Firearm law reference

Arizona Gun Laws: Complete Guide

A practical overview of Arizona firearm laws affecting private sales, purchases, carrying, transportation, storage, and ownership.

Arizona generally permits in-state private transfers, open carry by eligible adults, and permitless concealed carry from age 21, but age rules, prohibited-person laws, restricted places, alcohol-premises rules, interstate transfers, and federal NFA requirements still apply.

Arizona Gun Law Quick Facts

Start with the three rules most people need. The full comparison table covers the remaining purchase, carry, ownership, and restriction topics.

Minimum age to buy or carry: 18-21 depending on firearm and seller
A licensed dealer must sell a handgun to someone 21 or older but can sell a rifle or shotgun to someone 18 or older, and Arizona sets the same 18/21 split for dealer ammunition sales; a private transfer to a minor generally requires written parental consent regardless of firearm type. See the handgun and rifle/shotgun comparison table below for the full breakdown. [12][6]
Permitless concealed carry: Yes, age 21 or older
An eligible person age 21 or older may generally carry concealed without a permit; concealed carry under 21 is restricted. [3][1]
Private sale background check: Generally no
An occasional private sale between eligible Arizona residents generally does not require a background check. [11][3]

Swipe horizontally to read the full table.

Law	Status	What it means
FFL required for private transfers	Generally no	Same-state private transfers generally need no FFL; interstate transfers generally must use one. [11]
Purchase permit	No general requirement	Arizona does not require a general permit to purchase a firearm. [3][13]
Waiting period	No general requirement	Arizona does not impose a general firearm waiting period. [3][13]
Firearm registration	No general requirement	Arizona does not require general registration of ordinary firearms or private firearm sales; federal NFA registration is separate. [6][5][14]
Firearm owner license	No general requirement	Arizona does not require a general license merely to own a firearm. [2][3]
Concealed weapons permit available	Yes	DPS issues optional permits to qualifying applicants after eligibility review and firearms-safety training. [1][8]
Open carry	Generally yes from age 18	An eligible adult may generally carry openly; a visible firearm or holster is excluded from the under-21 concealed-carry rule. [3][7]
Law enforcement disclosure	Answer accurately if asked	During a qualifying law-enforcement contact, a concealed carrier must accurately answer if asked whether a concealed deadly weapon is present. [3]
Vehicle carry	Generally allowed	Eligible people age 21 or older may generally carry concealed in a vehicle; Arizona lists lawful container and storage methods for people under 21. [3]
Magazine capacity restriction	No general limit	Arizona does not impose a general magazine-capacity limit. [3][5]
Assault-style firearm restriction	No general ban	Arizona does not have a separate statewide assault-style firearm ban. [2][5]
NFA firearms	Federal compliance required	Arizona excludes federally compliant suppressors, machine guns, and short-barreled firearms from its prohibited-weapon definition. [2][14]
Red flag law	No dedicated ERPO law	The reviewed current Arizona statutes do not establish a dedicated extreme-risk protection order process. [2][3]
Safe storage or child-access law	No general storage mandate	Arizona regulates firearm transfers to minors and public possession by unaccompanied minors but has no general locked-storage mandate. [6][7][9]
Lost or stolen reporting	No general owner deadline	The reviewed Arizona statutes do not impose a general reporting deadline on an ordinary firearm owner. [3][5]
State preemption	Generally yes	Arizona broadly preempts local firearm regulation, with specifically listed exceptions. [5]
Bill of Sale requirement	No general requirement	No general Arizona or federal rule requires a record for an occasional same-state private sale, but a bill of sale can document it. [11][6]
Castle doctrine / no duty to retreat	Yes, with conditions	Arizona imposes no duty to retreat before using justified force in a place you may lawfully be, including your home, vehicle, or business, and separately allows deadly force to defend premises on the same person-defense grounds. [18][19]

Handgun and Rifle/Shotgun Rules in Arizona

Arizona's carry, storage, and prohibited-weapon statutes generally apply the same way to handguns, rifles, and shotguns; the reviewed statutes did not identify an Arizona-specific rule that splits by firearm type. The genuine split comes from the federal dealer-sale age floor, which Arizona has not raised. Topics not listed here, such as permitless carry, private-sale background checks, or magazine capacity, apply the same way to both firearm types.

