Arizona Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Trespass Laws (2026)

Arizona's disorderly conduct statute, A.R.S. 13-2904, makes fighting, unreasonable noise, provocative abusive language and three other acts a class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. It is a class 6 felony when the act is recklessly handling, displaying or discharging a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument.

Criminal trespass has three degrees, graded by place, under A.R.S. 13-1502 to 13-1504. Most trespass is a misdemeanor, but entering or remaining unlawfully in a residential structure is a class 6 felony, and a critical public service facility posted with the signage the statute requires is a class 5 felony. For other states, see our guide to disorderly conduct and trespass laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-18. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Arizona's state criminal statutes on disorderly conduct and related public-order offenses in chapter 29 of Title 13, the emergency-order offense in Title 26, the liquor title's public-drinking rule and the public-intoxication rules in Title 36, criminal trespass in chapter 15 of Title 13, and the hunting-posting rules in A.R.S. 17-304. It does not cover local noise ordinances and quiet hours (see Arizona noise laws), the civil process for removing squatters (see Arizona squatters' rights), use of force against an intruder (see Arizona self-defense laws), civil trespass lawsuits, city or county ordinances, or federal property rules.

What counts as disorderly conduct in Arizona

Under A.R.S. 13-2904(A), a person commits disorderly conduct if, "with intent to disturb the peace or quiet of a neighborhood, family or person, or with knowledge of doing so," the person:

1. "Engages in fighting, violent or seriously disruptive behavior";
2. "Makes unreasonable noise";
3. "Uses abusive or offensive language or gestures to any person present in a manner likely to provoke immediate physical retaliation by such person";
4. "Makes any protracted commotion, utterance or display with the intent to prevent the transaction of the business of a lawful meeting, gathering or procession";
5. "Refuses to obey a lawful order to disperse issued to maintain public safety in dangerous proximity to a fire, a hazard or any other emergency"; or
6. "Recklessly handles, displays or discharges a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument."

The opening intent-or-knowledge clause applies to every paragraph, including the weapons paragraph, which adds its own recklessness element. The statute names the people whose peace is protected: "a neighborhood, family or person." Paragraph 2, unreasonable noise, is the state's general noise clause; for quiet hours and local noise limits, see our Arizona noise ordinance laws.

Is disorderly conduct a misdemeanor or a felony in Arizona?

It depends on the paragraph. A.R.S. 13-2904(B) provides: "Disorderly conduct under subsection A, paragraph 6 is a class 6 felony. Disorderly conduct under subsection A, paragraph 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 is a class 1 misdemeanor."

• Class 1 misdemeanor: up to 6 months in jail (A.R.S. 13-707(A)(1)) and a fine of up to $2,500 (A.R.S. 13-802(A)).
• Class 6 felony: for a first-time felony offender, A.R.S. 13-702(D) sets a presumptive term of 1 year, a range of 0.5 to 1.5 years, and mitigated and aggravated terms of 0.33 and 2 years. The fine for any felony may be up to $150,000 (A.R.S. 13-801(A)).

Under A.R.S. 13-604(A), for a class 6 felony that is not a dangerous offense, the court may enter the conviction as a class 1 misdemeanor if a felony sentence would be unduly harsh, or leave the offense undesignated until probation ends; this does not apply to a person with two or more prior felony convictions. Under 13-604(D), a prosecutor may file such a charge designating it a misdemeanor.

Arizona also has a general repeat-offense rule. Under A.R.S. 13-707(B), an adult convicted of a misdemeanor or petty offense, other than a traffic offense, who "has been convicted of one or more of the same misdemeanors or petty offenses within two years next preceding the date of the present offense shall be sentenced for the next higher class of offense."

