Retailers’ New Charge: Single Use Bag Fees Coming to Arizona

A small part of my family lives in California. On the rare occasions I visit, I stop into a shop to pick up a couple of things and always forget about the bag fees. It makes me more than a little cranky when I have to fork over an extra five or ten cents per bag. It feels like a tax or a usage fee, and it just makes me mad.

I'm sensitive to the environmental burden of single-use plastics, so I'm conflicted. It just ticks me off when businesses not only pass fees on to their customers but also begin to use the fee as a new revenue stream. Aren't things like bags part of the cost of doing business? Not anymore, it seems, and the irritation of alternative bag fees is coming to Arizona, like it or not.

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Why Were Bag Fees Banned in Arizona in the First Place?

Arizona doesn't typically align with country-wide trends. We don't change time for that wildly unpopular Daylight Savings nonsense, and citizens can legally open carry a firearm. A lot of states have wildly different opinions on those things, but in Arizona, we say, "do you, boo".

Which is why it makes sense that back in 2015, Arizona lawmakers decided that cities and counties shouldn’t mess with your shopping bags. Enter SB 1241, which became A.R.S. § 9-500.38 and § 11-269.16. These statutes banned local governments from charging fees or banning single-use bags. The ban extended to Arizona's retailers, who were also prohibited from charging bag fees.

The law was enacted to prevent a “patchwork” of rules across the state. For example, Bisbee allowed retailers to charge bag fees, but Sierra Vista did not. After the laws were passed, no one in any part of the state was allowed to charge for single-use bags.

READ: Walmart Self Checkouts Overcharged Arizona Shoppers

So Why Is the Bag Fee Ban Getting Tossed?

Fast-forward to 2025. Conservative governor Greg Ducey, who signed the legislation in 2015, is long gone. Arizona lawmakers have now repealed the bag ban with HB 2802, which opens the door for retailers and municipalities to charge fees.

The stated purpose is to reduce single-use waste. Starting January 1, 2028, retailers will be required to charge a minimum fee for alternative bags. Basically, any bag they provide that's made of paper or a reusable bag (which retailers already charge for).

For some reason, retailers will still be allowed to provide plastic bags for free, but I wouldn't be surprised if stores began charging for them as well.

READ: Why Are Arizona Shoppers Frustrated With Self-Checkout Kiosks?

What Does This Mean for Arizona Shoppers?

If you’re used to snagging five plastic bags for your one bottle of ranch dressing, brace yourself. In 2028, those “free” bags won’t be so free in our state.

Retailers like Walmart already charge bag fees in other states. The fees that were once meant to reduce excess landfill waste are now being used to recoup losses from self-checkout machines.

Just like other convenience charges, retailers in Arizona will be able to pass on costs they once absorbed.