Looking for definitive proof on Wal-mart...

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Ok, I'm a little confuzzled on Wally World's carry policy.

Can I OC, CC, follow state laws, or is it up to the manager? I keep seeing threads where people SAY I can/can't do this, that, or the other, but no one ever seems to have anything to back it up other than NOT getting pestered at their nearest store, which is counter-balanced by someone ELSE being hassled.

Can we please end the confusion?

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as far as i know as long as it is legal in the state AND the manager has no signs posted or specifical asks you not to carry it in the store it is perfectly legal to have a gun on you.

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Your best action would be as I did. I talked to the store manager and she had no problem and had me talk to the store's manager of security. He was aware that Walmart's company policy is what ever your state law allows. So talk to your store manager and if they claim you cannot carry in their store, ask for a corporateperson you can contact for the company policy in writing. Asking for info/policies is good, but your best bet is always clarify things for yourself.

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I have seen letters from WalMart corporate posted online stating that corporate policy is to follow whatever state law is as to OC/CC. The most recent one I have seen was dated 2006, the oldest I recall 1999. Unfortunately, the two links I had to such letters are now dead (one site gone, the other redid their site and I cannot find the letter there any more). Such letters may still exist online, however they are a pain to find as it takes a lot of wading through pages of other hits to find them, or perhaps my google-foo is weak.

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No letter to post here, but the local walmart in my town is the same as the others mentioned here. Corporate policy states that each store follows the law of the state said store resides in.

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Corporate policy is to go by what the State Law is, but, some managers and especially employees are ignorant to this. My suggestion would be to hunt down a copy of their corporate policy on it and carry it with you when you OC into Walmart. Also, if someone asks you to leave, ALWAYS talk the the general store manager, or the Manager On Duty that day. They are the only one who can truly ask you to leave. If they do so, you must comply or else you're trespassing. I would show him his own corporate policy tho, and this generally changes their minds, from what I have read.


So in short:
If it's legal in your state, Wal-mart is ok with it.
If a Manager asks you to leave, Do so or you're Tresspassing.
Only a Manager can tell you to leave.

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DopaVash wrote:

Corporate policy is to go by what the State Law is, but, some managers and especially employees are ignorant to this. My suggestion would be to hunt down a copy of their corporate policy on it and carry it with you when you OC into Walmart. Also, if someone asks you to leave, ALWAYS talk the the general store manager, or the Manager On Duty that day. They are the only one who can truly ask you to leave. If they do so, you must comply or else you're trespassing. I would show him his own corporate policy tho, and this generally changes their minds, from what I have read.


So in short:
If it's legal in your state, Wal-mart is ok with it.
If a Manager asks you to leave, Do so or you're Tresspassing.
Only a Manager can tell you to leave.

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Please, for my own edificaton.

If the store is not a francise and is bound by corporate policy, then how does this work? Seems to me the manager would be acting out of corporate rules and therefore, not in any position to demand your exit under these conditions.

Am I wrong here?

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SouthernBoy wrote:

If the store is not a francise and is bound by corporate policy, then how does this work? Seems to me the manager would be acting out of corporate rules and therefore, not in any position to demand your exit under these conditions.

Am I wrong here?

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I would think that the manager is the one in control of that property for the corporation. While it may be against corporate rules, corporate rules aren't law. I don't know of any law that would make it illegal for a corporation to break their own rules, or change them at any time (except of course for things protected by law, things you have a contract with them for)
Something I am missing?

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After watching the documentary on Wal*Mart, you need to remember one thing.

Wal*Mart is all about money, and that works out well in your favor.

Why? If Wal*Mart loses a customer for life, they evaluate "what money will we lose through their life"

So if you spend $1000 a year at walmart, that is a possible $50,000 loss for Wal*Mart.

They care a lot about that kind of a loss. You just need to escalate up the chain and stick to your guns.

Walmart doesn't let store managers make those kinds of decisions, walmart is a monster of a company (And I don't mean monster in a negative way).

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This ought to be of some use.

Edit: Spelling

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I don't know what Wal*Mart's carry policy is, but I know what mine is, and I'm going to carry my friggin' gun.

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several people wrote:

*a lot of stuff with nothing to back it up*

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*sigh*

This is exactly the problem I keep running into....

