PHOENIX — Did you know that an underage child can legally possess a gun in their home in Arizona without their parent's permission?
It's a "glitch" in Arizona law that was called to attention by County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. Mitchell explained the law in 2023, which states a child under the age of 18 can legally possess firearms on private property that is owned or leased by their parent or guardian— without that parent or guardian's permission.
Mitchell said law enforcement agencies have received calls from parents asking them to take guns away from their children— but the officers couldn't do anything because it would be against Arizona law.
“We have parents that are calling the police saying, 'We don't want our child to have a gun.' But yet the law allows a child to possess a gun within the house," Mitchell said. "And so we've asked the legislature to take a look at that, and to fix that loophole, not to take anybody's rights away of lawful gun ownership or responsible gun ownership. But when the parents don't want their child to have a gun in the parent's home, they should be able to address that.”
Now, one Arizona lawmaker wants to close the loophole.
Republican State Rep. Quang Nguyen will introduce HB 2819, which would update the law. The bill states that minors can possess guns on private properly only with the permission of their parent or guardian. Violating the law would be a felony.
The bill is expected to be introduced at the Arizona State Capitol this week.
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