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Arizona Criminal Record Lookup
Arizona DPS provides an own-record review route, but does not offer its central criminal-history check to private citizens for third-party lookup. Court case access is separate.
Use the right Arizona record system
For a public Arizona criminal case, begin with Judicial Branch Public Access and then the court that filed it. For your own statewide repository record, use Arizona DPS Record Review. DPS restricts criminal-history copies to authorized recipients and does not offer a general private-person lookup of someone else’s repository history. These are separate services with different identity and access requirements.
An incident or arrest report is another product. DPS’s Public Records Unit handles DPS-created reports, while county or city investigations belong with the investigating agency. Do not order an accident or incident report expecting a criminal-history summary. The DPS records page specifically separates Public Records requests from Criminal Records questions.
Locate the court and case before buying a document
Public Access is a case-information index with incomplete coverage. It excludes specified confidential material, juvenile delinquency/incorrigibility information and local ordinance charges; not every case from a participating court appears. The site warns that entries may be incomplete or out of date and are not the court’s official record. A name hit requires verification, and a blank screen is not an Arizona clearance.
Record the case number, county, court, filing date and listed disposition. Compare available identifiers with what you already know without assuming two matching names identify one person. Contact the court of record for a missing case, older file or discrepancy. A dismissal, amended charge and conviction are different outcomes, so obtain the relevant final order instead of relying on the initial charge label.
Download Superior Court documents when the coverage fits
Arizona eAccess covers eligible Superior Court civil and criminal cases filed from July 1, 2010; Pima County criminal coverage starts July 1, 2015. Justice and municipal court documents are outside this service. Registration requires a valid email. The first page can be previewed free; a pay-as-you-go download is $10 per document, with access lasting 24 hours, so save the file.
Electronic certification is an additional $45 per document for pay-as-you-go accounts, or $35 with a recurring monthly plan. Ask the recipient if it accepts electronic certification: some require a raised-seal copy from the clerk. For a one-off request, compare the clerk’s quote before choosing a recurring subscription. Sealed or otherwise restricted documents remain unavailable even with a paid account.
Prepare a personal DPS Record Review request
The record subject can start through DPS’s Public Services Portal or use the Record Review packet. For the paper route, submit legible rolled fingerprints taken by a law-enforcement official, the completed contact-information sheet and the identifying details specified on the card. Mark the fingerprint purpose RECORD REVIEW; include the official’s badge/serial number, agency name and ORI. Do not fold the completed card.
The 2024 packet gives the mailing destination as Arizona DPS, Central State Repository Section, P.O. Box 18450, Mail Drop 3110, Phoenix, AZ 85005-8450. An attorney communicating for you needs an original authorization on law-firm letterhead, signed by you and notarized. This review is for checking your own record’s accuracy and completeness, not for obtaining another person’s history.
Confirm delivery when the official instructions differ
The DPS service page says a response is mailed within 15 days after receipt of a complete packet. The 2024 packet describes approximately two weeks and says it will email the information if an email address is supplied. Because the published instructions differ on delivery, confirm the chosen channel with the Central State Repository at 602-223-2229 before relying on electronic receipt.
The reviewed Record Review instructions do not quote a processing fee. Ask DPS about any applicable charge and ask the fingerprinting agency separately about its collection fee. Do not apply the Public Records Unit’s incident-report prices to this service. Keep a copy of the submission and your mailing evidence so staff can identify the request if the response is delayed.
Correct the record and keep employment checks separate
If the DPS response is inaccurate or incomplete, identify the disputed arrest, disposition or identity entry and ask the repository for its challenge instructions. Supply the corresponding court order or agency documentation. A wrong court index should also be raised with that court; correcting one database does not establish that every private screening report has been updated.
For a fingerprint clearance card, DPS lists 602-223-2279. Authorized state/federal applicant checks follow the Noncriminal Justice Compliance Program, not this personal review. DPS also directs local-clearance requests to local law enforcement and national personal-history requests to the FBI. Verify the receiving organization’s exact requirement before spending money on a product it cannot use.