Where Your Arizona CCW Permit Is Honored (and How It Skips the NICS Check)

Arizona is a constitutional carry state: if you're 21 or older and can legally own a gun, you can carry concealed here without a permit. So why do thousands of Arizonans still get a CCW permit every year? Two big reasons: it lets you carry legally in 36 other states, and it can take the place of the federal background check when you buy a gun from an Arizona dealer. Here's how both work.

Where your Arizona CCW permit is honored

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, these 36 states recognize an Arizona concealed weapons permit. Most honor it automatically; the ones marked ◆ honor it under a written agreement with Arizona.

• Alabama
• Alaska ◆
• Arkansas ◆
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho ◆
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio ◆
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania ◆
• South Carolina
• South Dakota ◆
• Tennessee
• Texas ◆
• Utah
• Virginia
• West Virginia ◆
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

States that do not honor an Arizona permit

• California
• Connecticut
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington
• Washington, D.C.

Vermont is a special case: it doesn't recognize any permits, but it also doesn't require one, since it has never had a permit system. Check Vermont's current law before you carry there.

Before you travel: 5 things to check

1. Confirm reciprocity before every trip. Agreements change. Arizona DPS says permit holders are responsible for confirming with the state they're visiting. Check that state's attorney general or state police website.
2. Your permit, their rules. Reciprocity lets you carry, but you follow the other state's laws: where you can carry, vehicle rules, magazine limits, and whether you must tell an officer you're armed.
3. Age. Arizona issues permits at 19 to active-duty military and veterans. Some states only honor permits held by people 21 or older.
4. Residency. A few states only honor permits issued to residents of the issuing state. If you live outside Arizona and hold an Arizona permit, check the rules for those states.
5. Keep it current. Your Arizona permit is good for 5 years. An expired permit is not honored anywhere.

How your CCW permit replaces the NICS background check

Normally, when you buy a gun from a licensed dealer, you fill out ATF Form 4473 and the dealer runs your name through the FBI's NICS background check. Under the federal Brady Act, a state permit that ATF has approved can take the place of that check, and ATF lists the Arizona CCW permit as a qualifying permit.

Here's what that means at the counter:

• No NICS call, no delays. Show your valid Arizona CCW permit with your ID, and the dealer can complete the sale without waiting on a background check. No "delayed" results, no 3-day wait.
• You still fill out the 4473. The permit replaces the background check, not the paperwork. The dealer records your permit on the form.
• It has to be valid and current. Federal law only accepts permits issued within the last 5 years, and an Arizona permit lasts 5 years, so any unexpired Arizona permit qualifies. A suspended or revoked permit doesn't count.
• It only works in Arizona. The permit has to be issued by the state where you're buying, so your Arizona permit works at Arizona dealers, not out of state.
• The dealer can still choose to run NICS. Dealers are allowed to accept the permit, not required to.

Buying at Guns 2 Ammo? Bring your Arizona CCW permit along with your driver's license or state ID.

How to get your Arizona CCW permit

You'll need to complete an approved firearms safety course, then apply to Arizona DPS with your fingerprints and the state fee. Our Arizona CCW class handles most of it in one Saturday: it's a 4-hour classroom course, and we complete your DPS application and take your fingerprints in class. You just mail your packet with the $60 state fee. For the full process, see How to Get an Arizona CCW Permit in 2026.

Sources: Arizona Department of Public Safety, Concealed Weapons Permit reciprocity table (as of May 28, 2024); ATF Permanent Brady Permit Chart. General information current as of October 2026, not legal advice. Reciprocity and carry laws change; confirm with the state you're visiting before you travel.