Well, I'd recommend you go to Opencarry.org and talk to those guys. That is their penchant. They also organize protests and such. I'll get to that.
Here in WA, we can open carry. You don't need a permit to open, but you can't keep it loaded in the car or hidden on the person. Pretty much all the other laws are the same. The conceal permit just adds a few things (like concealment obviously, and the car) but you also don't have to wait to buy a handgun or do the NCICS check at anymore. You just do one everytime you renew. Still, it is uncommon to see anyone publicly open carry. Not illegal, just not common. We are "shall issue" too, so most folks just get the permit. Personally, I "hybrid" carry. I conceal the weapon, but I usually wear an open shirt or jacket, so when the wind blows it shows. Sometimes it prints when I bend over. I don't care, I'm not undercover and nobody is trying to kill me (but I am aware when armed, for the simple fact your weapon can be the target of a crime).
Now every once in a while, somebody will go into a coffee shop and a hardcore Democrat MSNBC viewer will be in there and will immediately call the cops on the guy standing in line for his latte. In one case, it got recorded, made it on the internet and was discussed on here too. He was approached by the cops, told them his rights, but folded in the end and cowtowed to "their" version of the law.
This is where Opencarry.org comes in.
They organized a protest to go hang out at that particular Starbucks, the closest one to my house in fact, and all open carry. The cops were called again, but this time they weren't so enthusiastic about confronting ten to one armed individuals to enforce their version of the law. They just stood back and watched --or as we like to call it, doing their job. In fact, the result was that our local sheriff sent out a letter to each cop outlining the open carry part of the law, but not before siding with her officers of course. It basically said if they aren't "brandishing" then they are okay. Brandishing cannot be interpreted outside of our legal definitions, but it is kind of broad. To be on the safe side, just keep it holstered and you can be accused of brandishing. See, the cops that showed up and harrassed that one fellow said he could be accused of brandishing in the eyes of the lady that called them. Wrong, but he couldn't convince cops he didn't outnumber or agree with otherwise. In the end, the antis claimed a victory, claimed a change to the law was coming. It was. We got suppressors deregulated in this state, and no more background checks for handgun purchases (for CCW holders). The icing on the cake was when they claimed the Seattle prosecutor was an anti, was working with them, then was photographed downtown in Westlake Center arm in arm with a guy open carrying. Checkmate!
So it all depends, the answer to your question. Sometimes you still have to fight for what you have. The Opencarry folks advocate "use it or lose it" regarding rights. Shortly after the Starbucks incident, which was pretty big here and most of you don't know the half of it, Starbucks sided with the law and were hung out to dry by the MSNBC'ers. Anti coffee shops tried to get business by putting up "no firearms" stickers (I'll get to that too). There was an anti boycott and a pro boycott, and the pro won. Here in Pac NW, liberal capital of the world, but all liberal/conservative hoopla aside, we are also the most educated segment of population (over half of us in W. WA have attended or graduated college) and we also guard our democracy with great jealousy.
Now the places we can and can't carry in WA are specifically defined in the law, like I said, open and conceal is the same except conceal offers other advantages. For the most part, we can carry everywhere except "outdoor music festivals in which x number of people are in attendance" and "establishments where x percent of gross revenue is from alcohol sales". Stupid in that you have no idea if you are the x'th person to tilt the numbers! Courthouses and jails have to provide a checkin, like a coat check.
Some places put "no firearms" stickers on the door. But unless it is a federal facility, or a state one with a firearms check, it doesn't apply. The most they can do is ask you to leave and press trespassing charges if you refuse to the cop that shows up. These places get identified on Opencarry and then boycotted. And it works. There are a lot of diehard anti establishments here, but few are willing to enforce their policies (except against employees, whom they think they own) and around Ft. Lewis, even the anti ones ignore their own policies. They want your money more. A good example of "use it or lose it" I guess.
Good question, as it differs everywhere, and even where it is legal a lot folks don't think it is, including the cops.
