Mesa, AZ Firearms: Local Firearms Preemption (2026)
Key Facts
- Preemption Statute
- A.R.S. Sec. 13-3108
- Statewide Carry
- Permitless open & concealed carry (21+)
- What Mesa May Regulate
- Sales tax, minors <14, park discharge, employee conduct
- What's Preempted
- Transport, possession, carry, sale, transfer, purchase, storage, licensing, registration, discharge, use
- Civil Penalty
- Up to $50,000 per knowing violation + fees
Summary
Mesa cannot enact local firearm ordinances. Arizona Revised Statutes Section 13-3108 preempts municipal regulation of firearm transport, possession, carry, sale, purchase, storage, licensing, registration, discharge, and use. Any local rule more prohibitive than state law is void.
A. Except as provided in subsection G of this section, a political subdivision of this state shall not enact any ordinance, rule or tax relating to the transportation, possession, carrying, sale, transfer, purchase, acquisition, gift, devise, storage, licensing, registration, discharge or use of firearms or ammunition or any firearm or ammunition components or related accessories in this state.
B. A political subdivision of this state shall not require the licensing or registration of firearms or ammunition or any firearm or ammunition components or related accessories or prohibit the ownership, purchase, sale or transfer of firearms or ammunition or any firearm or ammunition components, or related accessories.
C. A political subdivision of this state shall not require or maintain a record in any form, whether permanent or temporary, including a list, log or database, of any of the following:
1. Any identifying information of a person who leaves a weapon in temporary storage at any public establishment or public event, except that the operator of the establishment or the sponsor of the event may require that a person provide a government issued identification or a reasonable copy of a government issued identification for the purpose of establishing ownership of the weapon. The operator or sponsor shall store any provided identification with the weapon and shall return the identification to the person when the weapon is retrieved. The operator or sponsor shall not retain records or copies of any identification provided pursuant to this paragraph after the weapon is retrieved.
2. Except in the course of a law enforcement investigation, any identifying information of a person who owns, possesses, purchases, sells or transfers a firearm.
3. The description, including the serial number, of a weapon that is left in temporary storage at any public establishment or public event.
D. A political subdivision of this state shall not enact any rule or ordinance that relates to firearms and is more prohibitive than or that has a penalty that is greater than any state law penalty. A political subdivision's rule or ordinance that relates to firearms and that is inconsistent with or more restrictive than state law, whether enacted before or after July 29, 2010, is null and void.
Full Breakdown
A.R.S. Sec. 13-3108 reserves to the Arizona Legislature the entire field of firearm and ammunition regulation and expressly voids any city or county ordinance that is 'more prohibitive than or that has a penalty that is greater than any state law penalty.' Mesa retains only the narrow set of powers state law preserves: standard sales tax on firearms and ammunition at the rate applied to other goods, limits on unaccompanied minors under 14 (with hunting, marksmanship, and agricultural carve-outs), generally applicable business and zoning rules for firearm dealers, employee-conduct rules for city workers, and limits on firearm discharge in city parks (with carve-outs for supervised ranges, approved hunting areas, nuisance-wildlife control, and self-defense). Statewide, adults 21+ may carry openly or concealed without a permit under A.R.S. Sec. 13-3112(N) (permitless or 'constitutional' carry).
Violations & Fines
Any Mesa ordinance more prohibitive than A.R.S. Sec. 13-3108 is null and void. The statute provides a private cause of action with a civil penalty up to $50,000 per knowing violation, plus attorney fees and costs, and state shared revenue can be withheld under A.R.S. Sec. 12-1841.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Mesa ban handguns or assault weapons?
What firearm rules apply in Mesa?
Are there any local firearm restrictions in Mesa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa
Compare Mesa to another location·View the Arizona firearms overview
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Local Firearms Preemption in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle local firearms preemption.