State
CWD rules in Arizona
CWD zone status
Agency
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Last verified
June 16, 2026
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.
Bringing a carcass into Arizona
Arizona is the regulating authority for what you can bring in. 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/
Allowed for import
- 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
Restricted from import
- brain tissue
- spinal column
- intact skull with brain tissue
- head portions (other than clean skull/skull plate)
Handling + processing
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.
Taking a carcass out of Arizona
When you hunt in Arizona and bring the carcass to another state, that destination state sets the rule. Arizona is not currently listed as a CWD-affected state in our reading, but check the destination state's affected-state list, since designations change.
Arizona on the CWD map
- 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.
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.