LAWS

Arizona Law

Arizona law states that deadly weapons are prohibited on school grounds, both public and private (ARS 13-3102.A.12). A "deadly weapon" means anything designed for lethal use and includes firearms.

Additionally, designated employees of a school may order a person off of school property if that person is believed to be interfering with school operations. School boards may also enact specific and more restrictive rules governing firearms and deadly weapons on school grounds (ARS 13-2911). Determine the what the rules of a school are before attempting to enter school grounds with a firearm.

Federal Law:

Federal law does not preempt Arizona law. It does however, provide for federal jurisdiction if there is no state or local law in place addressing a specific situation or incident. The federal code that covers firearms in school zones is 18 USC 922(q). These statutes are very similar to Arizona statutes with a few exceptions, namely, a prohibition of the possession or discharge of firearms within a 1000 foot "buffer" zone around a school's property. There are several exceptions to these federal statutes. Federal law addresses both possession of a firearm (18 USC 922(q)(2)(A)) and discharge of a firearm (18 USC 922(q)(3)(A)) within a school zone. The term "school zone", as it applies to federal law, includes both school grounds and a 1000 foot "buffer" zone around the school grounds.