Maricopa County, Arizona Arrest Records Search

Arrest records in Maricopa County flow through two distinct systems: the court side and the law-enforcement side. On the court side, the Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court — located at 620 West Jackson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 — maintains case filings, minute entries, and dispositions for Superior Court matters. The Maricopa County Superior Court’s own docket search covers criminal, civil, family, and probate cases. On the law-enforcement side, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office holds booking records for county jail facilities. The Arizona Judicial Branch’s Public Access to Court Case Information provides a statewide fallback, but Maricopa runs its own separate docket system — so a statewide search alone is not complete for this county. Confirm current records-request fees and Clerk Office hours by calling (602) 372-5375 before visiting.

If someone you know was just booked tonight, our Maricopa County inmate-search page has phone-first contact info.

Searching for records beyond Arizona

Maricopa County’s own portals cover cases filed here, but they won’t surface out-of-state filings, federal cases, or records from prior addresses in other states. A nationwide search tool may help fill gaps that local portals often leave — particularly if the name you’re researching has variants, or if the person has lived in multiple states. The preliminary scan is free; a full report requires creating an account.

Sponsored: Nationwide Criminal Background Check (we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you).

This tool is not a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA and may not be used to screen anyone for employment, housing, credit, or any other purpose covered by that law.

How to look up arrest records in Maricopa County

“A.R.S. §§ 39-121 et seq.” governs public access to government records in Arizona — and Maricopa County’s records are open under that framework unless a specific exception applies. The Clerk’s main office at 620 West Jackson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 is open weekday business hours; call (602) 372-5375 to confirm current hours and the records-request fee before making the trip. Appointments are honored ahead of walk-ins, and the Clerk’s phone lines can run long holds — plan accordingly.

The Maricopa County Superior Court runs its own docket search, separate from the statewide portal. Use the Maricopa County Superior Court Criminal Court Cases docket for felony and serious misdemeanor cases filed in Superior Court. Civil matters are at the Civil Court Cases docket, and family-court filings at the Family Court Cases docket. The top-level Maricopa County Superior Court case search lets you search across case types by name or case number.

For court minute entries — the chronological record of every hearing, ruling, and order — the Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court maintains a separate minute entries search. The Clerk also offers Electronic Court Records (ECR) and an e-Access portal for registered users who need deeper document retrieval. For general case-finding guidance, the Clerk’s Find a Case page walks through the options. Judicial records questions can also go to [email protected].

Misdemeanor arrests handled by city police departments often land in municipal courts or justice courts — not Superior Court. Maricopa County has multiple justice court precincts. The Maricopa County criminal justice processes page explains how cases move through the system. If you’re not finding a case in the Superior Court docket, the arresting agency’s city court is the next place to check.

On the Sheriff’s side, booking records for the county jail system — which includes facilities such as the 4th Avenue Jail, Estrella Jail, Lower Buckeye Jail, and Madison Street Jail — are held by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Call (602) 506-3204 to request booking records or ask about the records-request process. The Sheriff’s headquarters at 550 W Jackson St, Phoenix operates Monday–Friday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM. Bring a government-issued ID when visiting in person.

If the person you’re researching is not in the county jail roster, check the the state prison inmate locator for state prison placements. Federal cases — including those handled by U.S. Marshals or federal agencies — won’t appear in any state system; use the federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator for those. Some cases in Maricopa County may also involve tribal or federal authorities rather than the county, depending on where the arrest occurred.

Are Maricopa County arrest records public?

Court filings are public records under A.R.S. §§ 39-121 et seq. — the Arizona Public Records Law — which establishes a default-open presumption for government-held documents. Arrest records, booking data, and court dockets generally fall within that default-public category. The law requires agencies to promptly produce records upon request; they may charge reasonable copying fees but cannot simply refuse without a legal basis.

Several narrow exceptions limit what you’ll see. Sealed case records are closed to public view under A.R.S. §13-911, which has been available since 2023. Juvenile records carry their own statutory protections and are not accessible through the standard public dockets. Victim-identifying information — addresses, contact details, and certain case specifics — may be redacted under victim-protection statutes before records are released. Active investigative records can also be withheld while an investigation is ongoing.

Federal arrest records are not in any state system. If the arrest was made by a federal agency — FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals, or Border Patrol — the record lives in federal databases. The FBI’s Identity History Summary process is the path to obtaining a federal criminal history; the Arizona Department of Public Safety handles state-level criminal history requests for background-check purposes, separate from the court docket search.

Booking photographs are public records that can be requested from the agency holding them — typically the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office for county jail bookings. Call (602) 506-3204 to ask about the mugshot request process. The Sheriff’s Office does not post mugshots in a public online gallery.

Once a case is sealed under the 2023 statute, the public record is closed — but law enforcement retains access. Dismissed cases and acquittals are also public unless the person has successfully petitioned to seal them. The practical effect: a name search in the Superior Court docket will return any unsealed case, regardless of outcome.