Topic	Handguns	Rifles & shotguns
Minimum age to buy from a licensed dealer	21	18 [12]
Minimum age to buy ammunition from a dealer	21 for handgun ammunition	18 for rifle or shotgun ammunition [12]
Minimum age for a private sale or gift	No Arizona-specific handgun floor beyond the general minor-transfer rule below	No Arizona-specific long-gun floor beyond the general minor-transfer rule belowA.R.S. Section 13-3109 requires written parental or guardian consent to sell or give a firearm to a minor regardless of firearm type, subject to its training, competition, hunting, and target-shooting exceptions. [6]

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Arizona Bill of Sale Find an FFL Guns for Sale in Arizona

Private Firearm Sales in Arizona

Quick answer

An occasional private transfer between eligible Arizona residents generally does not require an FFL or background check. Do not transfer to a prohibited possessor, and use an FFL for a transfer to a resident of another state. [11][3]

Federal law does not require an FFL, background check, or federal record for an occasional transfer between unlicensed residents of the same state. Arizona does not add a universal private-transfer mandate. [11][3]
Arizona prohibits selling or transferring a deadly weapon to a prohibited possessor. A private seller should stop if the seller knows or has reason to believe the recipient is prohibited under state or federal law. [2][3]
Arizona Section 13-3109 generally requires written consent from a parent or legal guardian before a firearm is sold or given to a minor. The statute contains exceptions for temporary supervised training, competition, hunting, and target-shooting transfers. [6]
A transfer to an out-of-state resident generally must go through an FFL in the recipient's state. Gifts and family transfers ordinarily remain subject to federal interstate-transfer rules. [11]
A bill of sale is not generally required for an occasional Arizona private sale, but it can document the parties, firearm, date, and eligibility representations. [11][6]

Important notice: A bill of sale does not replace an FFL transfer, background check, parental consent, or other legal requirement when one applies. [11][6]

Buying a Firearm in Arizona

Licensed dealers generally must verify identity, complete federal transfer records, and obtain a NICS result unless an exception applies. Arizona has no general purchase permit or waiting period. [13][3]
Federal dealer minimum ages are 18 for rifles and shotguns and 21 for handguns, frames, receivers, and other firearms. An eligible person age 18 to 20 may generally acquire a handgun from an unlicensed same-state resident, subject to Arizona's minor-transfer rule. [12][11][6]
Purchase, possession, and carry age are distinct. Arizona restricts public firearm possession by an unaccompanied unemancipated person under 18, with exceptions for specified hunting, shooting, transport, and agricultural activities. [7]
Arizona has no general firearm registration or owner-license requirement. Section 13-3109 expressly states that it does not require reporting or registration of firearm sales, while NFA firearms have separate federal rules. [6][5][14]

Firearm Ownership and Prohibited Persons

Arizona's prohibited-possessor definition includes people with unrestored felony firearm rights, specified court findings involving danger or serious mental disability, certain incompetency findings, people serving imprisonment or community-supervision terms, and specified immigration statuses. [2][1]
Section 13-3102 prohibits a prohibited possessor from possessing a deadly or prohibited weapon and prohibits selling or transferring a deadly weapon to a prohibited possessor. Federal prohibited-person law applies independently. [3][13]
A felony conviction does not have a single automatic expiration date. The offense, sentence, set-aside or pardon history, restoration of rights, and both Arizona and federal law must be reviewed before possession. [2][1]

Carrying a Firearm in Arizona

An eligible person age 21 or older may generally carry a concealed firearm without a permit. Section 13-3102 generally prohibits concealed carry on the person or within immediate control in a vehicle by someone under 21, subject to listed exceptions. [3][1]
Open carry is generally lawful for an eligible adult. Arizona excludes a firearm or holster that is wholly or partly visible from the under-21 concealed-carry restriction, while separate minor-possession rules apply below age 18. [3][7]
During a qualifying traffic or criminal investigation, arrest, detention, or investigatory stop, a person carrying concealed must accurately answer if an officer asks whether the person is carrying a concealed deadly weapon. An officer may temporarily take custody of a firearm during the contact. [3]
The optional DPS permit remains useful for reciprocity, streamlined dealer transactions when federally recognized, and carrying a concealed handgun at a qualifying unposted on-sale alcohol retailer without drinking. Applicants generally must be 21, or 19 with qualifying military status, and complete approved firearms-safety training. [1][8][10]
Arizona recognizes a valid carry permit issued by another state when it is valid there and the holder is legally present and not prohibited from firearm possession in Arizona. [1][8]

Self-Defense and the Castle Doctrine in Arizona

Quick answer

Arizona imposes no duty to retreat before using justified force in a place you may lawfully be and are not committing an unlawful act, including your home, vehicle, or business. Deadly force to defend premises or property is allowed only on the same grounds as defending a person, not simply to stop theft or trespass. Justified conduct under Arizona's use-of-force chapter is also protected from civil liability, not just criminal prosecution. [18][19][20]

