discretion managers have on the ground.
