Is an Arizona Non-Resident Permit Valid in New Mexico?
Conditionally. New Mexico honors the Arizona non-resident permit unless you live in New Mexico; outside that, it does not count there. New Mexico residents cannot carry concealed in New Mexico on this permit, and New Mexico has no permitless carry.
Why
- New Mexico's official reciprocity list includes Arizona.
- New Mexico does not honor an out-of-state permit held by a New Mexico resident.
DPS defines reciprocity as permission for 'an out of state license issued to a person who is not a New Mexico resident' to be used while visiting or passing through — the holder need not reside in the issuing state, but NM affords no reciprocity to any out-of-state license held by a New Mexico resident (10.8.2.29(H) NMAC). Several states that honor NM licenses (AL, AK, ID, MN, MT, TN, UT, WV, WI) are NOT honored by NM.
The permit (Arizona)
- Permit
- Arizona Concealed Weapons Permit (CCW)
- Issued by
- Arizona Department of Public Safety (Concealed Weapons Permit Unit)
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
- Issued to non-residents?
- Yes — AZDPS FAQ: non-residents may apply for an Arizona permit under the same requirements (A.R.S. § 13-3112 allows any qualifying US citizen or Arizona resident).
The destination (New Mexico)
- Recognition policy
- Honors a named list of 20 states
- Permitless carry
- No
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in New Mexico
Whatever your permit status, New Mexico law governs how you carry inside the state. The rules below matter most on a short trip.
- No proactive duty; a licensee carrying in public must display the license upon demand by a peace officer (10.8.2.16(D) NMAC). Consuming alcohol while carrying is prohibited (10.8.2.16(B)).
- New Mexico sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- New Mexico is not a permitless-carry state: concealed carry there requires a permit New Mexico recognizes.
- Anyone not otherwise prohibited may carry a loaded concealed firearm in a private vehicle (including motorcycles and bicycles) without a license, per the DPS FAQ.
Off-limits places in New Mexico
New Mexico bans carry in 6 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- Schools and preschools (limited private-vehicle exception)
- University premises
Arizona vs New Mexico: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Arizona into New Mexico changes 2 rules: permitless carry (Yes (21+) → No); out-of-state permits honored (All states → 20 states).
| Rule | Arizona | New Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | Yes (21+) | No |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | None | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | All states | 20 states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, a New Mexico non-resident permit in Arizona: no such permit issued.
Driving on from New Mexico
How an Arizona non-resident permit fares in the states bordering New Mexico:
Frequently asked questions
- Does New Mexico honor an Arizona resident permit?
- Recognized — carry with your permit. The verdict matches the non-resident permit on this page, but the conditions differ.
- Can a New Mexico non-resident permit holder carry in Arizona?
- New Mexico does not issue non-resident carry permits, so there is no such permit to carry in Arizona.
- Where does New Mexico publish its official reciprocity list?
- New Mexico publishes its recognition policy on an official state page, linked in the sources on this page. That page is the authority — check it shortly before travel, because recognition lists change without much notice.
Official sources
- NM Department of Public Safety — Concealed Carry Licenses (reciprocity table by state, prohibited places, vehicle carry FAQ) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NM DPS — Concealed Handgun Carry Act booklet with NMSA 29-19 and 10.8.2 NMAC (updated, effective 12/9/2025) — accessed 2026-08-08
- NM DPS — Concealed Carry Handgun Application (packet with fees) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Arizona DPS — Concealed Weapons and Permits (reciprocity, non-resident applications, age) — accessed 2026-08-08
- A.R.S. § 13-3112 (Arizona Legislature) — permit issuance and out-of-state permit recognition — accessed 2026-08-08
- A.R.S. § 13-3102 (Arizona Legislature) — misconduct involving weapons; permitless carry, duty to answer, prohibited places — accessed 2026-08-08
- A.R.S. § 13-3111 — minors prohibited from carrying or possessing firearms (AZ Legislature) — accessed 2026-09-27