Firearm-related offenses make up a significant portion of criminal cases in federal courts, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports. In fact, in July 2025, the Justice Department’s records show that the government obtained 294.5 weapons convictions for every ten million people in the United States.
ARS misconduct involving weapons refers to violations under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-3102. This outlines various illegal actions involving firearms and other weapons in the state. And the gravity of the charges can range from minor felonies to full-blown felonies depending on the violations, prior criminal record, and the extent of the discretion applied.
Understanding these laws is essential, as convictions can lead to fines, imprisonment, and long-term restrictions on firearm ownership.
What Does ARS 13-3102 Prohibit?
The law defines weapon misconduct through A.R.S. § 13-3102, which prohibits people from performing multiple specific actions. The statute gives comprehensive legal guidance about weapon possession rights and weapon categories that people are restricted from using and about other actions that the statute considers illegal.
Forbidden acts include the carrying of concealed deadly weapons in vehicles while simultaneously committing felony and related offenses; illegal possession, manufacture, or distribution of deadly weapons; and removing, or attempting to remove, the serial number carried by the weapon.
The law determines which activities lead to weapon-related charges through police encounters because certain behaviors like providing incorrect details and hiding weapons without permission are treated as offenses. The law also prohibits people from carrying weapons into school buildings, entering polling places with weapons, and providing firearms to individuals they know will use them for felony activities.
The term “deadly weapon” describes all weapons that manufacturers create to kill people, with firearms being the most frequently prosecuted type. In addition, the law also identifies sawed-off shotguns and silencers and improvised explosive devices and Molotov cocktails and fully automatic firearms as prohibited weapons.
Penalties Under ARS 13-3102
ARS 13-3102 significantly classifies types of weapon crimes, which may belong to the category of misdemeanors or the category of felonies, based on the type of weapon, the use thereof under certain circumstances, and on the criminal history of the suspect.
Whoever carries or conceals any dangerous weapon on or about his person, concealed on or about his person, with the intent to use it in furtherance of a civil disorder commits a Class 1 misdemeanor. He shall be punished with probation and imprisonment for up to six months and a fine from $7500 to $2500 plus an 80 percent surcharge.
Felony classifications carry significantly steeper consequences. A person who sells or transfers a weapon to a prohibited possessor or defaces a firearm will face a Class 6 felony charge. The law classifies possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited possessor or weapon usage during particular felonies as a Class 4 felony, which carries a first-time offender prison sentence between one and 3.75 years.
The most severe offense, which involves a walk-by shooting into an occupied structure or firearm distribution to a known criminal terrorist, will result in charges for a Class 3 felony, which carries first-offense prison time between two and 8.75 years.
The penalties from convictions extend beyond immediate punishments to include permanent loss of firearm rights and employment challenges and hefty financial costs.
Statutory Defenses
Military personnel and police officers can avoid prosecution for most offenses under the law. But the law defines specific defenses, which is ARS 13-3102.
A person carrying a firearm in a holster that is wholly or partially visible also has a statutory defense to charges involving concealed carry.
The case will determine what defenses are available among upstream and downstream knowledge, lawful possession, and constitutional search and seizure violations.
Key Points
ARS 13-3102 is one of the broadest firearms-related criminal statues in the United States, which includes everything from possession of prohibited weapons to transferring illegal weapons to concealed carry offenses. The offense is decided based on facts; defendants’ criminal history may be taken into account when determining how best to punish a defendant convicted of a criminal violation.
There are several defenses known to the law, but there is considerable specificity when it comes to their interaction with the facts. If you find yourself subject to allegations contemplated by this statute, promptly seek advice from a licensed criminal defense attorney.
