Arizona criminal-record research works differently from many states. The Arizona Judicial Branch provides broad public court-case lookup tools, but the Arizona Department of Public Safety does not operate a public statewide criminal-history name search for private citizens. Arizona DPS maintains the state’s central criminal-history repository, while public researchers generally use court records, local law-enforcement records, county jail systems, Arizona corrections records and federal PACER when appropriate.
Choose the Arizona record you need
Which Arizona agency has the criminal record you need?
Arizona does not treat every criminal-justice record as one document. Court records, arrest reports, jail bookings, statewide criminal-history information and prison records come from different agencies.
Public court case information
Use Arizona’s Public Access to Court Information service for docket-level information from participating courts across the state.
Felony records
Arizona Superior Court has jurisdiction over felony criminal cases and certain misdemeanor matters not assigned elsewhere.
Misdemeanor records
Justice courts hear misdemeanors, criminal traffic and preliminary felony matters. Municipal courts hear misdemeanors, petty offenses, traffic matters and city ordinance cases.
Central criminal-history repository
DPS receives qualifying arrest and disposition information from Arizona criminal-justice agencies, but complete criminal-history copies are restricted to authorized users and the subject’s review process.
Arrest and jail information
Recent arrest reports, police incidents and county jail records are usually maintained locally.
State prison information
The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry provides public inmate-data access.
Arizona Public Access to Court Information
Arizona’s Public Access to Court Information is the best broad starting point for most public criminal-case searches.
The Arizona Judicial Branch currently describes this service as providing case information from 177 of Arizona’s 184 courts.
That makes it broader than searching only one county, but it is important to understand its limits:
- not every Arizona court participates
- not every case or document is available online
- sealed and confidential information is excluded
- online data are not necessarily the court’s official certified record
- older records can have different digital coverage
- the original clerk remains the best source for verification
Arizona eAccess: court documents, not just docket information
Arizona’s eAccess portal serves a different purpose from the basic Public Access case lookup.
eAccess provides public online access to many open Arizona Superior Court civil and criminal case records and document images.
Public Access case lookup
Best for identifying cases, courts, case numbers and docket-level information across participating Superior, Justice and Municipal courts.
eAccess
Best for opening or purchasing qualifying Superior Court documents and obtaining electronic certification where available.
Current eAccess criminal-record coverage
Arizona says eAccess contains Superior Court civil and criminal records filed on or after July 1, 2010.
One important exception is Pima County criminal cases, which are available through eAccess for cases filed on or after July 1, 2015.
Current eAccess fees
| eAccess service | Current public cost | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Search / first-page preview | Free | The first page of an available document can currently be previewed without a document charge. |
| Full document – Pay As You Go | $10 per document | The purchased document remains available through the account for 24 hours, so download or save it promptly. |
| Electronically certified document – Pay As You Go | $45 | Some organizations may still require a raised-seal certified copy directly from the Clerk. |
| Recurring subscription | Varies by document allowance | Designed for users who regularly access multiple court documents. |
Which Arizona criminal court should you search?
| Court | Typical criminal jurisdiction | Where to search |
|---|---|---|
| Superior Court | Felonies and misdemeanor cases not otherwise assigned by law. | Public Access, eAccess and the county Clerk of Superior Court. |
| Justice Court | Misdemeanors, criminal traffic offenses, DUI matters and preliminary felony proceedings. | Public Access or the specific Justice Court. |
| Municipal / City Court | Misdemeanors, petty offenses, city-code violations and criminal traffic matters within the city. | Public Access or the city’s Municipal Court. |
| Court of Appeals | Most appeals from Arizona Superior Court. | Arizona Appellate Court Cases portal. |
| Arizona Supreme Court | Certain criminal appeals, petitions for review and direct death-penalty appeals. | Arizona Appellate Court Cases portal / Supreme Court Clerk. |
ordinary misdemeanor → Justice or Municipal Court may be involved.
appeal → Court of Appeals or Arizona Supreme Court.
How to search an Arizona criminal court case step by step
Start with Arizona Public Access
Enter the available name or case information to identify the court and case number.
Confirm the court
Determine whether the matter is in Superior Court, a Justice Court or a Municipal Court.
