Tucson 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.R.S. Sec. 13-3108 occupies the field of firearm and ammunition regulation and expressly voids any city or county ordinance more prohibitive than state law. Tucson learned this the hard way: in State ex rel. Brnovich v. City of Tucson (2017), the Arizona Supreme Court upheld a state statute (A.R.S. Sec. 12-1841) that conditions state shared revenue on local compliance with state preemption, and Tucson ended its destruction-of-seized-firearms policy as a result. Tucson now retains only the narrow authority that state law preserves: standard sales tax on firearms, limits on unaccompanied minors under 14 with hunting/marksmanship carve-outs, generally applicable business and zoning rules for firearm dealers, employee-conduct rules for city workers, and park-discharge rules with carve-outs for supervised ranges, hunting, and self-defense. Statewide, Arizona is permitless-carry — adults 21+ may carry openly or concealed without a permit under A.R.S. Sec. 13-3112(N).
Any Tucson ordinance more prohibitive than A.R.S. Sec. 13-3108 is null and void. The statute creates a private cause of action with a civil penalty up to $50,000 per knowing violation, plus attorney fees, and shared state revenue can be withheld under A.R.S. Sec. 12-1841.
See how Tucson's local firearms preemption rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.