Arizona State Records

Arizona Public Records

The Arizona State Records website’s mission is to facilitate every person’s right to detect, obtain, and examine public records. This enables Arizona state residents to access public records in accordance with the Arizona Public Records Law, which specifies that all public records be open to the public.

The main goal of this website is to enable all members of the general public to have a simple and straightforward tool to access Arizona state public records without specifying a reason for acquisition or any personal information. Because of legal action from the state or an individual related to the crime, some records are exempt from this law.

Arizona State Records presents information about criminal records, court records, vital records, and 60 million additional public records.

Are Arizona Records Public?

Arizona public records are mostly accessible to the public, except when exempted under state law. The Arizona Public Records Law dictates the procedure for obtaining open records in the state. In addition, it determines which documents are accessible to the public. Under Arizona state law, public records are under the purview of custodian agencies or departments. In addition to maintaining public records, custodian agencies produce and issue public records to interested persons and entities when they submit a Public Record Act request. Free public data searches are typically unavailable for specific public records because most custodian agencies charge a fee to request public records.

What is Considered Public Information in Arizona?

Examples of publicly accessible documents include:

• Arizona court records
• Arizona arrest records or rap sheets
• Arizona criminal records
• Arizona sex offender information;
• Arizona death records
• Arizona birth records
• Arizona property records
• Arizona bankruptcy records

Arizona Public Records Law, A.R.S. §§ -39-101 to -161 defines public records as all documents in the custody of a record custodian. Public documents may exist as books, maps, photographs, papers, and other documentary materials in digital or physical formats. Media such as video files and music files are also classified as public documents. The public can therefore search public data for these documents and items. Nevertheless, not all public records are accessible to the public. The Arizona Public Records Law and Freedom of Information Law restrict public access to certain confidential records and documents. As a general rule, the Arizona Public Records Law favors disclosing documents where the public interest outweighs the government's interest in confidentiality.

How Do I Find Public Records in Arizona?

Requesters can find public records in Arizona by contacting the public records official or custodian agency that is in charge of producing, maintaining, and issuing copies of the requested document. For example, the Arizona Department of Correction, Rehabilitation, and Reentry is responsible for storing and giving copies of all inmate records and related data. On the other hand, record seekers can access sex offender information from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Meanwhile, vital records can be obtained through the state's vital record office. Irrespective of the type of public record, record seekers can access Arizona public records via these general steps:

• Know the Specifics of the Preferred Public Record
  Record seekers must know the custodian agency in charge of the record, the requirements to obtain the preferred public document, and the request method. Most importantly, record seekers must note the fees and payment methods for obtaining public records in Arizona. For example, record seekers can get sex offender information for free, whereas certified copies of Arizona court records cost $17. Furthermore, Arizona Vital Records Office enables only the record subject records, family, relations, and approved representatives to access vital records in the state.
• Contact the Custodian Agency Holding the Record
  Per the Arizona Public Records Law, interested persons can contact record custodians to inspect or get copies of public documents. Generally, custodian agencies produce copies of Arizona public records via online, email, fax, and in-person requests. In contrast, record custodians may only enable public inspection of public documents.
• Create and Send Request for Arizona Public Records
  To access public records in Arizona, record seekers may write and send a request form to the custodian agency responsible for issuing the documents. In some cases, record custodians may provide a downloadable request form, whereas others do not have a specific request form template. In the absence of a particular request form, record seekers may write a request form detailing the following data:
  • The requester's full name
  • The record seeker’s full name and, or aliases;
  • Preferred mode of delivery - email, online, or in-person;
  • Record seeker’s contact details;
  • Date range when the record was documented;
  • The case number (this applies to court records);
  • The record subject's date of birth;
  • Purpose of the request - provide a detailed description of your request;
  • Additional information to assist with the search.

Using Third-Party Sites

Public city records may also be accessible from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. However, users will need to provide enough information to assist with the search such as:

• The name of the subject involved in the record (subject must be older than 18 or not juvenile)
• The address of the requestor
• A case number or file number (if known)
• The location of the document or person involved
• The last known or current address of the registrant

Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.

How Do I Look Up Public Records for Free in Arizona?

Arizona state laws require record custodians to provide certain records at no cost. However, there can be a charge for requesting other records. For example, there are charges associated with requesting most records maintained by county clerks' offices and county recorders' offices. To perform free public records searches in Arizona, record seekers may utilize the following options:

Record seekers can access Arizona public records used in laying claims for pensions, allowances, insurance benefits, compensation, or other incentives. In addition, Arizona law enforcement agencies allow crime victims to access arrest records and additional information for free. Public libraries may also have computer terminals where record seekers may find and view old court records and genealogy records at no charge.

Second, certain custodian agencies in Arizona maintain free online repositories of Arizona public records. Thus, any public member can visit the platforms to view and access these records. Moreover, custodian agencies may charge minimal fees for copying public documents.

For example, the Arizona Department of Public Safety provides free access to all sex offender information on the sex offender registry. Through the sex offender's registry, interested persons can search using the offender's name and aliases, contact details, and other identifying information.

Similarly, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry provides free access to Arizona’s public records via an online search platform. Public records such as inmate records, essential agency records, and employee records are obtainable online. To access documents on the search portal, record seekers must create a new or log into a pre-existing account.

The state of Arizona started making public records as far back as 1863 for the state’s 15 counties. Record keeping is transitioning to the digital and online medium, and this is becoming more standard over the past 30 years. The availability of these online records is becoming more standard for both government and third-party organizations. This ensures Arizona abides by the commitment of the United States of America to remain a fair and just society for all.