How to Search Arizona Criminal Records (Start Here)
Arizona criminal records come from two main sources: the state criminal history repository (maintained by the state police or equivalent agency) and individual county court systems. These are separate databases that may show different information.
What this page covers: Arizona state-level criminal history searches, county court criminal case lookups, and sex offender registry searches. What it does not cover: Federal criminal cases (those require PACER) or arrest records that did not result in charges.
Where to start: For a broad criminal history check, start with the state repository. For specific case details (charges, dispositions, documents), go to the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed. For sex offenders, use the state sex offender registry.
Common mistake: A state criminal history search and a county court search are not the same thing. The state repository compiles conviction data from across the state. County courts have the actual case files with full detail. You may need both.
Statewide criminal-history agency
Public name-based search
Fingerprint-based screening
Sex offender registry
Open records statute
Number of counties
15 counties
Population
7,582,384
Households
2,841,186
Median Income
$74,568
Median Home Value
$321,400
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: Arizona repository URL, fee, and statute verified against the official Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) publisher on review date. 6 primary .gov sources cited below.
Arizona Criminal Records — Key Numbers (2026)
AZDPS Central State Repository — only subjects can review their own record.
$22 record review
Public access fee
Per state-only check
Personal Public Safety P
Primary method
How to submit
Arizona Department of Pu
Issuing agency
Statewide repository
A.R.S. §41-1750
Governing statute
State law citation
June 04, 2026
Last reviewed
By SearchSystems
In-state arrests
100%
In-state convictions
100%
Out-of-state arrests
10%
Federal cases
5%
Sealed/expunged
0%
Juvenile records
15%
Unit: % included in a typical state-only check.
What Changed in 2026 — Arizona Criminal Records
2026
Arizona state-only check active
The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) continues to process state criminal history checks via www.azdps.gov.
2026
Arizona background check fee structure
Current fee for an Arizona state-only check: $22 record review. Method: Personal Public Safety Portal (psp.azdps.gov) for record review.
2026
Arizona statutory framework
Arizona criminal history records are governed by A.R.S. §41-1750 and disseminated through Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS).
2026
FBI Identity History Summary (federal complement)
For records that may exist outside Arizona, the FBI Identity History Summary at fbi.gov complements the state-only result.
The 4-Step Arizona Criminal Records Pathway
1
Step 1 — Confirm what you need
For most non-employment uses, an Arizona state-only check from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) is sufficient.
2
Step 2 — Choose your method
Personal Public Safety Portal (psp.azdps.gov) for record review. Current fee: $22 record review.
3
Step 3 — Submit your request
Use the official portal at www.azdps.gov — never a third-party data broker.
4
Step 4 — Add federal coverage if needed
For pre-employment FCRA screening or out-of-state coverage, add an FBI Identity History Summary check ($18) — fingerprint required.
Five Things People Get Wrong About Arizona Criminal Records
❌ Myth: "Arizona background check shows everything."
✓ Truth: False. The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) check covers ONLY Arizona arrests/convictions. Out-of-state and federal records are NOT included.
❌ Myth: "Free third-party 'instant' checks are accurate."
✓ Truth: False. Only www.azdps.gov (the official Arizona repository) is authoritative. Data brokers often have stale data.
❌ Myth: "Sealed records will show on a check."
✓ Truth: False. Records sealed or expunged under Arizona law are removed from public-facing checks. Law enforcement may still access them.
❌ Myth: "Arrest = conviction on my record."
✓ Truth: False. An arrest is not a conviction. Most Arizona public checks distinguish arrests, dispositions, and convictions; the FCRA bars non-conviction arrests older than 7 years from employer checks.
❌ Myth: "State and FBI checks return the same data."
✓ Truth: False. The Arizona state check shows Arizona-only records. The FBI check is fingerprint-based and shows records reported by all agencies nationwide.