"As far as I know..... ..... ...."

No offense guys, but I'm looking for something more to back this up than "AFAIK"...

Parabellum wrote:

This ought to be of some use.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/attachment.php?id=3243

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Thank you! A little quiet, but it's what I was looking for.

What is that woman's name? I'm having a problem hearing all of it.

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Just got a call from Walmart Assett Management.

This guy was a hoot. Stating "If you have a CPL, then there shouldnt be a problem with you carrying concealed. OC will get you removed from the store." When asked to provide a policy in writing his exact words were, "I am not authorized nor will I provide any policy as to Walmarts firearm policy." And even though I mentionedthe corporate policy, he was still adamant about telling me that it was not allowed. I then asked, "So, this means you wont mind when more and more people start OC'ing and your "Policy" regarding OC will prevent them from coming in, and therefore not spending money at your store." His reply was: "Whatever it takes to keep the store under control." Gotta love it.

Was there a return call to the number in the recording? IF so what was the response?

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The number I got from the recording is 757.471.1651

I called and got a recording asking for a number for a return call.

The answering voice said "Market 466".

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I called it as well, but actually got a real live person! I know! A real person. She took my number and the reason for the call and said that "Head of Asset Management Steve" would return my call as soon as possible. So who knows.

Could you PM me the name of the woman in the message. Maybe I could talk to her and see what the deal is. Thanks!

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Be careful how much you push with your current contact.

There are many threads here on the topic of Wal Mart open carry, including at least one with a corporate contact. I suggest you send a PM to Lthrnck here - I believe he was the one who posted it.

As Mike and John have both said - if we push WM into positively, definitely establishing a written, corporate VP level policy, it will probably NOT be to our benefit. All one has to do is to get a higher-up to agree with the "if it's legal in the state, it's legal in the store" policy so often stated. Then get the manager to give that higher up a call.

I used to be insistent about getting it IN WRITING, distributed to all stores, but over time I have become convinced that is a path to disappointment. If you force a corporation to the mat, they are going to take the path of least resistance - "CC is okay, OC is forbidden!"

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catass wrote:

I don't know what Wal*Mart's carry policy is, but I know what mine is, and I'm going to carry my friggin' gun.

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ooh yeah...me 2

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SouthernBoy wrote:

Please, for my own edificaton.

If the store is not a francise and is bound by corporate policy, then how does this work? Seems to me the manager would be acting out of corporate rules and therefore, not in any position to demand your exit under these conditions.

Am I wrong here?

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Yes and no.

Technically he wouldn't have the authority since he was out of line of authority. HOWEVER, LEO's are NOT going to flip thru the walmart code of conduct to determine that. They'll take manager at their word.

If the manager (who IS authorized to ask someone to leave for virtually any reason) tells PD that s/he wants you to leave the PD will tell you to go and/or write you a trespass warning. You might get an apology later from walmart but it's a little late at that point.

Get names and titles and leave. Then go over there heads. It'll also give you the high ground. Getting into a pee'ing match with an ignoramus won't.

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jumping rank normally gets things accomplished

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I'm seeing a lot of posts here to the effect that "Wal-Mart's corporate policy is to follow state law, so if OC is legal Wal-Mart can't do anything about it". That's dead wrong in most cases, because state law often gives business owners a say as well. Wal-Mart's corporate office, AFAIK, has never said "managers must allow OC in states where it is legal to OC". If business owners can prohibit OC on their premises, Wal-Mart allows managers to do so, PROVIDED that they do so in a mannerprescribed by law. If signage provides effective notice that carry = trespassing, they can post a sign and enforce it. If that sign is required to conform to specific rules, managers have to follow those rules when posting a sign. If signage is not binding, only a verbal request to leave (which is honored in every state whose statutes I've studied) will work, and thus an employee or manager MUST confront the OCer in person and have them escorted out.

Given all that, it really is up to the GM of the store, or the district manager, or the state manager, to choose to allow or prohibit carry. The only caveat is that they must follow State law in doing so. So, go to 5 different Wal-Marts and ask their GMs what the policy is and you could easily get five answers. Here's the kicker; as long as their policy is supported by legal statute it's totally valid in Corporate's eyes.