Customers headed to Publix to purchase milk and cereal might be affected by some new policies that some say infringe on constitutional rights.
The Lakeland-based supermarket chain announced it has reversed its policy on open carry firearms in its Florida stores, now allowing only police to carry firearms while going through the aisles.
"Publix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores," according to a WPBF news report. The new guideline is also on Publix's customer service website.
Publix was one of the first (and few) retailers in the state to allow customers to openly carry firearms after a Florida court ruled in favor of the right in September 2025. A State appellate court upheld that ruling a few months later.
There are around 900 Publix stores in Florida. The corporation is also prevalent in the Southeast.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier affirmed the legality of open carry soon after the decision.
"Florida’s 1st District Court of Appeals just ruled that Florida’s open carry ban is no longer constitutionally enforceable statewide. Our office fully supports the Court’s decision," Uthmeier said. "This is a big win for the Second Amendment rights of Floridians. As we’ve all witnessed over the last few days, our God-given right to self-defense is indispensable."
However, private businesses, such as Publix, can prohibit their customers from openly carrying (visible) firearms on their premises. Private businesses can also ban concealed carry, or the hiding of a firearm from public view.
Most of the U.S. allows open carry in some form. California, Illinois, and New York are the exceptions.
Gov. Ron DeSantis had pushed for open carry in the state back in February 2025. DeSantis signed permitless carry into law in April 2023.
The Floridian reached out to the Gun Owners of America on Publix's decision and will update this story if a comment is received
Wish publix would focus more on selling groceries and its stock value than this nonsense
legal liabilities of trying to enforce any of this far outweighs any perceived benefits
If someones going to go nuts with a gun your stupid sign/policy isnt stopping them
They’ve been sued multiple times before for this kind of thing, focus on better products