Which term describes a person invited to enter land that is open to the public for a purpose for which the land is open to the public?

• A. Public invitee
• B. Consent
• C. Implied license
• D. Business invitee

Answer: (B)

When a property is open to the public for the purpose the property is designed to serve, the person who is invited onto the land is considered a public invitee. This status matters because it defines the landowner’s duty of care. A public invitee is someone who enters to use the property for its public function or for the public’s benefit—think of someone shopping in a store or using a public facility. The landowner must exercise reasonable care to keep the premises reasonably safe and to warn of or fix known hazards, and may also have a duty to inspect for hazards that could be discovered with reasonable diligence.

This category is distinct from a general consent to enter, which focuses on permission rather than status, and from an implied license, which arises from the owner’s conduct or the relationship that gives someone permission to be on the land that isn’t openly public. It’s also different from a business invitee, who enters for a business purpose (like a customer or supplier) with the owner’s permission. The scenario described aligns with the public invitee status because the land is open to the public for its intended use.