Bringing your guns to Arizona

I wasn’t sure if I’d write up this post, since Arizona is widely known as an extremely gun-friendly state. Buying and carrying of a gun comes with few restrictions compared to other states. That is a bit of an understatement actually. Arizona is likely one of the easiest states to buy and/or carry a gun either in your RV or on your person. There are no arbitrary magazine limits. No bans and guns simply because they look scary. And no silly laws limited when/where you can transport your guns. Sounds like freedom for a change

You can read my other “Bringing your guns to” articles

In fact, Arizona is one of 14 states in our country (a 15th is happening as I type) that has recently adopted “constitutional carry“, which means that anyone over 21 (who is not a prohibited person, i.e. a felon) can carry a concealed gun without any permit from the government. Anyone 18 years or older can openly carry, and open carry in a vehicle is permitted. And for those of you that do not wish to carry a loaded gun while traveling in the state, Arizona does observe the federal peaceable journey rules as well (unloaded, locked in container, and in trunk of vehicle).

Even though carrying a gun – either in your vehicle or on your belt – is common in Arizona, there are still a few odd-ball things that a nomad in Arizona need to know;

First, Tribal lands account for about 25% of the land within the state, and each will have their own laws regarding the possession and carrying of a gun. For the most part, and understandably so, white-men outsiders with guns are not welcomed on tribal lands, though they do abide by the safe passage protections within the federal Firearm Owners Protection Act. There may be some exceptions that will allow an individual to carry on their lands, but one would need to contact each and check on their laws before entering.

Arizona does permit private business owners to post no firearms allowed signs… but they are only intended for business with liquor licenses, and only those business types. It must also be printed on the correct paper, have exact wording, be a specific size, and be posted at every entry. Even with all of that, the signs mean nothing unless the establishment also posts another identical sign immediately adjacent to the liquor license. Of the bars I have walked into, this last part is often not done, making all their signage null and void.

It sounds as if a liquor establishment does it all correctly then we are effectively blocked from carrying a gun in one? Well, not so much. Any armed person may still enter the establishment for a limited time to verify that the signage meets the regulations (upon which they should leave), or seeking aid. And then there is one more thing – and the whole reason I am still writing about this – the signs do not apply to persons that are not a resident of this state! Yes, that is correct. A person that is not a resident of Arizona may still completely ignore the no firearms allowed signs and conceal-carry in that establishment without breaking any law. For once it pays to be a nomad.

Lastly, Arizona is a duty to inform state. This means one is duty bound to inform a law enforcement officer that he or she is carrying a gun. However, a carrier is only required after the officer asks, and not before.

Hey, if you don’t like these laws, you can do something about it. Vote in your state elections. Vote in the presidential elections. And most importantly, vote with your wallet by supporting gun-rights organizations like the National Rifle Association the Gun Owners of America and the Second Amendment Foundation (just to name a few).