Choose the right Arizona record system before you search
Maricopa County does not place every criminal record in one database. Superior Court handles felony criminal cases, Justice Courts handle many misdemeanor and criminal-traffic matters, city courts handle municipal misdemeanor cases, the Sheriff’s Office maintains county jail and booking information, and Arizona DPS maintains the state’s restricted central criminal-history repository. Using the correct system first can save a surprising amount of time.
Who keeps criminal records in Maricopa County?
Arizona’s court structure matters because the Superior Court Clerk, Justice Courts and municipal courts do not share one universal case file. Maricopa County Justice Courts specifically warn that they are separate from Superior Court and city courts and cannot access each other’s records.
| You need | Official starting point | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Felony criminal case | Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County | Superior Court Criminal Department handles felony cases. |
| Superior Court document or certified copy | Clerk of Superior Court | Case lookup and document copying are separate services. |
| Justice Court misdemeanor | Maricopa County Justice Courts | Justice Courts handle misdemeanor crimes and criminal traffic, not felonies. |
| Phoenix, Mesa or another city misdemeanor | Relevant municipal court | City courts maintain their own cases. |
| Current county jail inmate / booking | Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office | Jail custody is different from a conviction record. |
| Sheriff incident or arrest report | MCSO records request | City police reports remain with the city police agency that created them. |
| Your own statewide Arizona criminal-history record | Arizona DPS Central State Repository | Fingerprint-based record review is for the subject of the record. |
| Someone else’s statewide DPS history | Not a general public DPS service | Arizona restricts repository criminal-history copies to authorized recipients. |
| Arizona state prison record | Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry | Different system from MCSO county jail custody. |
Maricopa County Superior Court felony criminal cases
The Superior Court Criminal Department holds hearings and trials in felony criminal cases and manages matters from initial appearance through sentencing and post-conviction proceedings.
The court provides a public Criminal Court Case Information system with case information, calendars and minute entries.
Name
Search by defendant name when you do not know the case number.
Name + date of birth
Date of birth can help distinguish people with similar names.
Case number
A known CR case number is usually the fastest route to the correct case.
How to search a Maricopa County felony case step by step
Open the official Criminal Court Case Information page
Use the Superior Court site rather than a paid third-party people-search site.
Search by case number when possible
If you already have a Maricopa criminal case number, use it first. Otherwise search the person’s name and use date of birth to narrow the result.
Confirm the party and case type
Check the defendant’s identifying information, case number and location before assuming a result belongs to the person you are researching.
Review the case history
Read the docket events, hearings, minute entries and disposition activity rather than relying only on the first charge shown.
Move to the Clerk or eAccess for the actual document
Case information tells you what happened procedurally. A copy of the complaint, judgment, sentencing document or other filing may require the Clerk of Superior Court or Arizona eAccess.
Getting actual Superior Court documents through Arizona eAccess
Arizona’s eAccess system provides public online access to available Superior Court civil and criminal case records filed on or after July 1, 2010.
This is different from simply looking at a docket. eAccess can provide downloadable images of eligible public court documents.
First page
The first page of an available document can currently be previewed without charge.
$10 per document
The current individual pay-as-you-go fee is $10 to view/download an available document.
24 hours
A purchased document remains available through the account for 24 hours, so download it promptly.
Electronic option
Electronically certified documents are available for an additional fee where accepted.
As of this review, eAccess lists a $45 electronically certified document fee for pay-as-you-go accounts and $35 for qualifying recurring-subscription accounts.
eAccess does not expose documents that are sealed, confidential, closed under law or court rule, restricted by court order, or otherwise unavailable for public remote access.
Open Arizona eAccessDo not confuse eAccess with Maricopa County ECR Online
Maricopa County also operates an Electronic Court Record system known as ECR Online, but this is not the general-public document search.
ECR Online is primarily for people directly connected to a case, such as:
- a named party to the case
- an attorney of record
- qualifying attorneys from the same firm
- certain court-appointed participants
The Clerk also states that documents printed from ECR Online are not certified copies.
Maricopa County Justice Court misdemeanor records
Maricopa County currently has 26 Justice Court precincts. These limited-jurisdiction courts handle misdemeanor crimes, criminal traffic, protective orders and other limited-jurisdiction matters.
The official Justice Courts Case Search allows public searching by:
- last name
- first name
- date of birth
- business name
- case number
Justice Court examples include misdemeanor theft, disorderly conduct and other misdemeanor crimes, along with criminal traffic matters such as DUI, reckless driving and racing.
Requesting an official Justice Court file
Once you find the case number, send the record request to the specific Justice Court that heard the case. The Justice Courts warn that their clerks do not perform general background checks, and a request without a case number may be declined.
