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Origin → Destination

Bringing a carcass from Tennessee to Arizona

Arizona restricts which deer and elk parts you can bring in from out of state, including from Tennessee. You may generally bring back the lower-risk parts listed below; high-risk parts are prohibited. Rule codified at Arizona Admin. Code R12-4-305(I). AZGFD confirmed deer/elk populations remain CWD-free as of May 2025 (1,543 samples in 2024 all negative). AZGFD CWD page returned HTTP 403 to automated fetch; regulatory text verified via the Arizona Administrative Code (R12-4-305); zone status verified via AZGFD release https://www.azgfd.com/2025/05/18/arizonas-deer-elk-populations-still-remain-cwd-free/ Verify with the Arizona Game and Fish Department before transport.

Origin · Tennessee

CWD confirmed
brings the rule from the destination

Destination · Arizona

No known CWD
Reverse: AZ → TN

CWDCrossing provides informational summaries of state CWD carcass-transport regulations. Rules change annually pre-hunting-season; verify with both the origin and destination state wildlife agencies before transport. Failure to comply may result in citations. Not affiliated with the CWD Alliance, the National Deer Association, or any state agency.

What you can bring into Arizona

  • boneless portions of meat
  • meat cut and packaged personally or commercially
  • quarters or meat portions with no head, brain tissue, or spinal column attached
  • clean hides and capes with no head, brain tissue, or spinal column attached
  • clean skulls and skull plates with or without antlers (including velvet) with no brain tissue or spinal column attached
  • finished taxidermy mounts or products
  • upper canine teeth with no meat or tissue attached
Arizona Game and Fish Department — CWD: What Hunters Should Know (opens in a new tab)verified June 16, 2026

What's restricted in Arizona

  • brain tissue
  • spinal column
  • intact skull with brain tissue
  • head portions (other than clean skull/skull plate)
Arizona Game and Fish Department — CWD: What Hunters Should Know (opens in a new tab)verified June 16, 2026

Handling + processing requirements

Quarters/meat with bone attached and skull plates/capes in velvet must be transported directly to a licensed meat processor or taxidermist within Arizona. Brain/spinal column allowed only as required for proof of legality.

What to do before you transport

  1. Confirm the current rule directly with the Arizona Game and Fish Department before you transport anything.
  2. Keep proof of where you hunted — many states require a label with your name, license number, and the state of harvest.
  3. Tennessee has confirmed CWD detections; check whether Arizona applies a stricter rule to carcasses from CWD-affected states.
  4. If your route crosses additional states, check each one — a state you only drive through can still regulate possession in transit.

Tennessee and Arizona on the CWD map

ALAKAZARCACOCTDEDCFLGAHIIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNJNMNYNCNDOHOKORPARISCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWY
  • CWD confirmed in state
  • Under heightened surveillance
  • No known CWD detections

Zone status is informational, not a hazard rating. Detections expand over time — confirm current status with each state's wildlife agency.

Other destinations from Tennessee

TN → AlabamaTN → AlaskaTN → ArkansasTN → CaliforniaTN → Colorado

Check a different pair

The state you took the deer or elk in.

The state sets the rule for what you can bring in.

Verified against the Arizona Game and Fish Department on June 16, 2026Expert review in progress(state-DNR contact / wildlife biologist / hunting-org compliance officer)

CWDCrossing provides informational summaries of state CWD carcass-transport regulations. Rules change annually pre-hunting-season; verify with both the origin and destination state wildlife agencies before transport. Failure to comply may result in citations. Not affiliated with the CWD Alliance, the National Deer Association, or any state agency.

How we verifyPrimary-source manifestCWD-zone map