Open the case docket
Review charges, court dates, docket activity and disposition information rather than relying on the search-result headline.
Use eAccess for Superior Court documents
If the case qualifies for eAccess, preview available documents and purchase only those you actually need.
Go to the Clerk when online access ends
Contact the original court or Clerk for older files, raised-seal certified copies, unavailable documents or records outside eAccess coverage.
Verify the final disposition
Check whether each charge resulted in conviction, dismissal, acquittal, set aside, sealing or another legal outcome.
Arizona DPS criminal history: what the public can and cannot obtain
The Arizona Department of Public Safety Central State Repository is the official statewide repository for Arizona criminal-history information under A.R.S. § 41-1750.
Arizona criminal-justice agencies report arrest and disposition information to the repository. However, Arizona places important restrictions on who can receive a full criminal-history record.
What should a private researcher use instead?
- Arizona Judicial Branch Public Access for court cases
- eAccess for available Superior Court documents
- local courts for Justice or Municipal Court records
- local police or sheriff for arrest / incident reports
- county jail search for recent custody
- ADCRR for state prison records
- PACER for federal cases
How to review your own Arizona DPS criminal-history record
Arizona DPS allows the subject of the criminal record to review their own Arizona criminal-history information for accuracy and completeness.
This process uses a Record Review Packet and fingerprints.
DPS currently states that a response containing any existing criminal-record information will be mailed within approximately 15 days after receipt of a completed Record Review Packet.
Criminal History Records Unit: 602-223-2000
Arizona DPS Record Review InstructionsArizona arrest records and police reports
An arrest record usually starts with the law-enforcement agency that made or documented the arrest. That may be a city police department, county sheriff, Arizona DPS or another agency.
Arizona DPS’s general public-record request system can be used for records generated by DPS itself, such as qualifying DPS incident, collision or law-enforcement records.
Arizona public-record requests: agencies vs. courts
Arizona Revised Statutes § 39-121 states that public records in the custody of public officers are generally open to inspection during office hours, subject to confidentiality law and other limitations.
Police / sheriff / agency records
Request qualifying government records from the agency that created or maintains them. Arizona’s general public-record statutes are commonly relevant to these records.
Court records
Judicial records are governed primarily by Arizona Supreme Court Rule 123. Use the court, Clerk, Public Access or eAccess rather than sending a generic agency-record request.
For a useful public-record request, provide:
- person’s full name
- date or approximate date of event
- location
- incident or report number
- case number if known
- specific record requested
- date range
- preferred electronic or paper format
Arizona county jail records are local—not one statewide jail database
Someone recently arrested may be in a county jail rather than the Arizona state prison system. County sheriffs generally maintain these custody records.
Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
MCSO provides inmate, mugshot and warrant tools for the Phoenix / Maricopa County area.
Main number: 602-876-1000
MCSO Official SitePima County Adult Detention Center
The Sheriff’s public inmate lookup contains information on people currently in Pima County Adult Detention Center custody, including accused persons who have not been convicted.
Pima County Inmate LookupHow to search Arizona arrest and bench warrants
The Arizona Judicial Branch specifically directs the public to Public Access to Court Information as an online way to research whether an Arizona court has issued an arrest warrant.
Arizona courts distinguish:
Issued based on probable cause
A judge may issue an arrest warrant after receiving sworn information supporting probable cause that a person committed an offense.
Usually tied to court compliance
Bench warrants commonly arise after failure to appear, failure to comply with a court order or certain unpaid court-ordered obligations.
Recommended warrant workflow
Search Arizona Public Access
Locate the criminal or civil case associated with the possible warrant.
Identify the issuing court
Warrants can come from Superior, Justice or Municipal Courts.
Contact the court or sheriff
Verify current warrant status before relying on an old docket entry or third-party website.
Arizona search warrants are different from arrest warrants
A search warrant authorizes law enforcement to search a specified person, location, vehicle or property for described evidence or items. It does not itself mean the subject was convicted.
Arizona’s Judicial Branch explains that search warrants are governed by A.R.S. §§ 13-3911 through 13-3925.
If you need the actual warrant or affidavit, identify the issuing court and ask the relevant court clerk about public access. Access can depend on whether the record remains sealed or otherwise restricted.
