NEWS RELEASE
Jan. 9, 2025
PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Commission proposes to amend its Article 2 rules, addressing licenses, permits, stamps, and tags, to enact amendments developed during the preceding Five-year Review Report.
The proposed amendments are designed to increase the effectiveness of the rules to meet the department’s mission, ensure consistency with state and federal statutes, and to increase the clarity of the existing rules.
AZGFD does not believe any of the proposed changes will increase the regulatory burden beyond that which is already required, and will instead serve the goal of simplifying processes, increasing the understandability of the rules, and increasing public accessibility for department services.
A copy of the proposed rulemaking is available now on the department’s website and the online Arizona Administrative Register. To read a summary of the proposed rulemaking, click HERE.
Please note that one of the proposed recommendations is to repeal R12-4-216 Crossbow Permit (both temporary and permanent permits), so crossbows would no longer be a legal method of take in archery-only seasons.
Be advised that, contrary to some misinformation claiming the department is “moving” crossbows from archery hunts to general hunts, that is not the case. The department is not removing disabled archers from all hunts, but rather, crossbows are no longer a reasonable accommodation in archery-only hunts.
Crossbows have been and ARE STILL LEGAL METHODS OF TAKE in HAM, Muzzleloader, and General hunts for elk, pronghorn, and deer. After Jan. 1, 2026, persons who possess a valid CHAMP can still hunt with a crossbow during archery-only seasons.
To see a more detailed clarification and rationale regarding the proposal to repeal R12-4-216 (Crossbow Permit), click HERE.
The department will accept written comments for 90 days following the publication of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Arizona Administrative Register on Jan. 3, 2025 (i.e., the comment deadline for this proposed rulemaking is April 2, 2025). Comments may be submitted via email to rulemaking@azgfd.gov or via the online comment form. The Game and Fish Commission may accept oral comments regarding Article 2 during regularly scheduled commission meetings in January, February, March and April. The department will be briefing the commission during the May 9, 2025, commission meeting in Kingman, Arizona.