Primary Sources (All .gov / Official)
- www.azdps.gov — Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) — Official Arizona criminal history portal
- fbi.gov — Identity History Summary — FBI fingerprint-based federal check ($18)
- fbi.gov — State ID Bureau listing — FBI listing of every state's repository
- ftc.gov — FCRA basics — Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act rules
- ftc.gov — Background Checks employer guide — FTC + EEOC employer guidance
- bjs.ojp.gov — Bureau of Justice Statistics — Federal stats on state criminal record systems
Related Criminal Records Resources
📍 Other Arizona records:
- Arizona Court Records →
- Arizona Property Records →
- Arizona Vital Records →
- Arizona Voter Records →
- Arizona Wants & Warrants →
- Arizona Licenses →
- Arizona Recorded Documents →
🇺🇸 Criminal Records in other states:
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
National: U.S. Criminal Records hub →
Related Public Records
More Arizona records: Court records · Wants & warrants · Property records · Vital records · Voter records · Licenses · Recorded docs
National view of this topic: All states: Criminal records
Criminal Records Databases
20 official Arizona criminal records sources.
Criminal Records
Detention Division | Cochise County, AZ
Official Free
Standard Non-Legal Friends and Family Mail Address: [Inmate Name – Inmate ID] Cochise County Jail, AZ PO Box 76550 Highland Heights, KY 41076 Mail from Lawyers or other Legal representation & Money Orders Address: [Inmate Name – Inmate ID] Cochise County Jail, AZ 203 North Judd Drive Bisbee, AZ 85603
Public Access to Court Information
Official Free
The Arizona Judicial Branch is pleased to offer Public Access to Court Case Information, a valuable online service providing a resource for information about court cases from 153 out of 180 courts in Arizona .
Docket: Public Access to Court Information
Official Free
Superior Court Docket: Public Access to Court Information
Records Request | Department of Public Safety
Official Free
Please select the type of DPS records ... on the (PSP) Public Services Portal for Fingerprints, Licensing, or Records, please contact them at (602) 223-2999 and select option 8. ... Under A.R.S. § 41-1750, the Arizona Department of Public Safety Central State Repository Section ...
Classification & Population Management | Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry
Official Free
Offender Intake and Assessment for the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry takes place at four locations: Arizona State Prison Complex-Phoenix, adult males; Arizona State Prison Complex-Perryville, adult females; Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis, minor males and females sentenced as adults; and Arizona State Prison Complex-Eyman, Browning Unit, males sentenced to death.
InmateInfo - Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
Official Free
Only addresses and offenders in the preceeding jurisdictional areas are provided in the mapping and email alerting functions at this time. All remaining jurisdictions in the county may be on-line soon. ... Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with BAIR Analytics to provide public crime mapping to their public through RAIDS Online.
🌐 mcso.org
Visitation | Multnomah County Sheriff's Office
Official Free
Jail staff control inmate visiting . The security system may video record visits as a part of normal checks. A visit cannot take place during jail shift change, a health care appointment, a jail program class, or when safety and security are at stake.
🌐 mcso.us
Pima County Clerk of the Superior Court
Official Free
To access case documents, please visit the Arizona Superior Court in person at 110 W. Congress St, Public Records Services Room 241, Tucson. For Juvenile case documents or Title 36 Mental Health case documents, please visit the Pima County Juvenile Court Clerk’s Office at 2225 E.
Pima County Sheriff Department - Inmate Lookup
Official Free
The Pima County Adult Detention Center endeavors to respect the rights of all individuals . The inmate roster was developed to assist criminal justice agencies, the courts, and individuals access public record inmate information. The roster contains information about inmates who have been sentenced, ...
Pima County Justice Court
Official Free
Click here for guidance on how to join a virtual Court Hearing via Teams. Welcome to the Pima County Consolidated Justice Court Website. We understand that courts can be complex, confusing and stressful. It is our purpose to provide you with essential information about the Court and the services ...