Arizona state prison and corrections records
Use the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry Inmate Data Search when the person is within Arizona’s state correctional system.
The ADCRR search can be useful for identifying state correctional records, but the Department itself warns that release dates and release types shown in the system have not necessarily been audited or verified and can change.
Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry
701 E. Jefferson StreetPhoenix, AZ 85034
Phone: 602-542-5497
Arizona public sex offender search
Arizona DPS maintains the state’s public sex-offender internet information pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-3827.
DPS currently directs the public to Arizona’s OffenderWatch search for published registration information.
Arizona’s public downloadable information generally includes qualifying Level 2 and Level 3 offenders and other offenders who meet the statutory publication requirements.
Arizona Sex Offender InformationArizona Superior Court criminal records by county
Arizona Superior Court is one statewide general-jurisdiction court with locations in all 15 counties. For older files, certified copies and records not available through eAccess, contact the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the case was filed.
| County | Official court / clerk | Useful local detail |
|---|---|---|
| Maricopa | Maricopa County Superior Court Criminal Department | Offers its own felony criminal case-information search by name, DOB or case number. |
| Pima |
Pima County Superior Court 110 W. Congress Street, Tucson, AZ 85701 520-724-3200 |
Pima criminal records in eAccess begin with cases filed on or after July 1, 2015. |
| Pinal |
Pinal County Superior Court 971 Jason Lopez Circle, Building A, Florence, AZ 85132 520-866-5760 |
Contact the Clerk for copies or records not available through statewide online portals. |
| Yavapai |
Yavapai County Superior Court 120 S. Cortez Street, Room 207, Prescott, AZ 86303 928-771-3312 |
Use statewide court lookup first, then contact the Clerk for official copies. |
| Mohave |
Mohave County Superior Court 415 E. Spring Street, First Floor, Kingman, AZ 86401 928-753-0713 |
Clerk can assist when an older or unavailable Superior Court record is not in eAccess. |
Arizona criminal court copies and certified records
When a docket result is not enough, request the actual document from eAccess or the relevant Clerk.
Arizona Superior Court base copy fees
| Service | Current base fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard court copy | $0.50 per page | Current Arizona Superior Court base fee schedule. |
| Certificate of correctness / certification | $35 | Typically in addition to applicable copy fees. |
| Exemplification | $70 | Higher-level authentication using two certifications/seals. |
| Authentication | $105 | Three-seal authentication under the published statewide fee schedule. |
Local charges, postage, research or special service fees can also apply. Confirm the final amount with the Clerk before sending payment.
Maricopa County example
Maricopa County currently lists ordinary copies at $0.50 per page and a $35 charge to certify a document. Its Clerk also permits free in-person inspection of qualifying public records on public-access computers.
What to do when an old Arizona criminal case is missing online
eAccess historical limits are especially important for older cases.
Search Public Access first
Docket information may still identify an older case even when a document is not in eAccess.
Check the eAccess cutoff
General Superior Court document coverage begins July 1, 2010; Pima County criminal coverage begins July 1, 2015.
Identify the original county Clerk
Use the case number, county and court type to locate the correct custodian.
Ask about archives or off-site storage
The court may still maintain a record that is not remotely available.
Arizona criminal appeals and appellate case records
Arizona has two divisions of the Court of Appeals plus the Arizona Supreme Court.
Use the official Arizona Appellate Court Cases portal for active appellate matters and published decisions.
Court of Appeals
Handles appeals from much of Arizona and maintains active-case, decision and calendar information.
Court of Appeals
Handles appeals from its geographic jurisdiction, including southern Arizona counties.
Highest Arizona court
Handles petitions for review and certain criminal matters that reach the state’s highest court.
The appellate portal allows users to locate active matters using a party index, lower-court case-number index and attorney-case index.
Arizona criminal-record sealing under A.R.S. § 13-911
Arizona now has a broad statutory process allowing some people to petition to seal criminal case records.
A person may potentially petition if they:
- were convicted and completed all sentence requirements
- were charged and the charge was dismissed
- were found not guilty at trial
- were arrested but no charges were filed
Eligibility, waiting periods and exclusions depend on the offense and the person’s record. Certain serious, violent, dangerous and specified sexual offenses are excluded.
