Resident permit · CO → AZ
Is a Colorado Resident Permit Valid in Arizona?
Yes on both counts: permit reciprocity and permitless carry. Arizona recognizes Colorado resident permits and separately allows eligible adults for adults 21+ to carry without one.
Why
- Arizona recognizes valid carry permits from every US state.
- Arizona allows permitless carry for eligible adults 21+, which extends to visitors who may legally possess a handgun.
A.R.S. § 13-3112(Q): Arizona recognizes any other state's permit if it is valid in the issuing state and the holder is legally present and not prohibited — no resident-only condition, so non-resident permits qualify. But out-of-state permit holders under 21 may not carry concealed in Arizona (§ 13-3112(S)).
The permit (Colorado)
- Permit
- Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP)
- Issued by
- County sheriff
- Issue policy
- Shall-issue
The destination (Arizona)
- Recognition policy
- Honors permits from all states
- Permitless carry
- Yes (21+)
- Duty to inform
- No (present permit on demand)
- Magazine limit
- No state limit
Carry rules in Arizona
Crossing into Arizona swaps the rulebook. Here is what changes for a visiting carrier.
- No proactive duty, but if an officer asks whether you are carrying a concealed deadly weapon you must answer accurately (A.R.S. § 13-3102(A)(1)(b)); permit holders must present the permit for inspection on request (§ 13-3112(A), civil penalty up to $300).
- Arizona sets no state magazine-capacity limit for handguns.
- Arizona allows permitless concealed carry from age 21 for people who may legally possess a handgun, including eligible visitors.
- Anyone 21+ who may lawfully possess may carry a loaded handgun, concealed, in a vehicle without a permit; under-21s are limited to visible-holster or cased transport.
Off-limits places in Arizona
Arizona bans carry in 5 kinds of places. The first on the list:
- School grounds (K-12)
- Polling places on election day
Colorado vs Arizona: what changes at the state line
Crossing from Colorado into Arizona changes 3 rules: permitless carry (No → Yes (21+)); magazine limit (15 rounds → None); out-of-state permits honored (34 states → All states).
| Rule | Colorado | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Permitless carry | No | Yes (21+) |
| Duty to inform police | No | No |
| Magazine limit | 15 rounds | None |
| Out-of-state permits honored | 34 states | All states |
| Open carry | Yes, no permit | Yes, no permit |
Going the other way, an Arizona resident permit in Colorado: recognized — carry with your permit.
Driving on from Arizona
How a Colorado resident permit fares in the states bordering Arizona:
- California — Not recognized
- Nevada — Not recognized
- New Mexico — Recognized — carry with your permit
- Utah — Recognized — and permitless carry applies
Frequently asked questions
- Does Arizona honor a Colorado non-resident permit?
- Colorado does not issue non-resident carry permits (no non-resident permits. Armed-forces members stationed in Colorado on permanent duty station orders, and their immediate family living in Colorado, are deemed legal residents (C.R.S. 18-12-203(1)(a))), so the question does not arise.
- Can an Arizona resident permit holder carry in Colorado?
- Recognized — carry with your permit. Reciprocity is decided by the destination state, so the answer in this direction depends on Colorado's law, not Arizona's.
- Where does Arizona publish its official reciprocity list?
- Arizona 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
- 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
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - CHP Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation - Concealed Handgun Permit (CHP) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-203 - Criteria for obtaining a permit (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-204 - Permit contents, carrying requirements (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-214 - Authority granted by permit, carrying restrictions (CBI-hosted) — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado General Assembly - SB24-131 Prohibiting Carrying Firearms in Sensitive Spaces — accessed 2026-08-08
- Colorado Attorney General - statement on 15-round large-capacity magazine limit — accessed 2026-08-08
- C.R.S. 18-12-205 — permit fee not to exceed $100 (CBI-hosted PDF, via Wayback) — accessed 2026-09-27
- Colorado General Assembly — HB24-1174 Concealed Handgun Carry Permit Training — accessed 2026-09-27
- Colorado General Assembly — SB21-256 Local Regulation Of Firearms — accessed 2026-09-27
- Denver Police — Concealed Handgun Permits (local fee example) — accessed 2026-09-27