Georgia Firearms License and Ikea

[68wj]

A friend exiting Ikea in Atlanta noticed on the entry door a message saying "weapon free environment" and the international no symbol over an image of a pistol. The person was licensed to carry, but the GA statute states, "private property owners or persons in legal control of property [...] shall have the right to forbid possession of a weapon or long gun on their property." 16-11-127c

Was this message on the door adequate to bar the license holder from entering with his handgun and did he violate the law by being in the store having not seen the message upon entry? I searched around and could only fine the specific language of the law with no expansion on "forbid".

 

[Mainsail]

I can't answer your legal question, but ikea is a known victim zone, IOW, they don't allow firearms. I have open carried at the one here in WA, but others have been asked to leave.

 

[NavyLCDR]

Was this message on the door adequate to bar the license holder from entering with his handgun

Yes. No posting at all is required. A property owner/business can ban firearms on their property simply with the desire to not have them there in Georgia and most other states.

did he violate the law by being in the store having not seen the message upon entry

No. Only carrying in a prohibited place listed in GA Code 16-11-127(b) is the misdemeanor of carrying a firearm in a prohibited place.

If a private property owner/business detects your firearm and asks you to leave, and you don't, you are guilty of trespassing. If a private property owner/business detects your firearm and asks you to leave, and you do leave peaceably, no harm no foul.

If a private property owner/business detects your firearm and calls the cop, without talking to you first, the cops can legally do nothing about it. Police do not have authority to enforce company policy - only statute and ordinances. See St. John v Alamogordo Public Safety, US District Court of New Mexico.

 

[nalioth]

If a private property owner/business detects your firearm and asks you to leave, and you don't, you are guilty of trespassing. If a private property owner/business detects your firearm and asks you to leave, and you do leave peaceably, no harm no foul.

So, basically, it all boils down to "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.", and if you don't respect their wishes, it becomes "trespassing".

I mean, the same situation could be applied to an individual wearing a t-shirt with an offensive slogan.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

I only have one question concerning all of this. What the heck is an Ikea? I've never heard of it (I don't think so anyway).

 

[dogtown tom]

jimmyraythomason:..What the heck is an Ikea?

Rough translation from Swedish:"Massive building filled with yuppies and cheap Scandinavian furniture."

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Whew! Thanks DTT. I had checked the sticky for acronyms but had no luck.

 

[oldbanjo]

Never heard of Ikea. It did remind me to call and ask what the sign in Bass Pro Shop in Savannah, Ga meant and was told that sign only pertained to people bringing Guns to be worked on. If you weren't removing your gun from it's holster you did not need to check in.

 

[NavyLCDR]

So, basically, it all boils down to "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.", and if you don't respect their wishes, it becomes "trespassing".

I mean, the same situation could be applied to an individual wearing a t-shirt with an offensive slogan.

Correct. The GA satute merely reinforces their right to refuse service to a person because they are carrying a gun but does not make carrying the gun illegal.

 

[dovedescending]

Unfortunately, TN is not the same way. I try to shop in GA as much as possible, simply because in TN it's a misdemeanor to carry in a business that posts signage. The local TN outdoor/indoor mall forbids weapons in any of their property, which is a huge area. Even the parking lots are posted.

 

[Art Eatman]

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