Arizona CCW reciprocity currently extends to roughly 37 states, giving the Arizona concealed weapons permit one of the broader footprints in the country. Three of those states honor only the Arizona resident permit, and twelve states plus the District of Columbia do not recognize it at all. Because Arizona itself allows permitless concealed carry for anyone 21 or older who can legally possess a firearm, the permit’s practical value shows up almost entirely when you cross a state line.
States That Honor an Arizona Permit
The following states recognize a valid Arizona concealed carry permit, based on the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s reciprocity records.1Arizona Department of Public Safety. Concealed Weapons and Permits Some of them also allow permitless carry for their own residents, but your Arizona permit is what authorizes you to carry there as a visitor.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Colorado (resident permit only)
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Michigan (resident permit only)
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania (resident permit only)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Resident vs. Non-Resident Permits
Arizona issues permits to both residents and U.S. citizens living in other states, and the two versions are not treated identically everywhere. Colorado, Michigan, and Pennsylvania will honor only the Arizona resident permit. If you carry an Arizona non-resident permit into any of those three states, it is not valid there. Every other state on the recognition list accepts both versions.
States That Do Not Honor an Arizona Permit
Carrying concealed in any of the following jurisdictions on an Arizona permit alone would be illegal, and penalties range from misdemeanor charges to felony prosecution depending on the state.
- California
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Washington
The District of Columbia also does not recognize Arizona permits.1Arizona Department of Public Safety. Concealed Weapons and Permits If you need to carry in one of these states, you would have to apply for that state’s own permit where available.
What Reciprocity Does Not Give You
Reciprocity means a state recognizes your Arizona permit as valid. It does not mean that state’s carry laws match Arizona’s. The rules below shift at every state line, and this is where Arizona permit holders most often run into trouble.
Duty to Inform Law Enforcement
Arizona only requires you to answer truthfully if an officer asks whether you are carrying. Several reciprocity states are stricter. In Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Texas, among others, you must tell a police officer you are carrying a concealed firearm at the start of any encounter, without waiting to be asked. Getting this wrong can turn a routine traffic stop into an arrest.
Magazine Capacity Limits
Arizona has no magazine capacity restrictions. Several places you may drive through or visit do, and a valid permit does not shield you from a magazine charge. Colorado caps magazines at 15 rounds. California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York all set the limit at 10. Illinois allows 15 rounds for handguns and 10 for long guns. Washington bans the sale of magazines holding more than 10 rounds. Check the magazines you plan to carry against the laws of your destination and every state along your route.
Carrying Where Alcohol Is Served
Arizona allows concealed carry in restaurants that serve alcohol as long as you are not drinking and the establishment has not posted a compliant no-carry sign. Roughly 15 states prohibit concealed carry in any portion of an establishment that primarily serves alcohol for on-premises consumption. Others let you carry in the dining area but not the bar section. Assuming Arizona’s permissive rule travels with you can produce a misdemeanor charge or worse.
No-Firearms Signs
In Arizona, a “no guns” sign on a private business generally does not carry criminal penalties on its own; you can be asked to leave and face trespassing charges only if you refuse. Other states treat posted signs very differently. In Texas, properly formatted signs that cite the specific statute have the force of law, so entering while armed is itself a criminal offense. Ohio, South Carolina, and several other states also give legal weight to posted signage. Confirm how the state you are visiting handles signs before relying on the Arizona approach.
Federal Property Is Off-Limits Everywhere
No state permit, and no reciprocity agreement, overrides federal law. Firearms are prohibited in federal buildings where federal employees regularly work, with penalties of up to one year in prison for general federal facilities and up to two years for federal courthouses.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 930 – Possession of Firearms and Dangerous Weapons in Federal Facilities That includes post offices, Social Security offices, VA buildings, federal courthouses, and any other building owned or leased by the federal government. The exemptions are narrow and cover authorized law enforcement and military personnel acting in their official capacity.
National parks are treated differently. Federal law allows you to carry a firearm in a unit of the National Park System as long as you comply with the laws of the state where the park sits and you are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm.3National Park Service. Firearms in National Parks If the park is in a reciprocity state, your Arizona permit works there. Buildings inside the park that are staffed by federal employees, like visitor centers, still fall under the federal building prohibition.
Driving Through a Non-Reciprocal State
The Firearm Owners Protection Act gives you a federal safe-passage protection when transporting firearms through states where you have no carry rights, provided you can legally possess the firearm at both your origin and your destination. The firearm must be unloaded and kept where it is not readily accessible from the passenger compartment. If your vehicle has no trunk or separate cargo area, the firearm must be in a locked container other than the glove compartment or center console.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 926A – Interstate Transportation of Firearms
The protection has real limits. Courts have interpreted the safe-passage provision as an affirmative defense rather than immunity from arrest, which means you can still be detained, arrested, and required to argue the federal protection in front of a judge. Gun owners traveling in full compliance have been arrested at airports in New York and New Jersey and had their firearms confiscated. If your route runs through a non-reciprocal state, plan to pass through rather than stop overnight, and understand that the federal statute will not prevent an arrest in a hostile jurisdiction even if it eventually gets the charges dismissed.
Verify Before Every Trip
Reciprocity agreements are not permanent. States add and drop agreements, change the terms on which they honor out-of-state permits, or move to permitless-carry systems that shift how non-resident permits are treated. The Arizona Department of Public Safety maintains a reciprocity table on its concealed weapons permit page, which is the authoritative starting point for checking current recognition.1Arizona Department of Public Safety. Concealed Weapons and Permits Before any trip, verify reciprocity at your destination and every state along the route, check local rules on magazine capacity and restricted locations, and confirm whether that state imposes a duty to inform law enforcement.