Arizona includes machine guns in the definition of “prohibited weapon,” and prohibits anyone from knowingly manufacturing, possessing, transporting, selling, or transferring a prohibited weapon. However, this rule does not apply if the machine gun is possessed, manufactured, or transferred in compliance with federal law.¹ Federal law requires machine guns to be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and generally prohibits the transfer or possession of machine guns manufactured after May 19, 1986.²

Arizona law addresses the transfers of firearms regulated by federal law, which includes machine guns, as discussed above. Arizona’s law provides that if a chief law enforcement officer’s certification is required to complete the transfer of such a firearm, the chief law enforcement officer shall, within 60 days of receiving a request for a certification, “provide the certification if the applicant is not prohibited by law from receiving the firearm or is not the subject of a proceeding that could result in the applicant being prohibited by law from receiving the firearm. If the chief law enforcement officer is unable to provide a certification as required by this section, the chief law enforcement officer shall notify the applicant, in writing, of the denial and the reason for this determination.”³ The law also allows the chief law enforcement officer to refer applicants who are requesting a certification required by federal law to the county sheriff.⁴

 See Machine Guns & Automatic Firearms Policy Summary for for a comprehensive discussion of this issue. 

1. Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 13-3101(A)(8)(iii), (B), 13-3102(A)(3). [↩]
2. 18 U.S.C. § 922(o); 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d).[↩]
3. Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13-3121(A).[↩]
4. Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 13-3121(B).[↩]