No. You do not have to register a gun in Arizona. The state has no firearm registry, and state law prohibits any city, county, or state agency from creating one. The only firearms that must be registered by an Arizona owner are those regulated under the federal National Firearms Act, such as machine guns, silencers, and short-barreled rifles, and that registration is handled by the federal government, not the state.
No State or Local Gun Registry in Arizona
Arizona’s position on registration isn’t a quiet omission. It’s written into statute twice.
Under ARS § 13-3108, no political subdivision of the state can pass any ordinance or rule relating to the registration of firearms, ammunition, or accessories.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3108 – Firearms Regulated by State; State Preemption Any local rule about firearms that is more restrictive than state law is automatically void, whether it was enacted before or after the preemption law took effect in 2010.
ARS § 13-3118 goes a step further and bars the state itself and its agencies from enacting rules about the possession, transfer, or storage of firearms beyond what the legislature has put in statute.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3118 – Possession, Transfer or Storage of Firearms; Restrictions Prohibited; Exceptions Between the two, no level of government in Arizona can require you to register a firearm you own.
That means there is no form to file, no list to be on, and no renewal or address update tied to the gun itself. Buying a firearm, inheriting one, moving to Arizona with one, or building one at home does not trigger a state reporting obligation.
The One Exception: Federally Regulated NFA Firearms
The National Firearms Act requires certain restricted items to be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives before you can take possession.3Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. National Firearms Act These items include:
- Machine guns
- Short-barreled rifles (barrel under 16 inches)
- Short-barreled shotguns (barrel under 18 inches)
- Silencers
- Destructive devices
- “Any other weapons,” a catch-all category for certain concealable firearms not fitting other definitions
Acquiring an NFA item requires a federal application and a background check. A 2025 amendment to the tax code changed the cost structure. The $200 transfer tax now applies only to machine guns and destructive devices. All other NFA items, including silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and “any other weapons,” carry a $0 transfer tax.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 5811 – Transfer Tax Even where no tax is owed, the registration and approval process still applies.
As of February 2026, ATF processing times for NFA transfers have dropped considerably. An individual filing electronically through the eForms system can expect an average wait of about 10 days for a Form 4 transfer, though some applications take longer depending on volume and whether additional research is needed.5Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Current Processing Times
This federal registration is the only registration an Arizona gun owner may be legally required to complete, and only if the firearm is an NFA item. Ordinary handguns, rifles, and shotguns are not covered.
What Happens When You Buy From a Dealer
Buyers often think the paperwork at a gun shop counts as registering the gun. It doesn’t.
When you buy from a federally licensed dealer in Arizona, you complete ATF Form 4473, which collects your identifying information and screens for disqualifying factors.6Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF Form 4473 – Firearms Transaction Record Revisions The dealer then runs a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check through the FBI before completing the sale. The 4473 stays in the dealer’s records for federal compliance purposes. It is not a state registration, and no entry is made in any Arizona database tying you to the firearm.
Federal age limits apply at licensed dealers regardless of state law. You must be at least 21 to buy a handgun and at least 18 to buy a rifle or shotgun from an FFL.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Buyers under 21 may be subject to an enhanced review period of up to 10 business days while the FBI checks for disqualifying juvenile records under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
When Dealers Have to Report Multiple Purchases
Two dealer-reporting rules do create a federal record of a specific transaction, though neither is a registration of the firearm to you.
If you buy two or more handguns from the same dealer at one time or within five consecutive business days, the dealer must report the sales to the ATF and local law enforcement on ATF Form 3310.4.8Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Reporting Multiple Firearms Sales or Other Dispositions Because Arizona borders Mexico, licensed dealers must also report when a buyer purchases two or more semi-automatic rifles capable of accepting a detachable magazine in a caliber greater than .22 (including .223/5.56) within the same five-business-day window.9Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. New Reporting Requirement for Type 07 and Type 08 This rule applies in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. The reporting duty falls on the dealer, not you.
Private Sales Between Arizona Residents
Arizona does not require a background check for private sales between two residents. There is no state-mandated paperwork, no transfer form, and no state record of the transaction. This is where Arizona differs most sharply from states that route all sales through a licensed dealer.
That freedom still has legal boundaries. Selling or transferring a firearm to someone you know or reasonably believe is a prohibited possessor is a class 6 felony under Arizona law.10Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 13-3102 – Misconduct Involving Weapons; Defenses; Classification Arizona defines prohibited possessors in ARS § 13-3101, covering people with felony convictions whose rights have not been restored, certain mental health adjudications, people on probation or parole for felonies or domestic violence offenses, and others.11Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3101 – Definitions Selling or giving a firearm to a minor (anyone under 18) without written consent from a parent or legal guardian is also a class 6 felony.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3108 – Firearms Regulated by State; State Preemption
Federal law adds another layer. A “straw purchase,” where you buy a firearm from a dealer on behalf of someone who can’t legally buy one, carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine under 18 U.S.C. §§ 932–933. If the firearm is later used in a felony, a terrorist act, or drug trafficking, the maximum rises to 25 years.12Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Don’t Lie for the Other Guy
What Arizona Does Require Instead
Because registration doesn’t exist in Arizona, it’s worth knowing what the state does and doesn’t ask of gun owners.
Arizona has allowed “constitutional carry” since 2010. Any person who is at least 21 and not a prohibited possessor can carry a firearm, openly or concealed, without a permit. The state still issues an optional concealed weapons permit through the Department of Public Safety for $60 (new) or $43 (renewal), useful mainly for reciprocity when traveling, for carrying inside liquor-licensed establishments under ARS § 4-229, and as a NICS alternative when buying from a dealer.13Arizona Department of Public Safety. Concealed Weapons and Permits14Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 4-229 – Licenses; Handguns; Posting of Notice The CCW is a permit to carry, not a registration of any firearm.
Location restrictions still apply even though your guns don’t appear on any list. K-12 school grounds, polling places on election day, secure airport areas, jails, nuclear and hydroelectric generating stations, and federal buildings are all off-limits under state or federal law, with penalties ranging from class 1 misdemeanors to class 4 felonies depending on where you are and the circumstances.10Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 13-3102 – Misconduct Involving Weapons; Defenses; Classification Private property owners and the governing boards of public colleges and universities can also prohibit firearms on their premises.
So the short version holds: there is no gun to register in Arizona unless it falls under the National Firearms Act, and that single registration runs through the ATF rather than any state office.