How to Find Arizona Court Records (2026)

In person. Go to the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed, or to the specific justice court or municipal court if that is where the case was heard. Bring the case number if you have it; if not, the party names and an approximate filing date. Most clerk's offices have public terminals for searching the index at no charge, and copies are paid at the counter.

By mail or email. Most Superior Court clerks accept a records request form by mail or, increasingly, by email, followed by payment once the office confirms the fee. Include:

• the case number, or the full names of the parties and the approximate year filed;
• exactly which documents you need;
• whether you need plain or certified copies; and
• payment or a request for a fee quote, plus postage if copies are to be mailed.

Turnaround is typically several business days once payment is received, longer if the file has to be pulled from older archived records.

Online. The statewide Public Access to Court Case Information site shows case information for free, and Arizona's eAccess system (offered by many Superior Court clerks) lets registered attorneys and, in some counties, parties or the public view scanned documents for cases filed after a cutoff date that varies by county. Certified copies still require a request to the clerk.

Records older than the online index. Coverage cutoffs vary widely by county and case type — some Superior Court clerks only have full document images from the early 2010s forward. Older files are on paper or microfilm at the clerk's office and may require a search fee to locate.

Arizona court records are presumed open under Arizona Supreme Court Rule 123, which sets the general rule that records of the Judicial Department are available for public inspection unless a specific confidentiality interest outweighs that presumption. Several categories will not appear in a public search:

• Sealed criminal records. Since January 1, 2023, A.R.S. § 13-911 allows a person to petition the court to seal case records after a conviction (once the full sentence, including fines and restitution, is complete), a dismissal, a not-guilty verdict, or an arrest with no charges filed. Certain offenses — dangerous offenses, dangerous crimes against children, and serious, violent, or aggravated felonies — are not eligible. A sealed case is hidden from public view, including from the statewide portal, though it remains visible to courts and law enforcement.
• Prop 207 marijuana expungements. Under A.R.S. § 36-2862, certain marijuana possession, use, or cultivation cases from before November 30, 2020 can be expunged, which removes them from public records entirely.
• Juvenile records. Juvenile court records are confidential with narrow statutory exceptions.
• Domestic relations and protective-order sensitive data. Family Court files are generally public, but Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and similar sensitive data are restricted, and orders of protection files have limited public access.
• Adoption records. Adoption case files are sealed by statute.

Requests to seal or expunge are made to the court that handled the case, not to the clerk as a records request, and the petitioner typically must apply separately in every court where they were convicted.