Arizona CCW Permit and Citizen’s Rights
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Loading ...By Doug Little on Jul 29, 2008 in AZ CCW Questions, Legal Issues
I received a question asking if a person applying for and receiving a CCW Permit gave up any of their legal rights as a result of having an Arizona CCW permit.
The short answer that you do not give up any of your legal rights by obtaining an Arizona CCW Permit.
Arizona is an ‘open carry’ state. That means that an individual that is legally permitted to possess a firearm can carry that firearm openly anywhere it is legal to have a firearm.
Having an AZ CCW permit means that you can still carry your firearm anywhere it is legal for you to have a firearm, but it can now be concealed.
There are a few things that you should know however…
- You cannot carry a firearm anywhere that it is not legal to have a firearm, regardless of your permit status.
- You must surrender your firearm to a police officer during a traffic stop (with or without a CCW). This is for their safety. The firearm will be returned to you at the conclusion of the stop.
- You must voluntarily agree to a criminal background check, including fingerprinting, when applying for a CCW permit.
Other than that, there is nothing different, rights wise, regarding having a CCW or not.
You do need to remember that having a CCW permit is a privilege, not a right. In that sense it is just like a driver’s license. If you screw up and break the law, they can take it away from you. But if you are a law abiding citizen and have not broken any laws, you don’t have anything to worry about.