Arizona’s Judicial Branch says a sealing petition normally takes at least 60 calendar days before a ruling, although a court can act sooner in certain circumstances.
Arizona set aside is not the same as sealing a criminal record
Arizona also allows qualifying people to apply to have a conviction set aside under A.R.S. § 13-905 after completing the sentence and discharge requirements.
Set aside
The court sets aside the judgment of guilt and dismisses the charging document as provided by law, but the history does not simply vanish.
DPS must update the criminal-history record to show that the conviction was set aside.
Sealing under § 13-911
A qualifying sealing order restricts public access to specified arrest, court, prosecution, law-enforcement and DPS records as provided by statute.
Arizona’s current court forms also include applications for a Certificate of Second Chance where applicable.
Arizona Post-Conviction FormsArizona marijuana expungement under Proposition 207
Arizona’s marijuana expungement law is different from ordinary set-aside and general record sealing.
Under A.R.S. § 36-2862, qualifying records based on conduct before November 30, 2020 may be eligible for expungement when they involve specified low-level marijuana conduct.
Examples include qualifying cases involving:
- possession, consumption or transport of 2.5 ounces or less of marijuana
- no more than 12.5 grams of marijuana concentrate within that amount
- cultivation of no more than six plants at a primary residence for personal use
- specified marijuana paraphernalia offenses
If granted, the statute can require qualifying arrest, charge, conviction and sentencing records to be sealed, and the conviction may be vacated as provided by law.
Arizona Proposition 207 ExpungementArizona juvenile records are different from adult criminal records
Juvenile records have separate confidentiality and access rules and should not be treated as ordinary adult criminal cases.
eAccess specifically does not provide Arizona juvenile Superior Court records.
What to do if an Arizona criminal record is wrong
First determine which source contains the error.
Contact the Clerk
Obtain the official judgment, dismissal, order or disposition from the court that handled the case.
Contact the originating agency
If the error is in an arrest or incident report, begin with the agency that created the record.
Use Record Review
Review your Arizona DPS criminal history and follow the DPS challenge process for inaccurate or incomplete repository information.
Federal criminal cases in Arizona are separate
A prosecution in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona is a federal case and will not be the authoritative record in Arizona’s state court portals.
Use PACER for federal case dockets and documents.
The District of Arizona states that its PACER records include criminal cases filed since August 1991, along with a smaller number of older cases.
The District of Arizona currently lists PACER fees at $0.10 per page with the ordinary PACER document cap and quarterly waiver rules, subject to federal judiciary fee changes.
District of Arizona Records Search PACERUsing Arizona criminal records for employment or screening
A public court search is not automatically the same as an official employment background check.
Arizona DPS specifically says its Central State Repository does not perform ordinary Arizona criminal-history checks for private citizens or private employers unless a statutory authorization or other qualifying program applies.
Some Arizona positions require a DPS Fingerprint Clearance Card or another legally authorized fingerprint-based check. That is a separate process from public court research.
Arizona Department of Public Safety criminal-history contact
Central State Repository / Department of Public Safety
2222 W. Encanto Blvd.Phoenix, AZ 85009
Main DPS number: 602-223-2000
For criminal-history questions, follow the DPS phone prompts for Records and Reports / Statewide Criminal Records.
Before contacting DPS
Use Arizona Courts for public court-case research.
Use DPS Record Review when checking your own statewide Arizona criminal-history record.
Use the DPS Public Records Portal for qualifying records actually maintained by DPS, such as certain DPS incident or collision records.
Arizona criminal-record search tips that save time
Start with Arizona Public Access
It is the broadest official starting point when you do not know which Arizona court handled the case.
Use eAccess only for Superior Court documents
Justice and Municipal Court document images are not part of eAccess.
Felony? Think Superior Court
Arizona Superior Court has jurisdiction over felony criminal prosecutions.
Misdemeanor? Check Justice or City Court
Limited-jurisdiction courts handle many misdemeanor, petty-offense and criminal-traffic cases.
Don’t look for a DPS people-search tool
Arizona DPS does not provide ordinary private citizens with public statewide name-based criminal histories.
