POLL: 81% of Arizona Voters Support Universal Background Checks for Gun Purchases

81% of Arizona Voters Support Universal Background Checks for Gun Purchases

Bipartisan Consensus on Background Checks; More Comprehensive Measures Face Divided Electorate

PHOENIX (March 12th, 2026) – Universal background checks for all gun sales — including private sales and gun show transactions — draw overwhelming bipartisan support from Arizona voters, with 81% in favor and only 16% opposed, according to a new AZPOP survey from OH Predictive Insights. The finding places background check expansion as one of the most broadly popular gun policies tested in the current survey cycle.

Arizona is a state with deep gun culture roots — it consistently ranks among the top states for per-capita gun ownership, has permitless concealed carry, and has no state-level background check requirements for private gun sales. The 81% support for universal background checks, which includes 71% of self-identified Republicans, reflects the complex relationship Arizona voters have with gun rights: broadly supportive of Second Amendment rights and gun ownership, but also supportive of reasonable safety measures that address criminal access to firearms.

"Arizona gun owners are not monolithic opponents of every gun safety measure," says OHPI Chief of Research Mike Noble. "The background check issue in particular draws overwhelming support because most gun owners already go through background checks for their own purchases and don't see why private sales should be any different."

Red flag laws — which allow courts to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others — draw 62% support and 34% opposition. Support for red flag laws has increased 8 points since 2018, reflecting the impact of several high-profile shootings in which the perpetrators had documented histories of threatening behavior.

More contentious measures face a more divided electorate. Restrictions on assault-style weapons draw 54% support and 42% opposition — a near-even split reflecting the contested definition of "assault weapon" and Second Amendment concerns. A 10-day waiting period for all handgun purchases gets 48% support and 47% opposition.

The survey also tested support for safe storage requirements: 72% support mandating safe storage of firearms in homes with children — a result consistent with the popularity of child safety framing across partisan lines.

Arizona's congressional delegation is likely to face pressure on the background check issue in the 2026 campaign cycle, given the 81% bipartisan support and the continued salience of gun violence as a voter concern.

Methodology: AZPOP conducted March 7–9, 2026. n=600 Arizona Registered Voters. ±4.0% MOE.