Counties, municipalities, and local authorities or special districts, such as a school district, are often separately regulated by state laws regarding weapons in the workplace. This legislation may not allow the employer to ban employees from carrying weapons to work. Here is a summary of Arizona, Colorado, and Utah laws.
Arizona
Arizona is an open-carry state. Public entities are governed by A.R.S. 13-3102, which states a person violates the law by: “entering any public establishment or attending any public event and carrying a deadly weapon on his person after a reasonable request by the operator of the establishment or the sponsor of the event or the sponsor's agent to remove his weapon and place it in the custody of the operator of the establishment or the sponsor of the event for temporary and secure storage of the weapon pursuant to section 13-3102.01.”
However, the 2016 Arizona legislature passed a statute specifically stating the “governing board of an educational institution may not adopt or enforce any policy or rule that prohibits the lawful possession or carrying of a deadly weapon on a public right‑of‑way by a person or on or within a person's means of transportation.” It also restricted any political subdivision of the state from enacting laws contrary to state law.
Colorado
Before legislation passed in 2021, Colorado had a very strict concealed carry law that allowed concealed weapons in public places with a permit, unless there was a procedure for screening for weapons in the workplace. Many government entities could not afford the equipment or the staffing. So it seemed that employers were banned from prohibiting employees from carrying a concealed weapon to work, so long as the employee had a permit. This changed in 2021, and now, according to the amended legislation:
A local government, including a special district, or the governing board of an institution of higher education, including the board of directors of the Auraria higher education center, may enact an ordinance, resolution, rule, or other regulation that prohibits a permittee from carrying a concealed handgun in a building or specific area within the local government’s or governing board’s jurisdiction, or for a special district, in a building or specific area under the direct control or management of the district, including a building or facility managed pursuant to an agreement between the district and a contractor.
Utah
In Utah, a public sector employer may not have a policy banning firearms from the workplace. Secured facilities, such as correctional and mental health facilities, may impose weapons bans.
Utah public employers (defined as “local authorities and state entities”—including public school districts, public schools, and state institutions of higher education) may not prohibit individuals from possessing or keeping firearms at their place of business or in their vehicles. Specifically, Utah law requires public employers to allow employees to possess or keep a firearm at the individual’s place of business or in any vehicle lawfully in the individual’s possession or control, with some exceptions for secured facilities such as correctional and mental health facilities. Certain persons, including but not limited to federal officials, law enforcement officials, and judges, are exempt from these weapons laws.
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