Posted on 05/08/2026 1:34:03 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Months after allowing customers to openly carry guns, Publix has changed its open carry firearm policy at all Florida stores.
Publix changes its open carry firearm policy in Florida stores, permitting only law enforcement officers to openly carry guns while shopping. Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar
Publix, the Florida-born grocer with locations across Miami-Dade and Broward counties, appears to have quietly reversed its open-carry policy. No announcement, no press release. Just a new stance rolling out Tuesday through customer service reps and its own chatbot.
The news arrives one day after Publix dropped to fourth on America’s most trusted grocer ranking, behind Whole Foods, Kroger, and QuikTrip.
The Tampa Bay Times was the first to flag the change, and Orlando’s News 6 confirmed it after reaching a customer service representative who explained that new guidance had been issued: only law enforcement would be permitted to openly carry firearms inside Publix stores. The company’s online chatbot backed that up.
“Publix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores,” it reads.
How It Got Here
Publix originally aligned with Florida’s open carry law when it took effect in September 2025, following a landmark court ruling that found the prior prohibition violated the Second Amendment.
The company’s position at the time was that it followed all federal, state, and local laws and would engage law enforcement if any customer created a threatening or dangerous shopping experience, “whether they are openly carrying a firearm or not.” That was eight months ago.
The policy is apparently different now....SNIP
I just got back from a run to Publix. I checked the sign on the glass by the front door and yes, it says open carry only by police. It does not say no guns. I had my pocket carry 9mm with 12+1 and a spare 15 rd mag that I usually carry except for times when there is elevated social turmoil when I upgrade to a pocket carry 10mm compact.
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