Fighting, swearing and drinking in public

• Fighting. Fighting, or violent or seriously disruptive behavior, is paragraph 1 of 13-2904(A), a class 1 misdemeanor when done with the intent or knowledge the statute requires. Assault is a separate set of offenses; see Arizona assault laws.
• Swearing or insults. Paragraph 3 reaches abusive or offensive language or gestures only when used "to any person present in a manner likely to provoke immediate physical retaliation by such person."
• Drinking in public. Section 13-2904 has no intoxication clause. The liquor title makes it unlawful "for a person to consume spirituous liquor in a public place, thoroughfare or gathering" (A.R.S. 4-244(20)), and A.R.S. 4-246(A) makes a violation of the title a class 2 misdemeanor "unless another classification is prescribed": up to 4 months and $750. Being intoxicated in public is not itself an offense under these sections: A.R.S. 36-2031 bars counties and cities from making being found intoxicated an element of a criminal or civil offense, apart from impaired-operation offenses and rules on when, where and by whom alcohol may be sold or used. Under A.R.S. 36-2026(B), a peace officer who has reasonable cause to believe a person is intoxicated in a public place and may be a danger to self or others may take the person to a local alcoholism reception center.

Other public-order offenses in Arizona

Chapter 29 of Title 13 groups the public-order offenses. Among the offenses in the chapter, plus one emergency-order offense in Title 26, are these:

• Riot, A.R.S. 13-2903. "With two or more other persons acting together," recklessly using force or violence, or threatening to use force or violence "if such threat is accompanied by immediate power of execution, which disturbs the public peace." Class 5 felony. For this chapter, "public" means "affecting or likely to affect a substantial group of persons" (A.R.S. 13-2901(2)).
• Unlawful assembly, A.R.S. 13-2902. Assembling with two or more others intending to riot, or being present at an assembly of two or more others engaged in, or with the readily apparent intent to engage in, riot conduct "and knowingly remaining there and refusing to obey an official order to disperse." Class 1 misdemeanor.
• Loitering, A.R.S. 13-2905. Paragraph 4 covers being present in or about a school, college or university building or grounds "after a reasonable request to leave" when the person "either does not have any reason or relationship involving custody of or responsibility for a pupil or student or any other specific legitimate reason for being there or does not have written permission to be there from anyone authorized to grant permission." That form is a class 1 misdemeanor; the section's other forms (paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 5) are class 3 misdemeanors.
• Obstructing a highway or other public thoroughfare, A.R.S. 13-2906. Recklessly interfering with passage "by creating an unreasonable inconvenience or hazard," without legal privilege, is a class 2 misdemeanor, and "a second or subsequent violation within a period of twenty-four months is a class 1 misdemeanor." Intentionally interfering with passage, after a verbal warning to desist, in a way that keeps others from a governmental meeting, governmental hearing or political campaign event is a class 1 misdemeanor. A third form, in paragraph 2, involving a pedestrian signal, is a class 3 misdemeanor.
• Residential picketing, A.R.S. 13-2909. Intentionally picketing or demonstrating before or about an individual's residence, when it is intentionally directed at a resident and a reasonable person would find it "harassing, threatening or alarming" to a person there. Class 3 misdemeanor.
• Interference with an educational institution, A.R.S. 13-2911. Intentionally or knowingly entering or remaining on an educational institution's property to interfere with its lawful use, or refusing a lawful order given under subsection C, is a class 1 misdemeanor; the threat-based form in subsection A, paragraph 1 is a class 6 felony (A.R.S. 13-2911(J)).
• Interfering with a religious service or activity, A.R.S. 13-2925. Intentionally obstructing a person's ability to enter or exit a place of religious worship, or making a protracted commotion, utterance or display there that disrupts a religious service or activity. It is a class 1 misdemeanor, and a class 6 felony if the person has a prior conviction under the section, used "force, threats of force or physical intimidation," or obstructed entry or exit "with two or more other persons acting together." The section "does not apply to" peaceful picketing, protesting or other expressive activity, or to officers and first responders acting within their duties.
• Funeral and burial protests, A.R.S. 13-2930. No picketing or other protest activities "within three hundred feet of the property line of any residence, cemetery, funeral home, church, synagogue or other establishment during or within one hour before or one hour after the conducting of a funeral or burial service at that place." "Other protest activities" means any action that is disruptive or undertaken to disrupt or disturb the service. Class 1 misdemeanor.
• False reporting of an emergency, A.R.S. 13-2907. Initiating or circulating a report of a bombing, fire or other emergency, knowing it is false and intending to trigger an emergency-agency response, put someone in fear of imminent serious physical injury, or interrupt the use of a building, public place or means of transportation, is a class 1 misdemeanor, and a class 6 felony for a second or later violation. Knowingly making a false report of a serious offense involving a school or other educational institution or a place of worship, intending that it will cause an emergency response, is a class 6 felony. A convicted person is liable for the expenses of the emergency response or investigation (13-2907(C)).
• False reporting to law enforcement, A.R.S. 13-2907.01. Knowingly making a false, fraudulent or unfounded report or statement to a state or local law enforcement agency, or knowingly misrepresenting a fact, to interfere with the agency's operation or mislead a peace officer, is a class 1 misdemeanor.
• Violating a fire ban, A.R.S. 13-2913. Entering or remaining in a public building or on public property in violation of an order or rule limiting fires is a class 2 misdemeanor.
• Violating an emergency order, A.R.S. 26-317. Outside the criminal code, knowingly failing or refusing to obey a lawful order or regulation issued under Arizona's emergency-management chapter (Title 26, chapter 2) is a class 1 misdemeanor.