Need your own history? Use fingerprints
DPS Record Review is specifically designed for a person checking their own Arizona history.
Check eAccess dates
July 1, 2010 is the main Superior Court cutoff; Pima criminal cases begin July 1, 2015.
Save purchased documents immediately
eAccess gives 24-hour access after purchase, so download the document rather than leaving it only online.
Verify warrants with the issuing court
A court or sheriff can confirm current warrant status better than an old third-party database.
Recent arrest? Check the county jail
Booking information may appear locally before a court record is fully developed.
Set aside does not mean deleted
Arizona DPS retains the record with a set-aside notation under § 13-905.
Read the final disposition
Never treat the arrest or original charge as proof of how the case ended.
If an Arizona criminal-record search returns nothing
Before concluding that no record exists, check these possibilities:
- try a middle name or middle initial
- check maiden or former names
- confirm date of birth when available
- verify the county
- search Justice and Municipal Courts as well as Superior Court
- check whether the court participates in statewide Public Access
- check county jail records for a very recent arrest
- contact the Clerk for older documents
- consider whether the record has been sealed
- check marijuana expungement where applicable
- search Arizona appellate records if the case was appealed
- use PACER if the prosecution was federal
Arizona criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Is there a free statewide Arizona criminal court search?
Arizona’s Public Access to Court Information is a free official starting point for case information from participating Arizona courts. The Judicial Branch currently says the service includes case data from 177 of 184 courts, so some records may still require direct court contact.
2. Can I search another person’s Arizona DPS criminal history by name?
No ordinary public Arizona DPS statewide name-search service exists for this purpose. DPS says complete criminal-history records maintained by the Central State Repository are restricted to authorized individuals and agencies. Public researchers should generally use court records.
3. How can I obtain my own Arizona criminal history?
Use the Arizona DPS Record Review process. It requires fingerprints and is intended for the subject of the criminal-history record to review the record’s accuracy and completeness.
4. What is the difference between Arizona Public Access and eAccess?
Public Access is primarily a broad case-information lookup from participating Arizona courts. eAccess provides many open Superior Court case documents and allows users to purchase or electronically certify qualifying documents.
5. How much does Arizona eAccess charge for a court document?
The first page can currently be previewed without charge. A Pay As You Go user currently pays $10 to view and download the full available document. Fees for electronically certified documents are higher.
6. Where do I search an Arizona felony case?
Arizona Superior Court has jurisdiction over felony criminal cases. Start with statewide Public Access, then use eAccess or the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the case was filed.
7. How can I check an Arizona arrest or bench warrant?
Arizona Courts recommends using Public Access to Court Information to research warrants issued by Arizona courts and then verifying current status with the issuing court, DPS or county sheriff.
8. Where can I search Arizona state inmates?
Use the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry Inmate Data Search. Someone held in a county jail should instead be searched through the appropriate county sheriff.
9. Is an Arizona set-aside conviction erased?
No. Arizona law requires DPS to update the criminal-history record to indicate that the conviction was set aside, but the statute does not simply require the record to be deleted. General record sealing under A.R.S. § 13-911 is a separate process.
10. Do Arizona criminal-record searches include federal cases?
No. Federal criminal prosecutions in Arizona are maintained by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and are generally searched through PACER.
Official Arizona and federal sources used for this guide
- Arizona Judicial Branch — Public Access to Court Information
- Arizona Judicial Branch — eAccess
- Arizona eAccess Frequently Asked Questions
- Arizona Courts — Superior Court Jurisdiction
- Arizona Courts — Justice Courts
- Arizona Courts — Municipal / City Courts
- Arizona Department of Public Safety — Criminal History Records
- Arizona DPS — Records Requests
- Arizona Department of Corrections — Inmate Data Search
- Arizona DPS — Sex Offender Information
- Arizona Courts — Arrest, Bench and Search Warrants
- Arizona Courts — Sealing Criminal Case Records
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-911 — Sealing Criminal Records
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-905 — Setting Aside a Conviction
- Arizona Courts — Proposition 207 Marijuana Expungement
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 36-2862 — Marijuana Expungement
- Arizona Appellate Court Cases
- Arizona Superior Court Clerk Directory
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona — Records
- PACER — Federal Court Records