Arizona Gun Laws

Concealed & Open Carry

Arizona was among the first states to adopt constitutional carry in 2010. Any person aged 21 or older who can legally possess a firearm may carry concealed without a permit. Open carry of firearms is legal for anyone 18 or older. Arizona also issues a Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP) through the Department of Public Safety for those who want reciprocity with other states.

Key statute: Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-3102 — defines misconduct involving weapons. § 13-3112 — governs the concealed weapons permit system.

Who Cannot Carry

Prohibited possessors under Arizona law include: convicted felons, persons found to constitute a danger to themselves or others and adjudicated as mentally incompetent (§ 13-3101), undocumented aliens, and persons convicted of a domestic violence offense. Arizona's prohibited possessor statute (§ 13-3101(A)(7)) defines who is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Prohibited Locations

Arizona prohibits firearms in: polling places on election day, nuclear or hydroelectric generating stations, military installations, correctional facilities, federal buildings, school grounds (K-12, with exceptions for unloaded firearms in locked vehicles), and any establishment or event where the owner has posted notice prohibiting firearms. Arizona preempts most local firearms regulations under § 13-3108.

Purchase Requirements

No state permit is required to purchase any firearm. All FFL sales require a federal NICS background check. Private sales do not require a background check. There is no waiting period, no firearms registration, and no state assault weapons ban.

Citations

Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13, Chapter 31 (weapons and explosives); SB 1108 (2010).

Sources & official resources