Arizona Constitution Article 2, Section 26 protects the right of an individual citizen to bear arms in defense of themselves or the state, while barring individuals or corporations from organizing, maintaining, or employing an armed body of people. [17]
A.R.S. Section 13-404 justifies physical force when and to the extent a reasonable person would believe it immediately necessary to protect against another's use or attempted use of unlawful physical force. Section 13-405 extends that justification to deadly physical force when a reasonable person would believe it immediately necessary to protect against another's use or attempted use of unlawful deadly physical force, subject to exceptions for a defender's own unlawful conduct, provocation, and consensual fights. [18]
Arizona does not impose a duty to retreat on a person who is in a place where the person may legally be and is not engaged in an unlawful act before threatening or using physical or deadly physical force; that person may stand their ground before using justified force. [18]
Section 13-407 justifies threatening or using physical force, and in limited circumstances deadly physical force, by a person in lawful possession or control of premises to prevent or stop a criminal trespass. Deadly force under that section is justified only on the same person-defense grounds as Sections 13-405 and 13-406, not simply to stop a trespass. [19]
Section 13-408 similarly justifies physical force to prevent theft or criminal damage to tangible movable property in a person's possession or control, but deadly force in that situation is justified only on the person-defense and crime-prevention grounds in Sections 13-405, 13-406, and 13-411. [19]

Important notice: A.R.S. Section 13-413 states that no person in Arizona is subject to civil liability for conduct that is otherwise justified under the state's use-of-force chapter, so a successful self-defense justification generally forecloses a civil suit over the same conduct, not just a criminal charge. Justification is an affirmative defense a defendant must establish, this civil protection is not automatic before that happens, and every self-defense situation is fact-specific and high-stakes. Get individualized legal advice before relying on any of this content in an actual confrontation. [20]

Transporting Firearms in Arizona

An eligible person age 21 or older may generally carry a concealed firearm within immediate control in a vehicle without a permit. The same prohibited-person and restricted-location rules that apply outside a vehicle still matter. [3]
For a person under 21, Arizona excludes several transport methods from its concealed-carry restriction, including a wholly or partly visible holster, a designed weapon case or scabbard, luggage, a pack, and a vehicle storage compartment, map pocket, trunk, or glove compartment. [3]
An unloaded firearm under an adult's control may be kept in a vehicle on school grounds if it is not visible and the locked vehicle conditions are satisfied when the adult leaves. [3]
For interstate travel, 18 U.S.C. 926A protects qualifying transportation between places where possession and carry are lawful when the firearm is unloaded and not readily accessible under the statute's conditions. [15]

Restricted Firearms and Accessories

The reviewed Arizona statutes do not impose a general magazine-capacity limit or a separate statewide ban based on semiautomatic features. Person, location, criminal-use, and federal restrictions still apply. [2][3][5]
Arizona's prohibited-weapon definition includes suppressors, machine guns, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and destructive devices, but expressly excludes covered firearms and devices possessed, manufactured, or transferred in compliance with federal law. [2][14]
Federal law generally limits civilian machine-gun possession to machine guns lawfully possessed before May 19, 1986, plus specified government exceptions. Other NFA firearms require the applicable approved making or transfer process and registration. [14]
The reviewed current Arizona statutes do not establish a dedicated extreme-risk protection order process. Other court findings, protection orders, criminal cases, and federal law can still prohibit possession. [2][3]

Safe Storage, Minors, and Lost Firearms

Arizona does not impose a general locked-storage or child-access-prevention mandate on every owner. State law instead regulates transfers to minors and public possession by unaccompanied unemancipated minors. [6][7][9]
An unaccompanied unemancipated person under 18 generally may not carry or control a firearm in public, on streets or highways, in a vehicle, or on most private property, subject to the statute's hunting, shooting, transport, agricultural, and family-property exceptions. [7]
The reviewed Arizona sources do not set a general deadline for an ordinary owner to report a lost or stolen firearm. Prompt reporting to local law enforcement can document the loss and support recovery; federal licensees have separate reporting duties. [3][5]

Where Firearms May Be Restricted

Section 13-3102 restricts deadly weapons at election polling places on election day, school grounds, and nuclear or hydroelectric generating stations, subject to statutory exceptions. [3]
A person at a public establishment or public event must comply with a reasonable request to remove a weapon and place it in temporary secure storage. When the operator makes that request, Section 13-3102.01 generally requires storage to be available. [3][4]
At an on-sale alcohol retailer, carry generally requires a valid Arizona-recognized permit, concealment, no alcohol consumption, and no properly posted prohibition. Hotel rooms and specified events have separate exceptions. [10][8]
Private property owners may exclude firearms through notice and trespass law. Federal buildings, secured airport areas, tribal lands, and other federal or sovereign property can have separate restrictions. [3][1]

