Arizona criminal records
Arizona gives you three ways to deal with a record.
They do different things, and the one you want may not be the one you qualify for. Answer a few questions and find out which applies to you.
The three remedies compared
- Sealing
Hides the record from employers, landlords and the general public. Law enforcement and some government agencies can still see it.
Most people, once enough time has passed. This is usually the one worth wanting.
- Set aside
Vacates the conviction and releases you from its penalties, and restores firearm rights in most cases. The record stays public, annotated to show it was set aside.
People who have just finished a sentence and cannot wait years for sealing.
- Expungement
True erasure. The conviction is vacated, records are sealed from public access, and civil rights including firearm rights are restored.
Anyone with a qualifying marijuana case. No waiting period at all.
A.R.S. 13-911
Available since 2023
A.R.S. 13-905
No waiting period
A.R.S. 36-2862
Marijuana only
Why this is free
You can file every one of these petitions yourself. Arizona publishes the forms, and the court clerk will tell you the fee and whether you can have it waived. A lot of sites will not tell you that.
We will tell you plainly when a remedy is not available to you, and when the honest answer is that it depends on paperwork we cannot see. If your case is complicated enough to want a lawyer, that is worth knowing before you pay one.
How long you wait
Sealing · A.R.S. 13-911(E)
The clock starts when you finish your sentence, not when you were convicted. Probation, jail time, classes and community service all have to be done first.
| Offense | Wait |
|---|---|
| class 2 felony | 10 years |
| class 3 felony | 10 years |
| class 4 felony | 5 years |
| class 5 felony | 5 years |
| class 6 felony | 5 years |
| class 1 misdemeanor | 3 years |
| class 2 misdemeanor | 2 years |
| class 3 misdemeanor | 2 years |
- A felony conviction after that one adds 5 years to whichever period applies.
- All fines, fees and restitution have to be paid before you can file, however long you have waited.
- If your case was dismissed, you were found not guilty, or you were arrested and never charged, there is no waiting period at all.
When sealing is not available
A.R.S. 13-911(O)
Arizona bars some offenses from sealing entirely, no matter how much time has passed. Better to know now than after a filing fee.
- Dangerous offensesA.R.S. 13-911(O)(1)
- Dangerous crimes against childrenA.R.S. 13-911(O)(2)
- Serious, violent or aggravated feloniesA.R.S. 13-911(O)(3)
- Offenses involving a deadly weapon, or the knowing infliction of serious physical injuryA.R.S. 13-911(O)(4)
- Sex trafficking convictionsA.R.S. 13-911(O)(5)
- Class 2 through 5 felonies under chapter 14 or 35.1A.R.S. 13-911(O)(6)
A set aside under 13-905 has its own, shorter list of exclusions, so a record barred from sealing is not necessarily barred from everything.