What’s in a Maricopa County arrest record?

Booking entries and court docket entries are different documents that live in different systems — and they show different fields. Understanding which system holds what saves time.

A booking entry — held by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office or the arresting city police department — typically shows: the booking date and time, the arresting agency, the charges as listed at booking, the facility where the person was held, and the booking number. It may also include physical descriptors and, upon request, a booking photograph. Booking entries do not reflect what happened in court afterward; a charge dropped before arraignment may still appear in a booking record.

Court docket entries — accessible through the Maricopa County Superior Court docket search and the minute entries search — show the full procedural history of a case. Fields you’ll see include: the case number, the charges as formally filed by the prosecutor (which may differ from booking charges), all hearing dates, the judge assigned, the attorney of record for both sides, sentencing dates if the case resulted in a conviction, the sentence imposed (including probation terms and their duration), and the final disposition. At the Maricopa County Courthouse, minute entries are the most granular record of what happened at each court appearance.

Probation terms appear in the sentencing minute entry and may also be reflected in a separate probation order. If a case resulted in a set-aside under A.R.S. §13-905, the docket will show an annotated entry indicating the judgment was set aside — the record remains visible but is marked accordingly. A sealed case under A.R.S. §13-911 will not appear in a public docket search at all.

For the mugshot release policy at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, call (602) 506-3204 — the policy isn’t posted online in a form that can be confirmed here.

One practical note about the Maricopa County Courthouse: enter from the east side of the building; the south entrance is for employees only. Parking near the courthouse complex is available via meters and nearby garages, but it is charged — Maricopa County does not validate parking.

How to expunge an arrest record in Maricopa County

A.R.S. §13-911 — Arizona’s sealing statute, effective 2023 — is the primary path for closing arrest and conviction records to public view in Maricopa County. Arizona has no general expungement law; the only statute using the word “expungement” is A.R.S. §36-2862, which covers a closed list of past marijuana offenses only. For everything else, the options are sealing under §13-911 or setting aside a judgment of guilt under A.R.S. §13-905.

Eligibility for sealing under §13-911 depends on the offense class and whether the case ended in a conviction. Cases that were dismissed, resulted in acquittal, or were never charged can often be sealed without a waiting period — these are the most straightforward petitions. Conviction cases require a waiting period after sentence completion; the length of that waiting period is set by offense class in the statute. Check the current text of A.R.S. §13-911 directly, or ask the Clerk of Court, for the specific waiting period that applies to a particular offense class — the statute sets those durations precisely, and they are the numbers a reader acts on legally.

To petition to seal a Maricopa County case, file the Petition to Seal with the Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court at 620 West Jackson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003. The Clerk’s Obtaining Records page and the Superior Court’s Records Requests page describe the filing process. The Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court forms page lists available court forms; the Superior Court’s Law Library Resource Center can help self-represented petitioners locate the correct petition form and understand the filing steps.

Filing fees apply; an indigency waiver is available if you qualify. The Clerk accepts cash, credit cards, and money orders for in-person payments. Call (602) 372-5375 to confirm the current filing fee before visiting.

Self-petitioning is permitted — you do not need an attorney. That said, cases involving multiple charges, prior convictions, or complex sentencing histories benefit from attorney review. The State Bar of Arizona member directory lists licensed attorneys by practice area.

After a successful sealing, the public docket no longer shows the case. Law enforcement agencies retain access. The record is not destroyed — it is closed to public view. A set-aside under A.R.S. §13-905 works differently: it dismisses the charge and lifts most civil penalties, but the record remains in the public docket with an annotation showing the set-aside. For dismissed or acquitted cases, the sealing path under §13-911 is generally available without a waiting period — confirm the specific eligibility criteria in the statute or with the Clerk.

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Frequently asked questions about Maricopa County arrest records

How long does it take to get a Maricopa County arrest record, and will it show hearing dates?

Online docket searches through the Maricopa County Superior Court are available immediately — no wait, no fee for viewing. The docket shows every hearing date, the judge, the attorney of record, and the final disposition. For certified copies of documents, the Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court at 620 West Jackson Street processes requests during weekday business hours; call (602) 372-5375 to confirm current turnaround times and fees. Booking records from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office are a separate request — call (602) 506-3204 for that process. Phone lines at both offices can run long holds, so calling early in the day tends to work better.

How do I get a Maricopa County arrest record sealed?

Petitioning to seal an arrest record in Maricopa County is a routine legal procedure under A.R.S. §13-911. Dismissed cases and acquittals can often be sealed without a waiting period. Conviction cases require a waiting period after sentence completion; the length depends on the offense class as set in the statute — check the current statute text or ask the Clerk for the specific duration. File the Petition to Seal with the Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court at 620 West Jackson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003. The Clerk’s forms page lists available petition forms, and the Superior Court’s Law Library Resource Center can assist self-represented petitioners. Filing fees apply; an indigency waiver is available. After sealing, the public docket no longer shows the case — but law enforcement retains access.