Local Firearm Laws and State Preemption

Arizona Section 13-3108 broadly bars political subdivisions from regulating firearm transportation, possession, carry, sale, transfer, purchase, storage, licensing, registration, discharge, use, ammunition, or accessories. [5]
The statute preserves listed local powers, including generally applicable sales taxes and commercial zoning, certain rules for minors and employees, and specified firearm-discharge restrictions in parks, preserves, and developed areas. [5]

Before Completing a Private Firearm Sale in Arizona

Confirm that both parties are Arizona residents before treating the transaction as a same-state private sale. [11]
Verify identity and age; obtain written parental or legal-guardian consent before transferring a firearm to a minor unless a statutory exception clearly applies. [6][12]
Do not transfer if you know or have reason to believe the recipient is prohibited under Arizona or federal law. [2][3]
Use an FFL for an interstate transfer and whenever the law or either party's uncertainty calls for one. [11]
Confirm federal compliance for suppressors and other NFA firearms. [2][14]
Consider a bill of sale documenting the parties, firearm, date, consent where applicable, and eligibility representations. [11][6]

Official Arizona Firearm Law Resources

Arizona Concealed Weapons and Permits

Official permit eligibility, application, fees, prohibited-person, and reciprocity guidance.

Arizona Department of Public Safety

Arizona Misconduct Involving Weapons Statute

Primary carry, vehicle, prohibited-person, restricted-place, school, and prohibited-weapon statute.

Arizona State Legislature

Arizona Firearm Definitions

Primary definitions for prohibited possessors, prohibited weapons, and federal NFA compliance.

Arizona State Legislature

Arizona State Firearm Preemption

Primary statute reserving firearm policy to the state and listing local exceptions.

Arizona State Legislature

ATF Unlicensed-Person Transfer Guidance

Federal guidance for private same-state transactions, interstate transfers, age, and recordkeeping.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

National Firearms Act

Federal registration and transfer requirements for suppressors and other NFA firearms.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Arizona Gun Law FAQ

Can you carry a gun without a permit in Arizona?

Generally yes. An eligible person age 21 or older may carry openly or concealed without a permit. Eligible adults age 18 to 20 may generally open carry, but concealed carry is restricted until 21.

[3][1]

Are background checks required for private gun sales in Arizona?

Generally no for an occasional transfer between eligible Arizona residents. Interstate transfers generally must go through an FFL, and a seller may not transfer to a prohibited possessor.

[11][3]

Can you carry a gun in your vehicle in Arizona?

Generally yes. An eligible person age 21 or older may generally carry concealed in a vehicle without a permit. Arizona lists lawful visible, cased, luggage, and vehicle-storage methods that matter for people under 21.

[3]

Is open carry legal in Arizona?

Generally yes for an eligible adult. Arizona's under-21 concealed-carry restriction does not apply when a firearm or its holster is wholly or partly visible, while separate rules apply to minors under 18 and restricted locations.

[3][7]

How old do you have to be to buy or carry a handgun in Arizona?

A licensed dealer generally cannot sell a handgun to anyone under 21. An eligible person age 18 to 20 may generally acquire one from an unlicensed Arizona resident and open carry, but permitless concealed carry generally begins at 21. Transfers to minors generally require written parental consent.

[12][11][6][3]

Does Arizona have a waiting period to buy a gun?

No general Arizona waiting period appears in the reviewed current statutes. A dealer must still complete the federal transfer process and obtain the required NICS result unless an exception applies.

[3][13]

Are suppressors legal in Arizona?

Generally yes with federal compliance. Arizona expressly excludes suppressors possessed, manufactured, or transferred in compliance with federal law from its prohibited-weapon definition.

[2][14]

Does Arizona limit firearm magazine capacity?

The reviewed Arizona statutes do not impose a general magazine-capacity limit. Restrictions based on the possessor, location, criminal use, or federal law can still apply.

[3][5]

Where is firearm carry prohibited in Arizona?

Restrictions include polling places on election day, school grounds, nuclear and hydroelectric facilities, public establishments or events after a lawful storage request, properly posted alcohol retailers, and other prohibited private or federal property. Statutory exceptions may apply.

[3][4][10]

Can a person with a felony conviction possess a firearm in Arizona?

Generally not unless the person's firearm rights have been validly restored or the conviction has received other legally sufficient relief. Arizona and federal law apply independently, so individualized legal review is important before possession.

[2][3][1]

Does Arizona recognize concealed carry permits from other states?

