Overview
- Publix now permits customers with valid permits to openly carry firearms inside its Florida supermarkets, according to a company statement.
- Company spokeswoman Lindsey Willis said Publix will follow all federal, state, and local laws and will call law enforcement if any customer behavior creates a threatening or dangerous shopping experience.
- The policy change comes after an appeals court ruling took effect on Sept. 25 that struck down Florida’s longstanding open-carry prohibition.
- Open carry remains prohibited in designated sensitive locations, including schools, polling places, and professional sports events.
- The move reverses Publix’s 2019 request that only law enforcement openly carry in stores and has drawn mixed reactions from shoppers.