How Old Do You Have to Be to Own a Handgun in Arizona?

In Arizona, you have to be 18 to legally own a handgun, but the age that matters depends on what you plan to do with it. Simple possession and open carry start at 18. Buying from a federally licensed dealer requires 21. Carrying concealed also requires 21, unless you are an active-duty service member or a qualifying veteran, in which case you can get a permit at 19. Minors under 18 can only possess a handgun in specific supervised situations.

Age Thresholds at a Glance

Under 14: handgun possession only on qualifying private property or while accompanied by a parent, grandparent, guardian, or certified instructor.
14 to 17: the same, plus supervised target practice, organized shooting events, and lawful hunting with parental consent.
18 to 20: legal possession and open carry. Can buy from a private seller. Cannot buy from a licensed dealer and cannot carry concealed. Can transport a handgun in a vehicle if it is properly cased or stored.
19 or older with military service: eligible for a Concealed Weapons Permit with proof of active service or an honorable or general discharge.
21 and older: full privileges. Can buy from any legal seller, carry concealed without a permit, and apply for a CWP for reciprocity in other states.

Possession Starts at 18

Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-3111 makes it illegal for anyone under 18 who has not been legally emancipated to knowingly carry or have a firearm within their immediate control in any public place.¹ Federal law does the same. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(x), a juvenile (anyone under 18) cannot possess a handgun or handgun ammunition except in narrow situations like employment, ranching, farming, target practice, hunting, and firearms instruction.² Both state and federal law set 18 as the baseline for general handgun possession.

Buying a Handgun: 21 From a Dealer, 18 From a Private Seller

This is where most young adults get confused. Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1), a federally licensed dealer cannot sell any firearm other than a rifle or shotgun to anyone the dealer knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under 21.² The same rule covers handgun ammunition. Every dealer sale also runs through a background check via the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.³

Private sales work differently. Federal law allows people between 18 and 20 to buy handguns from non-licensed sellers.³ Arizona adds no state-level age restriction on top of the federal minimum and does not require background checks for private firearm sales. An 18-year-old in Arizona can legally buy a handgun from another private individual without state-mandated paperwork or a waiting period.

Open Carry at 18, Concealed Carry at 21

If you are 18 or older and not a prohibited possessor, you can openly carry a handgun in most public places in Arizona. Open carry means the firearm is visible rather than hidden by clothing or a bag. No permit is required.

Concealed carry has a higher age bar. Arizona is a constitutional carry state, so anyone 21 or older who can legally possess a firearm can carry it concealed without a permit.⁴ Carrying concealed while under 21 is classified as misconduct involving weapons.

Military and Veteran Exception at 19

Active-duty military members and veterans with an honorable or general discharge can apply for a Concealed Weapons Permit at 19 rather than 21. The applicant must provide evidence of current military service or proof of discharge.⁵ This is the only legal path to concealed carry before 21.

The Vehicle Trap for Ages 18 to 20

A handgun sitting in a center console or under a seat counts as concealed. That means an 18-year-old who tosses a loaded handgun in the glove box is technically committing misconduct involving weapons under ARS § 13-3102.⁴

The concealed-carry restriction does not apply to a weapon carried in a case, holster, scabbard, pack, or luggage within a vehicle, or stored in a glove compartment, trunk, or map pocket. An 18-year-old can legally transport a handgun in a vehicle by keeping it in a proper case, in a holster, or in the trunk. Just not loose and accessible.

When a Minor Under 18 Can Have a Handgun

Arizona carves out several situations where someone under 18 can legally possess a handgun under ARS § 13-3111(B):¹

On property owned or leased by the minor, their parent, grandparent, or guardian.
When accompanied by a parent, grandparent, guardian, or a certified firearms safety or hunter education instructor.
Between ages 14 and 17, with parental consent, for target practice at an established range, organized shooting events, or lawful hunting.

Federal law has similar carve-outs and adds an exception for self-defense against an intruder in the juvenile’s own residence.²

Meeting the Age Isn’t Enough If You’re a Prohibited Possessor

Arizona law bars certain people from possessing any firearm regardless of age. Under ARS § 13-3101, you are a prohibited possessor if any of the following apply:⁶

You have a felony conviction or juvenile felony adjudication and your firearm rights have not been formally restored.
A court has found you to be a danger to yourself or others, adjudicated you incompetent, or found you guilty except insane.
You are currently incarcerated, or on probation or parole for a felony or domestic violence offense.
You are an undocumented or nonimmigrant alien, with limited exceptions for valid hunting licenses or certain shooting events.

For young adults, the juvenile felony adjudication category matters most. A delinquency adjudication for a felony can bar handgun possession even after you turn 18, until a court restores your rights.

Penalties for Underage Possession

A violation of ARS § 13-3111 is a class 6 felony.¹ Law enforcement seizes the firearm on the spot, and a court typically orders it forfeited after adjudication.

For juveniles adjudicated delinquent, the penalties scale with the circumstances:

Unloaded firearm: up to a $250 fine. The court may suspend the minor’s driver’s license until age 18.
Loaded firearm: up to a $500 fine. The court may suspend the minor’s driver’s license until age 18.
Any firearm while in a motor vehicle: up to a $500 fine. The court must suspend the minor’s driver’s license until age 18, with a possible hardship exception for travel between home, school, and work.

Parents and guardians face consequences too. If a court finds that a parent knew or should have known about the minor’s unlawful possession and did nothing to stop it, the parent can be held jointly liable for any fines and for civil damages caused by the minor’s use of the firearm.¹

1
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13-3111 – Minors Prohibited From Carrying or Possessing Firearms; Exceptions; Seizure and Forfeiture; Penalties; Classification
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
3
USDOJ. Appendix C – History of Federal Firearms Laws in the United States
4
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13-3102 – Misconduct Involving Weapons; Defenses; Classification
5
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13-3112 – Concealed Weapons; Qualification; Application; Permit to Carry
6
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13-3101 – Definitions