Generally yes if the permit is valid in the issuing state and the holder is legally present and not prohibited from firearm possession in Arizona. The visitor must follow Arizona law.

[1][8]

Is a bill of sale required for a private gun sale in Arizona?

No general Arizona or federal rule requires a bill of sale for an occasional same-state private transfer. A written record can be useful, but it does not replace an FFL, required parental consent, or another legal step.

[11][6]

How do you buy a gun in Arizona?

It depends on whether the seller is a licensed dealer or a private person. A dealer sale generally requires identification, federal transfer paperwork, and a NICS check unless an exception applies; Arizona does not add a general purchase permit or waiting period on top of that. A same-state private sale generally needs neither an FFL nor a background check.

[13][3]

Do you have to register a gun in Arizona?

Generally no for an ordinary firearm. Arizona does not maintain a statewide firearm registry and Section 13-3109 expressly does not require reporting or registration of firearm sales, but firearms regulated by the federal National Firearms Act have separate federal registration and approval requirements.

[6][5][14]

How do you sell or transfer a gun in Arizona?

Arizona does not maintain a general firearm registry to update after a sale. An occasional in-state private sale or gift between eligible Arizona residents generally does not require an FFL, but a seller must not deliver to a minor without consent or to another prohibited possessor, and a sale to a resident of another state generally must go through an FFL in the buyer's state.

[11][3][6]

What disqualifies someone from owning a gun in Arizona?

Federal law bars firearm possession for people with a felony conviction, a fugitive-from-justice status, unlawful controlled-substance use or addiction, certain mental-health commitments, unlawful immigration status, a dishonorable discharge, renunciation of U.S. citizenship, certain domestic-violence protective orders, or a misdemeanor domestic-violence conviction. Arizona's own prohibited-possessor definition separately covers people with unrestored felony firearm rights, specified dangerous or serious-mental-disability court findings, certain incompetency findings, people serving imprisonment or community-supervision terms, and specified immigration statuses. Both layers apply at once, so confirm current eligibility before acquiring a firearm.

[16][2][1]

Can I buy a gun in Arizona with an out-of-state ID?

It depends on the firearm. A dealer generally cannot sell a handgun to someone who does not reside in Arizona. For a rifle or shotgun, federal law lets a dealer sell to a resident of any other state if the buyer appears in person and the sale complies with the law of both states, so an out-of-state ID alone does not block that purchase.

[16][11]

Is the minimum age to buy a gun in Arizona different for handguns and rifles?

Yes, when the seller is a licensed dealer. Federal law sets a 21-year minimum for a dealer handgun sale but only an 18-year minimum for a dealer rifle or shotgun sale, and the same 18/21 split applies to dealer ammunition sales. Arizona has not raised either floor and applies its private-transfer parental-consent rule the same way regardless of firearm type. See the handgun and rifle/shotgun comparison table for the full breakdown.

[12][6]

Do I need a permit to carry a rifle or shotgun in Arizona?

No. Arizona's permitless-carry rule and the optional DPS concealed-weapons permit are not limited to handguns, and the reviewed statutes do not identify any Arizona license requirement to carry a rifle or shotgun. The same age-based concealed-carry restriction and restricted-location rules apply regardless of firearm type.

[3][8]

Does Arizona have a stand-your-ground or castle doctrine law?

Yes. Arizona imposes no duty to retreat before using justified force in a place you may lawfully be and are not committing an unlawful act, including your home, vehicle, or business, and separately allows deadly force in defense of premises on the same person-defense grounds. Arizona's justification chapter also protects conduct found justified from civil liability, not only from prosecution, although justification is an affirmative defense the defendant must establish rather than an automatic grant.

[18][19][20]

Can I use deadly force to protect my property in Arizona?

Generally no, just to stop theft or property damage. Arizona allows physical force to prevent theft or criminal damage to tangible movable property, but deadly force in that situation is justified only on the same grounds as defending a person or under the state's crime-prevention statute, not simply to stop a property crime.

[19][18]

Sources

Educational information only, not legal advice.

GunList does not provide legal advice and does not guarantee that this guide covers every law, exception, court ruling, or local ordinance. Laws and court orders can change quickly. Verify current requirements through official government sources or consult a qualified attorney before possessing, carrying, buying, selling, or transporting a firearm, or before relying on any self-defense or castle-doctrine provision.

Reading or using this guide does not create an attorney-client relationship with GunList, and GunList disclaims liability for any loss or harm arising from reliance on this content. A criminal-law justification for using force does not guarantee protection from civil liability; use-of-force outcomes are fact-specific and high-stakes, so consult a qualified attorney before acting.