Restrictions | Arizona Concealed Carry

Arizona Weapon Restrictions for Concealed Carry

Prohibited Weapons (A.R.S. § 13-3101(A)(8))

Arizona law defines the following as prohibited weapons:

• (i) Bombs, grenades, rockets (with a propellant charge of more than four ounces), or mines that are explosive, incendiary, or poison gas
• (ii) Silencers/suppressors - any device designed, made, or adapted to muffle the report of a firearm
• (iii) Fully automatic firearms - any firearm capable of shooting more than one shot automatically, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger
• (iv) Short-barreled rifles and shotguns - a rifle with a barrel length of less than 16 inches, a shotgun with a barrel length of less than 18 inches, or any firearm made from a rifle or shotgun with an overall length of less than 26 inches
• (v) Molotov cocktails - breakable containers with flammable liquid (flash point of 150°F or less) with a wick or similar ignition device
• (vi) Chemical/explosive devices - chemicals or combinations of chemicals (including dry ice) possessed or manufactured to generate gas causing mechanical failure, rupture, explosion, or detonation
• (vii) Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) - devices incorporating explosives or destructive, lethal, noxious, pyrotechnic, or incendiary chemicals designed to destroy, disfigure, terrify, or harass
• (viii) Combination of parts or materials designed and intended for use in making or converting a device into items listed in categories (i), (v), or (vii) above (i.e., bombs/grenades/rockets/mines, Molotov cocktails, or improvised explosive devices)

Important Exception: Items listed as prohibited weapons in categories (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv) above do not include any firearms or devices that are possessed, manufactured, or transferred in compliance with federal law (A.R.S. § 13-3101(B)). This means NFA-regulated items (suppressors, short-barreled rifles/shotguns, machine guns) are lawful if properly registered under federal law.

Prohibited Locations for Firearms

Regardless of whether a person possesses a CCW permit, firearms are prohibited in the following locations (with some exceptions for peace officers):

1. Polling places on election day
2. Nuclear power plants or hydroelectric generating stations
3. Military installations
4. Indian reservations
5. Federal buildings and courthouses
6. Airports - except that firearms may be transported subject to federal rules
7. Correctional facilities
8. National parks - unless permitted under state law
9. Game preserves

Establishments Serving Alcohol

• Individuals may be prohibited from possessing firearms on the premises of a business that serves alcohol if indicated by a sign that meets statutory requirements
• If such an establishment allows firearms on its premises, individuals in possession of a firearm must have a CCW permit and are prohibited from consuming alcohol while carrying
• A person who lawfully carries a concealed weapon on the premises of an on-sale retailer of spirituous liquor is required to present the CCW permit to a law enforcement officer for inspection upon request; failure to do so may result in a civil penalty of up to $300

Public Buildings and Events

• Firearms are prohibited in public buildings and events if the owner or sponsor requests that a person carrying a weapon place the weapon in storage

School Grounds

Firearms are not allowed on school grounds, with the following exceptions:

1. A firearm carried by an adult in a vehicle, provided the firearm is not loaded and, if the adult leaves the vehicle, the vehicle is locked and the firearm is not visible from the outside
2. A firearm used in a program approved by the school
3. A firearm carried by a person possessing a certificate of firearms proficiency who is authorized under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act to carry a concealed firearm

Private Property

• The owner of a private establishment may request a person carrying a firearm to remove the gun from the premises
• A person who refuses to comply may be charged with criminal trespassing

Law Enforcement Interactions

• A law enforcement officer may take temporary custody of a firearm during an investigatory stop of a possessor

Prohibited Possessors (A.R.S. § 13-3101(A)(7))

The following persons are prohibited from possessing firearms:

1. Persons found to constitute a danger to self or others or to have a persistent or acute disability or grave disability pursuant to court order under A.R.S. § 36-540, whose right to possess a firearm has not been restored pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-925
2. Persons convicted of a felony (within or outside Arizona) or adjudicated delinquent for a felony, whose civil right to possess or carry a firearm has not been restored
3. Persons currently serving a term of imprisonment in any correctional or detention facility
4. Persons currently serving a term of probation (for a domestic violence offense under A.R.S. § 13-3601 or a felony), parole, community supervision, work furlough, home arrest, or release on any other basis, including under the interstate compact
5. Undocumented aliens or nonimmigrant aliens traveling in Arizona for business or pleasure or studying while maintaining a foreign residence abroad - with exceptions for those with valid hunting licenses, competitive shooting participants, certain diplomats, designated foreign officials, and persons with a waiver from the U.S. Attorney General
6. Persons found incompetent pursuant to Rule 11, Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure, who have not subsequently been found competent
7. Persons found guilty except insane

Fire Restriction Impacts on Firearm Discharge

Under Stage 2 fire restrictions on Arizona state lands (implemented by the Department of Forestry and Fire Management):

• Discharging a firearm is prohibited except while engaged in a lawful hunt pursuant to state, federal, or tribal laws and regulations
• Target shooting is NEVER allowed at any time of the year on State Trust Lands

Key Statutory References

• A.R.S. § 13-3101 - Definitions (deadly weapon, firearm, prohibited possessor, prohibited weapon)
• A.R.S. § 13-3112 - Concealed carry permit requirements and regulations
• A.R.S. § 13-3601 - Domestic violence offenses
• A.R.S. § 13-925 - Restoration of right to possess firearms
• A.R.S. § 36-540 - Court-ordered mental health findings

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Federal context

Lautenberg Amendment - 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). A misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (MCDV) - any misdemeanor that has, as an element, the use or attempted use of physical force or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, committed against a current or former spouse, parent, guardian, person with a child in common, cohabitant, or similarly situated person - triggers a federal LIFETIME firearm-possession bar that is independent of state law. The Lautenberg disability applies even when the state-court conviction did not involve a firearm and even when no firearm-related penalty was imposed at sentencing. United States v. Rahimi (2024) confirmed the constitutionality of related federal § 922(g)(8) DV-restraining-order disabilities under the Bruen historical-tradition test.