Search Justice Court cases Justice Court records requestsPhoenix, Mesa and other municipal criminal cases
Many Maricopa County searches fail because the user looks in Superior Court for a case that actually belongs to a city court.
Arizona municipal courts have jurisdiction over misdemeanor crimes and petty offenses committed within their city or town and share jurisdiction with Justice Courts over violations of state law committed inside city limits.
Felony
Serious felony prosecutions filed in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Misdemeanors / criminal traffic
Limited-jurisdiction cases filed in one of the county’s Justice Courts.
Municipal misdemeanor
City misdemeanor, city-code and criminal traffic matters filed in a municipal court.
Phoenix Municipal Court
Phoenix Municipal Court handles criminal and civil traffic matters and non-traffic criminal misdemeanors such as assault, shoplifting, trespassing and similar city misdemeanor cases. It does not handle felony criminal cases.
Phoenix says felony cases arising in Maricopa County should instead be researched through the Maricopa County Superior Court system.
Phoenix Municipal CourtMesa Municipal Court
Mesa’s official eCourt portal allows searching by name, case number, complaint number, parking notice or police-report number and includes an online disposition-report option for historical case information.
Mesa eCourt case searchMaricopa Superior Court copies, inspection and certification fees
The Clerk of Superior Court allows the public to inspect eligible public records without charge at designated Clerk locations during normal business hours. Public-access computers are available for many electronic records.
| Service | Current Clerk fee | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect eligible record in person | No charge | Useful for research when you do not need to keep a copy. |
| Paper / photographic copy | $0.50 per page | Ordinary copy from the Clerk. |
| Certification | $35 | Added when a formally certified copy is required. |
| Exemplification | $70 | Higher level of authentication using two seals. |
| Authentication | $105 | Three-seal authentication where specifically required. |
| Electronic replication per case | $35 | When records are placed on electronic media as applicable. |
What if the Maricopa criminal case is older?
Arizona eAccess starts its Superior Court civil/criminal document coverage with cases filed on or after July 1, 2010, but Maricopa County’s own criminal docket database contains much older case information in its archive.
If you locate an older case but the actual document is not remotely available:
Find the case number in the criminal docket
Use the Superior Court’s case-history search before contacting the Clerk.
Check eAccess only if the document falls within its coverage
Do not assume every old case document has been digitized for remote public access.
Use a Clerk public-access computer or records request
The Clerk can help with eligible records that are not available through the public online system.
Maricopa County jail, booking and inmate information
If your question is simply whether someone is currently in Maricopa County Sheriff’s custody, start with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
MCSO’s official website provides public tools for inmate information and mugshots. The Sheriff’s Office operates one of the county’s primary booking and detention systems.
MCSO inmate information MCSO homepage / mugshot toolsIf an individual was arrested by a city agency and initially held in a municipal facility, the person may later be transferred into MCSO custody. For example, Mesa states that people arrested on non-city charges can be transferred to MCSO.
Arrest reports and police records in Maricopa County
An arrest record and a court case are maintained by different entities. If the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office created the report, use MCSO’s records process. If Phoenix Police, Mesa Police, Scottsdale Police or another city agency created it, request the police report from that city agency.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
The MCSO website provides a Request a Report option and access to additional Sheriff’s public-record procedures.
Request an MCSO reportFor other county public-record needs, Maricopa County also maintains a central Public Records Request page that helps route users to the correct county department.
Phoenix Police records
Phoenix Police’s Public Records and Services Unit handles police reports, 911 recordings, calls for service, traffic accident reports and other police records.
100 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phone: 602-534-1127
Mesa Police records
Mesa Police’s Criminal Justice Information Division is the central repository for Mesa Police reports and related records.
Mesa currently lists a police-report fee of $5 for the first 50 pages and $0.20 for each additional page. It also offers a certified Mesa Adult Arrest Record Search (MAARS) for $10.
59 S. Hibbert
Mesa, AZ 85210
Phone: 480-644-2310
How to check Maricopa County warrant information
Warrant information depends on which court issued the warrant. The Superior Court maintains official warrant guidance for felony criminal matters, while MCSO also provides a warrant lookup option from its public website.
Superior Court warrant
If the warrant was issued by a Maricopa County Superior Court judicial officer, the Superior Court directs users to its Criminal Department Information Desk.
Criminal Department
Phone: 602-506-8575
The information desk can identify the division that issued the Superior Court warrant.
The issuing court—not an online search site—is the authority that can resolve, quash or cancel a warrant.
Superior Court warrant guidance MCSO warrant lookupArizona DPS criminal history: a major limitation to understand
Arizona does not operate a Texas-style public statewide criminal-history name search that lets any private citizen obtain another person’s full DPS criminal record.
Under A.R.S. § 41-1750, the Arizona Department of Public Safety Central State Repository serves as the statewide criminal-history repository, and Arizona criminal justice agencies report arrest and disposition information to it.