Pinal County Assessor Comparables Application
Official Free
By using this website, the user knowingly assumes all risk of inaccuracy and waives any and all claims for damages against Pinal County and its officers and employees that may arise from the use of this data and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Pinal County and its officers and employees to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Chandler Municipal Court | City of Chandler, AZ
Official Free
Users can access AZCourtHelp located in the Additional Resource Section to seek basic information on Arizona courts, including forms and court locations, as well as legal assistance and other self-help resources. ... Furthering the court’s commitment to promote access and transparency, the court will be broadcasting its courtroom proceeding audio live at Courtroom Live Audio Streams. ... Chandler Municipal Court is now offering information and resources for attorneys practicing at the Chandler Municipal Court.
Community Crime Map - Neighborhood Watch Unsubscribe
Official Free
You have been already unsubscribed from your Neighborhood Watch Report. —The Community Crime Map Team
IN THE ARIZONA COURT OF APPEALS DIVISION TWO
Official Free
The Honorable Casey F. McGinley, Judge ... By Justin S. Pierce and Christina Estes-Werther ... By William J. Risner ... SANTA CRUZ COUNTY v. AUDIT USA ... Judge Brearcliffe and Chief Judge Staring concurred. ... AUDIT USA and John R. Brakey (collectively “AUDIT USA”). AUDIT USA · cross-appeals, contending the superior court erred in only awarding limited
IN THE ARIZONA COURT OF APPEALS DIVISION TWO
Official Free
abuse of Jane Doe I to law enforcement or the Arizona Department of Child ... December 2017, committed suicide in jail. Leizza was arrested, pleaded · guilty, and was convicted for knowing about the abuse and failing to ... Shaunice Warr. DOE v. THE CORP. OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH ... Christ of Latter-day Saints v. Cardinal (Jane Doe), No. 2 CA-SA 2022-0047 (Ariz. App. Dec. 15, 2022) (mem. decision).
Death Row Information | Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry
Official Free
All executions are performed in the Central Unit at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Florence in Florence, Arizona. Male death row inmates are primarily housed in the Rincon Unit at ASPC-Tucson and the Browning Unit at ASPC-Eyman, the latter of which also serves as the intake and assessment point for males sentenced to death.
Sex Offender Compliance | Department of Public Safety
Official Free
Below is a list of county contacts and registration locations. Please click on the county for additional information. ApacheCochiseCoconinoGilaGrahamGreenleeLa PazMaricopaMohaveNavajoPimaPinalSanta CruzYavapaiYuma ... The Arizona Department of Public Safety maintains a current list of published registered sex offenders.
Arizona District Court Login - PACER: Login - U.S. Courts
Official Paid
Search the U.S. federal PACER system for Arizona federal civil & criminal court records by case number, party name, filing date, or last update. Note: PACER charges $0.10/page; the first $30 per quarter is free.
Arizona Counties
All 15 Arizona counties. Click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I run an official Arizona background check?▼
Arizona's official statewide criminal-history check is administered by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS). Begin the request at www.azdps.gov. Most state-level checks require submitting fingerprints (live-scan or ink) plus a processing fee, and the response covers convictions and certain non-conviction data permitted by Arizona statute.
Are Arizona criminal records public?▼
Most adult criminal-history information in Arizona is considered public record, but access is restricted depending on the requester (self, employer, government agency) and the data type (arrest, conviction, sealed, juvenile). The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) explains who can request what at www.azdps.gov. County-court records are also public and searchable through the trial-court system.
What's the difference between a state and an FBI background check in Arizona?▼
A state check from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) (www.azdps.gov) covers only criminal activity within Arizona. An FBI Identity History Summary (fbi.gov) is the nationwide check covering federal records and contributing states. Employers and licensing boards often require both.
Can I get someone else's Arizona criminal record?▼
Generally, no — only the record subject (with their own ID and signature) or a specifically authorized requester (such as a credentialed employer under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a licensing board, or law enforcement) can pull a third-party criminal history from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS). The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) documentation at www.azdps.gov lists each authorized requester category.
How do I challenge or correct an Arizona criminal record?▼
If you find an error on your Arizona criminal history, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) offers a record-review and challenge process. Begin at www.azdps.gov — typical steps include fingerprint verification, a written dispute, and supporting court documents (such as a dismissal or expungement order) for each contested entry.