To buy a gun in Arizona, you need to be old enough under federal law (21 for a handgun from a dealer, 18 for a rifle or shotgun), able to pass a federal background check, and not a prohibited possessor under state or federal law. If those three boxes are checked, you can walk into an Arizona gun store, fill out one federal form, and leave with a firearm the same day. There is no state waiting period, no registration, and no permit to purchase.
Who Can Legally Buy
Federal law sets the minimum ages at licensed dealers: 21 for handguns, 18 for long guns. For private sales, federal law only prohibits transferring a handgun to someone under 18 and sets no federal age floor for rifles and shotguns.1Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Minimum Age for Gun Sales and Transfers Arizona adds no age requirements of its own.
Arizona law then defines several categories of “prohibited possessors” who cannot legally own or buy a firearm. The main ones:
- Anyone convicted of a felony whose civil rights have not been restored.
- Anyone currently on probation for a felony or domestic violence offense.
- Anyone a court has found to be a danger to themselves or others due to mental illness.
- Anyone found incompetent or guilty except insane.
- Undocumented immigrants and most nonimmigrant aliens, unless they hold a valid state hunting license or fall into a narrow exception like diplomatic status.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3101 – Definitions
A prohibited possessor caught with a firearm faces a Class 4 felony, which carries a presumptive prison sentence of 2.5 years for a first offense.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-702 – First Time Felony Offenders Sentencing Definition
Federal law adds one bar that Arizona’s list doesn’t spell out. Anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, such as an assault or attempted assault against a family member, is barred from possessing a firearm under federal law regardless of state status.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 922 – Unlawful Acts The prohibition is often called the Lautenberg Amendment. It’s a lifetime ban unless the underlying conviction is expunged or set aside.
Buying from a Licensed Dealer
At a gun store, the sequence is: show ID, fill out the federal form, pass the background check, pay, and take the firearm. Because Arizona has no waiting period, there’s no mandated delay between the sale and the pickup.
ID and the Form 4473
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID showing your name and current residential address. An Arizona driver’s license or state ID card is standard. If the address on your license is outdated, a supplementary government document like a vehicle registration can establish where you actually live.
The dealer will hand you ATF Form 4473, the federal firearms transaction record. It asks for your legal name, date of birth, place of birth, height, weight, and a series of yes-or-no eligibility questions. Every answer has to be truthful. Lying on a 4473 is a federal felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF Form 4473 – Firearms Transaction Record
The NICS Background Check
Once the form is done, the dealer runs your information through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), operated by the FBI.6Federal Bureau of Investigation. Firearms Checks (NICS) You get one of three answers.
Proceed means the sale moves forward immediately. Delayed means the FBI needs more time to research your records; if the FBI hasn’t reached a determination within three business days, the dealer may legally complete the transfer, though nothing requires the dealer to do so.7Federal Bureau of Investigation. About NICS Denied means the sale is blocked, and you can appeal through the FBI’s NICS Section.
There’s a shortcut. If you hold a valid Arizona Concealed Weapons Permit, the dealer can skip NICS entirely. Arizona’s CWP is recognized as a Brady Law alternative, so the permit itself satisfies the background check requirement for any firearm type.8Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Brady Permit Chart The permit number goes on the 4473, and the sale can close without a NICS call. This is one reason some Arizonans get a CWP even though the state doesn’t require one for carry.
Taxes and Fees
Arizona’s transaction privilege tax applies to firearm sales the same as any retail goods. The state base rate is 5.6%, with county and city rates stacking on top. Combined rates run from about 5.6% in unincorporated areas up to roughly 10% or higher in cities with additional levies.9Arizona Department of Revenue. Transaction Privilege and Other Tax Rate Tables Many dealers also charge a processing fee, commonly $20 to $40.
Multiple Handguns in One Week
If you buy two or more handguns from the same dealer within five consecutive business days, the dealer must file ATF Form 3310.4 the day of the sale, with copies going to the ATF National Tracing Center and the chief local law enforcement official.10Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Report of Multiple Sale or Other Disposition of Pistols and Revolvers It’s a dealer obligation, not something you file, but it’s worth knowing it happens.
Buying Online
Online purchases are legal, but the firearm doesn’t ship to your house. Federal law requires it to be sent to a federally licensed dealer near you. You go to that dealer’s location, complete the 4473, pass NICS, and pay a transfer fee. From that point the process is identical to a walk-in sale. Transfer fees at Arizona dealers commonly run $20 to $60, with more for specialty items.
Handguns can only be shipped by private carriers like UPS or FedEx and only to a licensed dealer. Private individuals can ship rifles and shotguns through USPS. In practice, the online retailer handles the shipping to the FFL you designate at checkout.
Private Sales Between Arizona Residents
Two Arizona residents can buy and sell a firearm to each other with no background check, no dealer involvement, and no government paperwork. There is no state equivalent of the 4473, no registration, and no waiting period. You meet, agree on a price, and complete the exchange.
The one legal trap is the buyer’s status. Knowingly transferring a firearm to a prohibited possessor is misconduct involving weapons, a Class 6 felony in Arizona.11Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3102 – Misconduct Involving Weapons Defenses Classification Definitions No law requires a bill of sale, but writing one up with the date, a description of the firearm, and both parties’ names and signatures is smart practice. If the gun later turns up somewhere it shouldn’t, that document is your proof it left your hands.
Private sales only work this simply when both parties are Arizona residents. Federal law prohibits transferring a firearm to someone you know or have reason to believe lives in another state.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts An out-of-state buyer has to receive the firearm through a licensed dealer in their home state, where they complete a 4473 and pass a background check before taking it.
Straw Purchases: The One Way a Legal Buy Becomes a Felony
A straw purchase is buying a firearm on behalf of someone else, whether because they can’t pass a background check or just want to avoid the paperwork. Under federal statutes enacted in 2022, straw purchasing carries up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If the firearm is used in a felony, an act of terrorism, or drug trafficking, the maximum rises to 25 years.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 932 – Straw Purchasing of Firearms
Buying a firearm as a real gift for someone who can legally own one is not a straw purchase. The line is whether the person filling out the 4473 is the actual buyer. If a friend hands you cash and tells you to go buy a specific gun for him, that’s a straw purchase even if he could have passed the check on his own.
What Arizona Doesn’t Require
Arizona does not register firearms. State law explicitly prohibits cities, counties, and other local governments from creating any firearms registry or database of gun owners.14Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3108 – Firearms Regulated by State Preemption There is no purchase permit, no firearms owner ID card, and no state waiting period. There is no cap on how many firearms you can buy at once. The only reporting obligation is the federal multiple-handgun form, and that’s on the dealer.
Local governments cannot add their own purchase rules. Under ARS 13-3108, any city or county ordinance relating to the sale, transfer, purchase, registration, or licensing of firearms that goes beyond state law is void.14Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3108 – Firearms Regulated by State Preemption The buying process is the same in Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, or a small town in Cochise County.
Carrying What You Just Bought
Arizona is a constitutional carry state. Anyone 21 or older who can legally possess a firearm may carry it concealed without a permit. Open carry is legal at any age at which firearm possession itself is lawful. No license or training course is required simply to carry a gun you just bought home.
Some places are still off limits regardless of permit status: K-12 school grounds, polling places on election days, bars and restaurants with liquor licenses (with limited CWP-holder exceptions), commercial nuclear and hydroelectric generating stations, correctional facilities, and federal buildings. Private businesses and event operators can also prohibit firearms on their premises. Refusing to leave or secure your weapon when asked is criminal trespass.11Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3102 – Misconduct Involving Weapons Defenses Classification Definitions