As Arizona prepares for its 2026 legislative session, Republican lawmakers have set the stage with proposals aimed at broadening gun rights across the state. These bills, if passed, could significantly alter where and how firearms are carried.
Two proposed pieces of legislation seek to reverse existing constraints on concealed carry at educational institutions and commercial establishments. Presently, colleges and universities have the autonomy to enforce their own concealed weapon policies. However, Sen. Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) is pushing a bill that would eliminate this autonomy.
Similar legislation was previously vetoed by Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs.
In parallel, Sen. Janae Shamp (R-Surprise) has introduced a bill that would prevent businesses from prohibiting concealed firearms on their premises, with an exception for patrons consuming hard liquor.
This would mean that businesses could no longer use signage to deter individuals from carrying firearms on their property.
Additionally, Sen. Rogers has proposed other legislative changes. One bill would eliminate any restrictions on the use of silencers, and another aims to reduce the cost of concealed carry permits for Arizona residents to just 10% of what non-residents pay. Both proposals were previously vetoed by Gov. Hobbs.
Another significant proposal from Rogers includes a measure to ban the government from maintaining lists or registries of gun owners or sellers, unless they are tied to criminal investigations. The bill explicitly states: “A government entity may not knowingly keep or cause to be kept any list, record or registry of privately owned firearms or the owners of the firearms.”
Under this legislation, the attorney general or county attorney would need to investigate any alleged breaches and apply fines if necessary. This proposal, like others, has also faced vetoes from Gov. Hobbs in past sessions.