The chapter also includes, among others, criminal nuisance (13-2908, class 3 misdemeanor), aggressive solicitation (13-2914, a petty offense), public nuisance (13-2917, class 2 misdemeanor when committed knowingly) and harassment (13-2921, class 1 misdemeanor under subsection A). Chapter 29 contains no offense named breach of the peace or disturbing the peace; disorderly conduct fills that role.

Criminal trespass in Arizona

Arizona grades trespass by the kind of place, from third degree (least serious) to first degree. All three degrees require that the person act "knowingly."

Third degree: after a request to leave or notice (A.R.S. 13-1502)

A person commits criminal trespass in the third degree by:

1. "Knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully on any real property after a reasonable request to leave by a law enforcement officer, the owner or any other person having lawful control over such property, or reasonable notice prohibiting entry"; or
2. "Knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully on the right-of-way for tracks, or the storage or switching yards or rolling stock of a railroad company."

It is a class 3 misdemeanor: up to 30 days and a fine of up to $500. Under 13-1502(B), a request to leave by a law enforcement officer "acting at the request of the owner" or other person in lawful control "has the same legal effect as a request made by the property owner."

Second degree: nonresidential structures and commercial yards (A.R.S. 13-1503)

Knowingly "entering or remaining unlawfully in or on any nonresidential structure or in any fenced commercial yard" is a class 2 misdemeanor: up to 4 months and $750.

First degree: homes, yards and posted facilities (A.R.S. 13-1504)

First-degree criminal trespass has six forms, with three different grades:

A "residential structure" is "any structure, movable or immovable, permanent or temporary, that is adapted for both human residence and lodging whether occupied or not" (A.R.S. 13-1501(11)). A "fenced residential yard" is the property immediately surrounding or adjacent to a residential structure and enclosed by a fence, wall, building or similar barrier (A.R.S. 13-1501(5)).

Critical public service facilities: the sign requirement

The class 5 felony depends on signage. Under A.R.S. 13-1501(1), a "critical public service facility" is "a structure or fenced yard that is posted with signage indicating it is a felony to trespass or signage indicating high voltage or high pressure" and is used by one of the listed operators: a mass transit provider, a public or private utility or political subdivision providing gas, electricity or a combustible substance through a delivery system "that is not a retail-only facility," a telecommunications carrier, a municipal provider, a law enforcement agency, a fire department or an emergency medical service provider. A second paragraph extends the same posted-signage rule to structures, fenced yards and equipment used to manufacture, extract, transport, distribute or store gas, oil, electricity, water or hazardous materials.

