In an open carry state, can a private business ban open carry in their business?

2015-04-07T01:04:07-04:00

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2015 2:22 AM

2015-04-07T02:22:57-04:00

Yes, they can.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Apr 7 at 2015 6:45 AM

2015-04-07T06:45:00-04:00

A private business can prohibit open carry on their property, just like an individual can not invite you in if you are carrying a weapon.

Many states consider it "trespassing."

Response by SSG Donald Mceuen made Apr 7 at 2015 7:19 AM

2015-04-07T07:19:07-04:00

I always thought that as a owner of said company i had the right to refuse service to
anyone. is that not the my wright it is my company.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Apr 7 at 2015 7:30 AM

2015-04-07T07:30:35-04:00

Depends on the state. Some states will give business owners the force of law, some will give it to citizens. You'll have to check your state laws. From a Philosophical perspective, the owner of a property should certainly have the right to set conditions on another person entering his property. As PO2 William Allen Crowder pointed out you retain the right to vote with your dollars on these policies.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 7 at 2015 7:33 AM

2015-04-07T07:33:57-04:00

In Florida? Yes.

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Apr 7 at 2015 7:51 AM

2015-04-07T07:51:58-04:00

Every state I have looked in to for OC gives the property own the right to restrict access.

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Apr 7 at 2015 2:53 PM

2015-04-07T14:53:34-04:00

It depends on the State. NC is an open carry State, and "no guns" signs have the force of law. You mentioned Walmart in one of the comments. I've never seen a Walmart that had a "no guns" sign, and I check every time I walk through the door of any establishment. I open carry everywhere I can.
Walmart doesn't seem to care one way or the other. It's really funny to see people tweeting pics of Walmart receipts to Kroger, protesting Kroger's refusal to ban guns, when Walmart actually sells guns, and also doesn't ban carry.

Response by SrA William Giraldi made Apr 8 at 2015 1:26 AM

2015-04-08T01:26:15-04:00

Typically, a store can ban open- and concealed-carry in their location as long as they have a sign posted in full view of anyone wanting to be a patron of the business (say on the entrance to the store). I open carry in PA when I drive to the shooting range to teach. I pump my gas, maybe grab a drink and / snack along the way, walk in, pay the bill and no one complains about me having a loaded firearm on me. I walk into PA gun stores with a loaded firearm when I help out a friend in choosing their firearms and not surprising, they're welcoming to it. OC is also dependent on local laws, not just state so keep that in mind when OC-ing.

http://www.opencarry.org is a great site to know which states are OC-friendly

OpenCarry.org

“A Right Unexercised is a Right Lost”

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2015 7:53 AM

2015-04-08T07:53:42-04:00

I am not a lawyer, but I think common sense should govern actions here.
Do you really need to open carry a gun at Chuck E Cheese?
I think not.
If you are one of those that open carries to make some sort of point, you are missing the point.

Honestly, if you feel strongly about the subject, vote with your feet. Nobody can tell me where to spend my hard-earned money, and if a business wants to curry favor by taking a stance on some social issue, they have already calculated that there may be some backlash from those who disagree.

Response by GySgt Joe Strong made Apr 8 at 2015 8:00 AM

2015-04-08T08:00:34-04:00

This is one of those balancing the rights issues. Does the customer have the right to force his view on the property of another? In this case, no.

Response by SFC Benjamin Parsons made Apr 11 at 2015 4:14 PM

2015-04-11T16:14:27-04:00

As others have said, it depends upon the State. And the laws run the whole gamut. In Indiana, carry law is supreme except for specified locations. Businesses and municipalities are not allowed to usurp your (permitted) right to carry.
In some States, the signs carry the weight of law and you can get in a hurt locker if you violate them.
In some States, the signs are merely suggestions.
I researched Minnesota recently and the sign carries no weight in itself, however you can be asked to leave if they catch you and it is a misdemeanor to not comply with the request.
I'm not a fan of open carry because there are folks out there who are honestly afraid of firearms, and I see no benefit to making them uncomfortable.
It is extremely difficult to keep current on every State's law. The good news is they're changing very fast right now, and the majority (not all) of the changes are for the better.

Response by Cpl Rick West made Apr 21 at 2015 3:32 PM

2015-04-21T15:32:46-04:00

Yes, they can make you put it in your vehicle .
I live in an open carry state. It happens here.

Response by SSG Trevor S. made May 24 at 2015 1:54 AM

2015-05-24T01:54:48-04:00

This leads to another question. Lets be fair here and don't paint me with a homophobic brush. I personally support gay marriage.
The question it leads to is:
If the business owner can interfere in an individual's ability to exercise their open carry rights due to their beliefs, can they also interfere in a couple's ability to procure services within their rights concerning gay marriage?
Remember this is a devil's advocate argument, not reflective of my actual opinion.

Response by PO1 John Miller made May 24 at 2015 2:06 AM

2015-05-24T02:06:25-04:00

I live in Arizona which is not only an OC state but a CC state as well. Meaning you can legally carry concealed WITHOUT a CCW, though you can still obtain a CCW. Arizona also has reciprocity laws with other states, meaning that if you have an Arizona CCW and are in a state that recognizes AZ CCW's you can carry concealed there as well. I do have a CCW.

What's great is, if you're in an establishment that has signs posted "No guns" and you're a CCW holder and carrying concealed, you can still carry concealed. There are exceptions of course. Airports past security checkpoints, nuclear power stations, prisons, and school grounds. In this case you simply secure your weapon out of site in your vehicle before entering the property.

In short, everybody should move to Arizona!

Response by PO1 Matthew Murdock made Aug 1 at 2015 12:50 AM

2015-08-01T00:50:36-04:00

They sure could in VA