However, copies of repository criminal-history records are restricted to authorized individuals and agencies.
What about employment checks?
Arizona DPS states that state law does not authorize its Central State Repository to perform general criminal-history checks for private citizens, ordinary private employers or out-of-state agencies for purposes such as employment, immigration, visas or foreign adoption, except where specific statutory authorization applies.
Need a local clearance?
DPS advises people seeking a local clearance to contact the appropriate local law-enforcement agency.
Arizona DPS criminal-history guidanceHow to review your own Arizona DPS criminal record
The subject of an Arizona criminal-history record can use the DPS Record Review process to inspect the accuracy and completeness of their own record.
Start the DPS Record Review process
You can begin through the DPS Public Services Portal or obtain the Record Review Packet.
Provide fingerprints
The record-review procedure uses fingerprints so the repository can positively identify the correct person’s criminal-history file.
Submit the required review materials
Follow the current DPS instructions in the packet or portal rather than using an old third-party form.
Review and challenge inaccuracies if necessary
The purpose of the Record Review process is to allow the subject to review and, where appropriate, challenge the accuracy or completeness of Arizona criminal-history information.
DPS currently states that a response containing any existing criminal-history information will be mailed within 15 days after receipt of a completed Record Review Packet.
2222 W. Encanto Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85009
Phone: 602-223-2000
Arizona state prison and offender search
If the person has moved from county custody into the Arizona state prison system, search the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry Inmate Data Search .
ADCRR cautions that release dates and release types shown in its public inmate data have not necessarily been independently verified or audited and can change.
Maricopa County jail → MCSO.
Arizona state prison → ADCRR.
Federal custody → federal Bureau of Prisons resources.
701 E. Jefferson St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
Phone: 602-542-5497
Maricopa County criminal appeals
Criminal cases appealed from Maricopa County Superior Court generally go to the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One.
Division One has jurisdiction over cases originating in Maricopa County and maintains a public appellate case portal for active cases.
The current active-case system allows searches through:
- party-case index
- lower-court case number
- attorney-case index
- active criminal-case lists
1501 W. Washington St., Suite 203
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Phone: 602-452-6700
Federal criminal cases in Maricopa County
Federal prosecutions are not stored in Maricopa County Superior Court. Federal criminal matters in Phoenix are handled through the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.
Use PACER to research federal criminal dockets and documents.
The District of Arizona states that PACER contains docket information for criminal cases filed in the district since August 1991, along with some earlier cases.
Online record access
Current PACER charges are generally $0.10 per page, with a $3 cap for many documents. Quarterly charges of $30 or less are waived.
Public terminals
The District of Arizona provides public-access computers in the Clerk’s customer-service area for research and locating federal case numbers.
Sandra Day O’Connor U.S. Courthouse
401 W. Washington StreetPhoenix, AZ 85003
Phone: 602-322-7200
Sealing an Arizona criminal case record
Arizona’s criminal-record terminology is different from many states. Under A.R.S. § 13-911, eligible people can petition to seal criminal case records. This procedure became available beginning December 31, 2022.
A sealed “case record” can include qualifying records maintained by:
- the court
- Arizona DPS Central State Repository
- prosecuting agencies
- law-enforcement agencies
Arizona Courts explains that petitions may apply in circumstances including eligible convictions, charges that were dismissed, not-guilty outcomes and arrests for which no charges were filed, subject to statutory rules and waiting periods.
Sealing under § 13-911 does not extend to Arizona Supreme Court or Court of Appeals records.
Arizona sealing-record guidanceSet aside, sealing and expungement are different in Arizona
| Process | What it generally does | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Set aside | Eligible person asks the sentencing court to set aside a conviction after completing the sentence or probation. | It is not the same as sealing or expungement; the record can remain publicly accessible with a notation that the judgment was set aside. |
| Seal | Eligible criminal case records can be hidden from ordinary public access under A.R.S. § 13-911. | Certain courts, agencies and authorized entities can still access sealed information in specified circumstances. |
| Marijuana expungement | Proposition 207 created expungement for qualifying marijuana-related arrests, charges and convictions. | Arizona does not offer this form of expungement for every type of criminal offense. |
Maricopa County Superior Court provides separate forms for setting aside a conviction and sealing a criminal record. Justice Court or city-court cases generally require filing with the court that handled the original case.
Maricopa criminal-record relief resources Arizona marijuana expungement FAQWhere to go in person for Maricopa Superior Court records
Central Court Building
201 W. Jefferson StreetPhoenix, AZ 85003
Criminal Department Information:
602-506-8575 Records / copies
Clerk Customer Service Center
601 W. Jackson StreetPhoenix, AZ 85003
Clerk:
602-372-5375
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
The Clerk also provides public-record inspection and copy services at regional locations in Surprise, Mesa and northeast Phoenix.
