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Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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SB1600 • 2026

unlawful securing of firearms; minors

SB1600 - unlawful securing of firearms; minors

Children Crime Firearms
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Lela Alston, Flavio Bravo, Eva Diaz, Rosanna Gabaldón, Lauren Kuby, Catherine Miranda, Analise Ortiz, Kiana Sears, Priya Sundareshan, Janeen Connolly
Last action
2026-02-04
Official status
Senate second read
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific penalties or enforcement mechanisms, leaving these aspects unclear.

Unlawful Securing of Firearms by Minors

This bill makes it illegal for adults to leave firearms where minors can easily access them and sets penalties, with certain exceptions.

What This Bill Does

  • It is unlawful if a minor gains access to an unlocked firearm because the adult was not careful enough.
  • If a family member knows that a minor got hurt or died from using a gun they shouldn't have had, there is a seven-day waiting period before the adult can be arrested.
  • The bill lists situations where minors can use firearms without breaking the law if supervised by an adult for hunting or sports.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Adults who own firearms and have minors in their home or care.
  • Minors under seventeen years old.

Terms To Know

Affirmative defense
A reason that can be used to show a person did not break the law, even if what they did might seem illegal at first.
Class 6 felony
The least serious type of felony crime in Arizona's legal system.

Limits and Unknowns

  • It does not specify how the law will be enforced or what happens if someone breaks it.
  • There are no details on educating people about this new rule.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-04 Senate

    Senate second read

  2. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Senate Rules: None

  3. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Senate Judiciary and Elections: None

  4. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1600 - unlawful securing of firearms; minors

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB1600 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
unlawful securing of firearms; minors

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1600

Introduced by

Senators
Alston: Bravo, Diaz, Gabald�n, Kuby, Miranda, Ortiz, Sears, Sundareshan;�
Representative Connolly

AN
ACT

amending title 13, chapter 31, Arizona
Revised Statutes, by adding section 13-3123; relating to firearms.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Title 13, chapter 31, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 13-3123, to read:

START_STATUTE
13-3123.

Unlawful securing of a firearm; affirmative defense;
classification; definitions

A. A person commits unlawful securing
of a firearm if a minor obtains access to a readily dischargeable firearm
because the person with criminal negligence:

1. Fails to take steps that a
reasonable person would take to prevent the minor from accessing the firearm,
including placing the firearm in a locked container or temporarily rendering
the firearm inoperable by a trigger lock or other means.

2. Leaves the firearm in a place to
which the person knows or should know that the minor would gain access.

B. It is an affirmative defense to a
prosecution for a violation of this section if the minor:

1. Uses the firearm while being
supervised by a person who is eighteen years of age or older and the use is for
hunting, sporting or another lawful purpose.

2. Uses the firearm in the lawful
defense of a person or property.

3. Obtains the firearm by entering
into another person's property in violation of this title.

4. Uses the firearm while the person
is engaging in an agricultural enterprise.

5. Uses the firearm while engaging in
an activity included in section 13-3111,

subsection B.

C. A person may not be arrested for a
violation of this section until seven days after the day that the person
committed the offense if:

1. The person is the minor's family
member.

2. The minor's discharge of the
firearm caused the death of or serious physical injury to the minor.

D. A violation of this section is a
class 6 felony, except that if the minor discharges the firearm and causes the
death of or serious physical injury to the minor or another person it is a
class 4 felony.

E. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Family member" means
any person who:

(
a
) Is related
by blood, marriage or adoption to the minor.

(
b
) Is the
minor's current or former dating partner.

(
c
) Is acting
or has acted as the minor's legal guardian.

(
d
) Has
regularly resided in the same household as the minor within the previous year.

2. "Minor" means a person
who is under seventeen years of age.

3. "Readily dischargeable
firearm" means a firearm that is loaded with ammunition, whether or not a
round of ammunition is in the chamber.
END_STATUTE