Publix was among the only major supermarkets to allow open carry<\/a> when a court ruling last October cleared the way for the change in many places, including businesses.<\/p>\n A memo from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier\u2019s to law enforcement officers stated that open carry is \u201cthe law of the state.\u201d<\/a> That followed a First District Court of Appeal ruling that Florida\u2019s ban on open carry was unconstitutional.<\/p>\n Open carry isn\u2019t allowed in schools, police stations, hospitals, courts and athletic events not involving guns.<\/p>\n Companies get final say on whether customers can holster a firearm outside their clothing while shopping. And many of them, including most major markets and malls, didn\u2019t put out the welcome mat for customers who open carry, citing existing \u201cno guns\u201d policies.<\/p>\n But Publix was an exception at the time, announcing last fall that customers could wander the aisles with firearm in holster at their waist.<\/p>\n This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 6:53 AM.<\/p>\n