Map: Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County, Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix.
How to read a Maricopa criminal-record result correctly
| Term | What it generally means | Do not automatically assume |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | A person was processed into a jail or detention system. | That the person was convicted. |
| Arrest | Law enforcement took a person into custody. | That charges were eventually filed or proved. |
| Charge | A criminal allegation in the justice process. | That the person was found guilty. |
| Minute entry | A court record documenting a hearing, order or procedural event. | That it necessarily contains the complete case record. |
| Warrant | An order authorizing an arrest or another specified action. | Conviction. |
| Dismissed | The court/prosecution did not continue that charge to conviction. | That no arrest or historical record ever existed. |
| Set aside | An Arizona court granted statutory post-conviction relief. | That the record was erased or sealed. |
| Sealed | Public access is restricted under applicable Arizona law. | That every government entity must destroy the record. |
Maricopa County criminal-record search tips
Start with the court level
Felony → Superior Court. Misdemeanor → Justice or municipal court.
Add date of birth
Maricopa’s court search tools support DOB and it can reduce same-name confusion.
Use the CR number
A known Superior Court criminal case number is more precise than a broad name search.
Docket first, document second
Locate the case before paying for an eAccess document or Clerk copy.
Do not use DPS like a people-search site
Arizona DPS does not provide unrestricted statewide third-party criminal-history searches.
Recent arrest? Check MCSO
County jail information may answer a custody question before the court case is fully developed.
Identify the police agency
Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and other city police departments keep their own incident reports.
Older case? Skip straight to the Clerk when needed
eAccess’s remote document coverage begins in 2010, even though older docket data may exist.
Check the final disposition
Never summarize a person from the arrest, mugshot or first charge alone.
Using public criminal records for employment or housing
A public court search is not automatically the same thing as a legally compliant consumer background report.
Employment, tenant screening, credit and other eligibility decisions can trigger additional federal or state requirements, including Fair Credit Reporting Act obligations when a consumer-reporting agency is involved.
Maricopa County criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Where can I search Maricopa County felony criminal cases?
Use the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County Criminal Court Case Information system. It supports criminal case information, calendars and minute entries.
2. Can I search Maricopa County misdemeanor cases online?
Yes. Maricopa County Justice Courts provide an official case search for cases handled in the Justice Courts. City misdemeanor cases may instead be maintained by the relevant municipal court.
3. Does Arizona have a public statewide DPS criminal-history name search?
No general unrestricted service exists for private citizens to look up another person’s full Arizona DPS repository criminal history. Arizona DPS restricts criminal-history record access to authorized individuals and agencies.
4. How can I review my own Arizona criminal-history record?
Use the Arizona DPS Record Review process. It is fingerprint-based and allows the subject of the record to inspect and challenge the accuracy or completeness of their own Arizona record.
5. How much does a Maricopa Superior Court copy cost?
The Clerk currently lists ordinary paper or photographic copies at $0.50 per page. Certification is currently an additional $35 per document.
6. Can I download Maricopa Superior Court criminal documents online?
Many eligible public Superior Court criminal documents filed on or after July 1, 2010 can be purchased through Arizona eAccess. The current pay-as-you-go fee is $10 per available document.
7. How do I find someone in the Maricopa County jail?
Use the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office inmate-information tools. Jail information concerns current or recent custody and should not be confused with a final criminal conviction record.
8. Where do I check a Maricopa County Superior Court warrant?
Use the Superior Court’s warrant-information guidance. For a warrant issued by a Maricopa County Superior Court judicial officer, the Criminal Department Information Desk is 602-506-8575.
9. Can an Arizona criminal record be sealed?
Arizona law allows eligible people to petition to seal qualifying criminal case records under A.R.S. § 13-911. Eligibility, waiting periods and filing location depend on the circumstances.
10. Where do Maricopa County criminal appeals go?
Appeals from Maricopa County Superior Court generally go to the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One. Division One maintains an online portal for active appellate cases and decisions.
Official sources used for this Maricopa County guide
- Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County – Criminal Department
- Maricopa Superior Court – Criminal Court Case Information
- Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court – Obtaining Records
- Maricopa County Clerk – Current Fees
- Arizona Judicial Branch – eAccess
- Maricopa County Justice Courts – Case Search
- Maricopa County Justice Courts – Request Records
- Arizona Courts Locator
- Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
- Maricopa County Public Records Request
- Arizona Department of Public Safety – Criminal History Records
- Arizona Department of Corrections – Inmate Data Search
- Arizona Courts – Sealing Criminal Case Records
- Maricopa Superior Court – Set Aside, Sealing & Criminal Record Relief
- Arizona Court of Appeals Division One – Case Information
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona – Records
- PACER – Federal Court Records