What "enter or remain unlawfully" means, and the shoplifting carve-out

A.R.S. 13-1501(2) defines "enter or remain unlawfully" as entering or remaining "when the person's intent for so entering or remaining is not licensed, authorized or otherwise privileged except when the entry is to commit theft of merchandise displayed for sale during normal business hours, when the premises are open to the public and when the person does not enter any unauthorized areas of the premises." So under the chapter 15 definition, entering a store that is open to the public during normal business hours to steal displayed merchandise, without going into unauthorized areas, is not entering unlawfully, and it is not trespass or burglary on that basis; the theft itself remains a crime.

Asked to leave a store or other property

The third-degree offense is built around a request to leave: a "reasonable request to leave" from a law enforcement officer, the owner or another person with lawful control, or "reasonable notice prohibiting entry" (A.R.S. 13-1502(A)(1)). An officer's request made at the owner's request counts the same as the owner's (13-1502(B)).

Do I need a no trespassing sign? Is there a purple paint law?

For general trespass, chapter 15 does not prescribe a sign: the third-degree offense turns on "a reasonable request to leave" or "reasonable notice prohibiting entry." Chapter 15 contains no paint-mark provision, so Arizona's criminal trespass statutes have no purple paint rule.

The paint rule in A.R.S. 17-304(C) is orange, and it applies to hunting, fishing, trapping and guiding notices. Those signboards must be at least 8 by 11 inches, with capital, bold-faced lettering at least 1 inch high, carry the words "no trespassing," "no hunting," "no trapping," "no fishing" or "no guiding," and be "conspicuously placed on a structure or post at all points of vehicular access, at all property or fence corners and at intervals of not more than one-quarter mile along the property boundary." A post with 100 square inches or more of orange paint, covering "the entire aboveground surface of the post facing outward and on both lateral sides from the closed area," may serve only as the interval notices between corners and points of vehicular access.

Under A.R.S. 17-304(D), entry "for the taking of wildlife" is not grounds for a criminal trespass charge under 13-1502 unless the land is posted under 17-304 with signs that also say "no trespassing," or the person knowingly remains after a reasonable request to leave or knowingly disregards reasonable notice prohibiting entry.

Squatters and force against trespassers

Chapter 15 contains no separate squatting offense; entering or remaining unlawfully in a residential structure is first-degree criminal trespass, a class 6 felony. The civil removal process is covered on our Arizona squatters' rights page, and the rules on force against an intruder are on Arizona self-defense laws.

Is trespassing a felony in Arizona?

Only three first-degree forms are felonies: a residential structure (class 6), desecrating religious property (class 6) and a posted critical public service facility (class 5). For a first-time felony offender, A.R.S. 13-702(D) sets a class 5 presumptive term of 1.5 years, a range of 0.75 to 2 years, and mitigated and aggravated terms of 0.5 and 2.5 years. Unlawful entry with intent to commit any theft or any felony inside is burglary: third degree (nonresidential structure or fenced commercial or residential yard) is a class 4 felony (A.R.S. 13-1506), and second degree (residential structure) is a class 3 felony (A.R.S. 13-1507). First-degree burglary (A.R.S. 13-1508), knowingly possessing explosives, a deadly weapon or a dangerous instrument during the burglary, is a class 3 felony for a nonresidential structure and a class 2 felony for a residential structure.

Arizona disorderly conduct and trespass penalties at a glance

Misdemeanor jail ceilings come from A.R.S. 13-707(A) and fine ceilings from A.R.S. 13-802; first-offense felony terms come from the table in A.R.S. 13-702(D) (the low and high figures in parentheses are its mitigated and aggravated terms), and the felony fine ceiling from A.R.S. 13-801(A). An adult convicted of the same misdemeanor within the preceding two years is sentenced for the next higher class (A.R.S. 13-707(B)). A non-dangerous class 6 felony may be entered as a class 1 misdemeanor or left undesignated in the cases A.R.S. 13-604 allows. For the full class table, see Arizona felony and misdemeanor classes.

