A non-resident concealed carry permit in Arizona is available to any U.S. citizen who meets the state’s qualifications, applies through the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and submits proof of firearms training along with fingerprints and a $60 fee. Arizona is a shall-issue state, so DPS has no discretion to turn down a qualified applicant. The permit itself is not what lets you carry inside Arizona — the state has allowed permitless concealed carry since 2010 — but it carries real weight the moment you cross a state line.
Why a Non-Resident Would Want One
If you are at least 21, legally allowed to possess a firearm, and visiting Arizona, you can already carry concealed in the state without any paperwork. The reason to apply anyway comes down to what the permit does elsewhere and in a few specific settings.
Reciprocity is the main draw. Roughly 36 states recognize an Arizona concealed weapons permit, so one application from Phoenix can cover a lot of ground on a road trip. Inside Arizona, a permit is also what lets you legally carry concealed in a restaurant or bar that serves alcohol, provided the business has not posted the required no-firearms sign. And a permit issued within the past five years exempts you from the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act’s 1,000-foot rule and can waive the NICS background check when you buy a firearm from a licensed dealer.
Who Qualifies
The statute is straightforward about who DPS will and will not issue to. You must be a U.S. citizen and at least 21 years old. Active-duty military and those with an honorable or general discharge can apply at 19.
You cannot be under indictment for a felony. A prior felony conviction is disqualifying unless it has been expunged or set aside, or your civil rights have been restored and you are no longer a prohibited possessor under state or federal law. Anyone adjudicated mentally incompetent or committed to a mental institution by a court is also ineligible.
Proof of Firearms Training
Every applicant has to show competence with a firearm, but the list of documents DPS accepts is broad. Any one of the following works:
- A firearms safety or training course open to the general public, offered by a law enforcement agency, college, private institution, or firearms training school, and either DPS-approved or taught by an NRA-certified instructor.
- A hunter safety or hunter education course approved by the Arizona Game and Fish Department or an equivalent agency in another state.
- Any NRA firearms safety or training course.
- A DPS-approved course designed for security guards, investigators, special deputies, or similar roles.
- Proof of current active-duty military service, or an honorable or general discharge (DD-214).
- A current or expired concealed carry permit from another state, so long as that state required training or testing to issue it.
- A governmental police agency firearms qualification course.
Most people who have ever taken a formal class already qualify under one of these categories. Keep the original certificate or completion document; it goes in with your application.
How to Apply From Out of State
DPS accepts applications through its Public Services Portal online, and it still accepts the traditional mail-in package. Either route requires fingerprints, and that is the piece non-residents have to plan around.
Fingerprints
If you are applying from outside Arizona, you will need two FD-258 fingerprint cards completed by a qualified fingerprint technician. Local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and commercial fingerprinting services typically handle this. Fill in every field on the card, and do not bend or fold the cards; distortion is a common reason applications get rejected. Applicants inside Arizona can use a FieldPrint electronic kiosk after applying online.
Fee and Payment
The fee for a new permit is $60. By mail, DPS accepts money orders, cashier’s checks, and certified checks made out to “AZ DPS.” Personal checks, business checks, and cash are not accepted, and the wrong form of payment gets your entire package returned unprocessed. Online applicants may have different payment options through the portal.
Where to Send It
Mail-in applicants send the full package — application form, training documentation, two fingerprint cards, and payment — to:
AZ DPS CWPU
PO Box 6488
Phoenix, AZ 85005
How Long Processing Takes
By statute, DPS has 60 days from receiving a completed application to run the background and qualification checks, plus another 15 working days to either issue the permit or send a written denial with reasons. If you are denied, you have 20 days to submit additional documentation, and DPS then has 20 days to reconsider. In practice, DPS asks applicants to wait 75 days before following up.
Where the Permit Is Recognized
The Arizona permit is recognized in around 36 states, which is what makes it attractive to non-residents in the first place.
States with formal written reciprocity agreements: Idaho, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia.
States that recognize Arizona permits without a formal agreement: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
States that do not recognize Arizona permits: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
The Resident vs. Non-Resident Trap
Here is the piece that catches non-resident applicants off guard. Some states on the “recognize” list only honor permits issued to residents of the issuing state. If your destination distinguishes between Arizona resident and non-resident permits, a general statement that the state “recognizes Arizona” is not enough. DPS does not break out that distinction on its reciprocity page, and the rules change as states update their agreements. Before you travel, look up the specific reciprocity rule of your destination state and confirm it honors Arizona non-resident permits, not just Arizona permits generally.
Validity and Renewal
An Arizona concealed weapons permit is valid for five years. Renewal is lighter than the original application: no new fingerprints, no additional training, just a fresh criminal history background check and a $43 fee, paid the same way as a new permit.
DPS mails a renewal reminder at least 60 days before expiration. You can submit a renewal no earlier than 90 days before expiration and no later than 60 days after. Miss that post-expiration window and you have to start over as a new applicant. Military members on active federal duty deployed overseas get an automatic extension until 90 days after deployment ends, and can renew within that same 90-day window on return.
Where the Permit Does Not Help
A permit does not authorize concealed carry everywhere. Firearms are prohibited on school grounds, at nuclear and hydroelectric facilities, and within 75 feet of a polling place on election day. Because many polling sites sit on school property, that 75-foot line often extends further in practice. Private property owners and businesses can ask you to leave or store your weapon, and ignoring the request can produce a criminal trespass charge.
Bars and restaurants with on-premises liquor licenses are their own category. You can carry concealed there only if you hold a valid permit and the establishment has not posted the specific no-firearms sign required by A.R.S. 4-229. You cannot consume any alcohol while armed; that is a separate criminal offense. This is also the setting where Arizona law requires you to have the physical permit on you and produce it to law enforcement on request. Failing to do so carries a civil penalty of up to $300 and an immediate suspension, though you can avoid a conviction by producing a valid permit to the court afterward.
Federal law is a hard ceiling the state permit cannot lift. Firearms are prohibited in any building owned or leased by the federal government where federal employees regularly work, including post offices, federal courthouses, Social Security offices, and VA facilities. The penalty runs up to one year in prison for a standard federal facility, and up to two years for a federal court facility.