Even though Florida has had concealed carry for quite a number of years, I was surprised at the reactions to my inquiries in Arcadia, Florida. Arcadia is in the central part of the state, about 50 miles east of Sarasota.
While I was there, I decided to ask store managers about concealed carry.
First up was a manager of a McDonald's. She told me politely, but emphatically, that weapons were not wanted in the restaurant. "Only police can carry in here," she told me. When I asked her about signage on the door, she said, "It's there" and we walked over to the door.
No shirts? No service.
Dogs? No, except for service dogs.
Nothing about guns.
Later in the day I ran into the owner of the store. His response was "Concealed? No problem!"
At Walmart I asked the front-end manager. She said, "Absolutely not." Then she told me that anyone who purchased a firearm in the store had to be accompanied by a sales clerk to the door. Really?
So I asked for the store manager. She called him and then told me, no problem, as long as it's concealed.
If that's how it is in Florida, what will it be like here in Illinois?
Every store I enter here, I ask for the owner or manager and ask that his/her store not be declared a gun-free zone. Recently, the "anti-gunners" descended on Starbuck's, where I had previously been told by managers that they will follow State law. When you go in stores, start asking. And tell owners and managers that you will deal only with stores that permit law-abiding, licensed citizen to carry their firearms concealed.
Otherwise, you stand the chance of being a duck in a shooting gallery. Where do you think the criminals and robbers will go? Right into gun-free zones.
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Florida rules on concealed carry and businesses.
Walmart: No prohibition of concealed weapons for licensees.
Sam's Club: same.
Costco: Firearms prohibited. Prohibition is not expressly stated via signage, but in their member's rules documentation.
Disney: No signage. If detected, Disney will kick out and ban you for life. This commonly known.
Gun stores and pawn shops: Every store I know about has a sign that says "no loaded or uncased guns."
According to the law, unless it is explicitly prohibited by signage or statute, CCW licensees are permitted to carry concealed. Anybody can be ordered to leave for any reason, including possession of a concealed weapon. If ordered to leave, you better do so.
Stores or offices with a "no guns allowed" signs are rare. If present, and you carry a firearm inside, concealed or not, loaded or not, you could be charged with "Armed Trespass," a 3rd degree felony under F.S. 810.09.
When you enter a store, you are an "invitee." The "Armed Trespass" statute would not normally apply - unless you refused to leave when the business ordered you to leave and you were carrying a firearm.
I have personally seen only 1 store with a "no firearms allowed sign."
Bar, restaurants, court houses, polling places, schools, colleges, and so on, have firearm possession regulated by statute. Restaurants have the 51% rule. In addition, you cannot walk past or sit in the bar or where liquor is served.
Most business don't care if you carry or not. If they post a no gun sign, take your money elsewhere. If they have no sign but an employee tells you they prohibit guns, check with management and go elsewhere if they do.
BTW, Florida saws that you can keep your firearm in the parking lot of properties that have no gun signage because you are an invitee. It must be securely store (that means in some kind of a case and out of sight). It also covers employers and their employees with some restrictions.
Thanks for the excellent summary of Florida's laws. Do you happen to know if State law prohibits carrying a concealed firearm into a bank, if there is no "No Guns" sign on the door?
Walmart does require a firearm purchased there to be carried to the door by a Manager. I recently bought a rifle at the Walmart in Morris, Illinois and they had to pack mule it for me out the door.
Sorry for the delay.
Carrying into a bank is just like carrying anywhere. Unless posted otherwise, banks are NOT gun free zones.
I always carry into a bank. It's where the money is and where the bank robbers go to rob banks. ;^)
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