Federal law separately governs conduct on federal property and at the U.S. Capitol; our state-by-state disorderly conduct and trespass guide covers that layer.

Related Arizona and state-by-state guides

• Disorderly conduct and trespass laws by state
• Arizona noise ordinance laws
• Arizona felony and misdemeanor classes
• Arizona squatters' rights
• Arizona assault laws
• Arizona self-defense laws
• New Mexico disorderly conduct and trespass laws

This article provides general legal information about Arizona law as of 2026-10-18. It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Arizona.

Last updated: 2026-10-18.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is disorderly conduct a misdemeanor in Arizona?

Usually. Under A.R.S. 13-2904(B), paragraphs 1 to 5 are a class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. Recklessly handling, displaying or discharging a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument (paragraph 6) is a class 6 felony.

Is disorderly conduct with a weapon a felony in Arizona?

Yes. Disorderly conduct under 13-2904(A)(6), recklessly handling, displaying or discharging a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument with intent to disturb the peace or knowledge of doing so, is a class 6 felony. For a first-time felony offender, 13-702(D) sets a presumptive term of 1 year.

Can you get disorderly conduct for swearing in Arizona?

Section 13-2904(A)(3) covers abusive or offensive language or gestures only when used to a person present in a manner likely to provoke immediate physical retaliation, and only with intent to disturb the peace or knowledge of doing so.

Is drinking in public illegal in Arizona?

A.R.S. 4-244(20) makes it unlawful to consume spirituous liquor in a public place, thoroughfare or gathering. Under 4-246(A) a violation is a class 2 misdemeanor unless another classification is prescribed, with up to 4 months and $750. Being intoxicated in public is not itself an offense under these sections, and A.R.S. 36-2031 bars counties and cities from making being found intoxicated an element of a criminal or civil offense, apart from impaired-operation offenses and rules on when, where and by whom alcohol may be sold or used.

What are the degrees of criminal trespass in Arizona?

Third degree (13-1502) is real property after a reasonable request to leave or notice, or railroad property: a class 3 misdemeanor. Second degree (13-1503) is a nonresidential structure or fenced commercial yard: a class 2 misdemeanor. First degree (13-1504) ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 5 felony.

Is trespassing a felony in Arizona?

Three first-degree forms are felonies: entering or remaining unlawfully in a residential structure (class 6), desecrating religious property (class 6), and a critical public service facility posted with felony, high-voltage or high-pressure signage (class 5). A fenced residential yard is a class 1 misdemeanor.

Does Arizona have a purple paint law?

No. Chapter 15 of Title 13 has no paint-mark provision. The hunting-posting statute, A.R.S. 17-304, allows posts with at least 100 square inches of orange paint to serve as interval notices on land posted against hunting, fishing, trapping or guiding.

What happens if a store tells you to leave in Arizona?

Knowingly remaining unlawfully on real property after a reasonable request to leave by the owner, a person in lawful control or a law enforcement officer is third-degree criminal trespass under 13-1502, a class 3 misdemeanor. An officer's request made at the owner's request has the same legal effect as the owner's.

Is making a false emergency report a crime in Arizona?

Yes. Under A.R.S. 13-2907, knowingly making a false report of a bombing, fire or other emergency with the intent the statute lists is a class 1 misdemeanor, and a class 6 felony for a second or later violation. A knowingly false report of a serious offense at a school or place of worship intended to cause an emergency response is a class 6 felony, and a convicted person is liable for the response costs.

Is riot a felony in Arizona?

Yes. Under A.R.S. 13-2903, recklessly using force or violence, or threatening it with immediate power of execution, with two or more others acting together, in a way that disturbs the public peace is a class 5 felony.