Arizona Court Records

Are Arizona Court Records Public?

Yes. The Arizona Public Record Law makes it the fundamental right of every Arizona resident to access public records. The purpose of this is to promote transparency and accountability by the government.

However, there are restrictions on public access to certain cases and documents as provided by Rule 123 of the Arizona Judicial Branch. Examples of cases and documents with such restrictions include sexual offense cases and warrant documents.

The Arizona Public Record Law refers to a compendium of laws enacted in 1901 to foresee the accessibility and distribution of public records within the State of Arizona. Court records in Arizona are regarded as public records and, as such, may be accessed by the general public.

What Shows Up on an Arizona Court Records Search

An Arizona court case record usually contains information about the parties, case status, and documents filed or created during the case history. Court records are important in Arizona's judicial process as it provides evidence that a particular action took place. It also supports legal rights and obligations within the legal system and promotes accountability and transparency. Ultimately, Arizona records can be an effective resource for teaching, research, and policy-making.

Arizona court records are documents created and maintained by a court clerk in a legal proceeding held within state limits. A court records search is the process of seeking this court record information from their custodian offices. Requests for court records are processed through the Arizona Judicial Branch, which maintains state-wide court case information in Arizona. At the county level, Arizona court records are generated, maintained, and disseminated by the court clerks of each jurisdiction's courthouse.

How Do I Find Court Records in Arizona?

The first step to take when trying to obtain court records in Arizona is to find out the courthouse in charge of the sought records. The Arizona Revised Statutes stipulated that public bodies are responsible for the safekeeping of their records. In Arizona, court clerks are responsible for keeping court records and making them available to the public.

Requesters may obtain copies of court records either by requesting them in person, by mail, or via online portals. For in-person requests, the requester may visit the particular courthouse where the case was filed. Upon making the request, the court clerk guides them on the necessary procedures to follow. Note that a walk-in requester may be required to put the request in writing.

Arizona Court Records Public Access?

To obtain Arizona court records online, the interested entity may visit the Arizona Judicial Branch website. The website is an online resource providing remote access to court case information from Municipal and Justice courts in the state. It provides public access to court records from 177 courts in Arizona.

The Arizona Judicial Branch makes court case information from the Superior Court available via a web-based portal known as eAccess. The Arizona Supreme Court launched the online portal in a bid to enhance general transparency in judicial matters. eAccess was developed to grant 24/7 convenient access to public and unrestricted court case information and documents. The portal is accessible by both the public with deeper access provided to authorized entities such as attorneys, government agencies, and litigants.

Obtaining court records and documents attracts stipulated fees. Only approved government agencies are exempted from paying such fees before they can access court record information. However, it is important to note that out-of-state government agencies cannot obtain government agency access accounts and privileges.

To access the Superior Court records via the eAccess portal, requesters must register and pay for the applicable monthly subscription. Upon successful registration and login, the portal grants the user access to the court records provided they are available and accessible. The fee for each subscription depends on the limit of documents accessible per month.

Below is a list of the available subscriptions, their prices, and their access limits.

• Court case documents are accessed on a "Pay As You Go" basis, at $10 per document. This has no monthly subscription cost.
• Subscription fee of $80 grants access to a limit of 20 documents per month.
• Subscription fee of $200 grants access to a limit of 50 documents per month.
• Subscription fee of $360 guarantees access to a limit of 100 documents per month.
• Subscription fee of $640 grants access to a limit of 200 documents per month.
• Subscription fee of $1,050 grants access to a limit of 375 documents per month.
• Subscription fee of $10,000 grants access to a limit of 5,000 documents per month.
• Approved government agencies may access court case documents at no subscription fee.
• AOC or Access to Certified Documents enables a requester to purchase certified documents. This does not require a monthly subscription fee.

It is crucial to note that documents exceeding the stipulated limits for each subscription may be accessed at Pay As You Go document purchase price. However, court case information from some listed courts is not available via the online service. These courts include:

• Arizona Supreme Court
• Court of Appeals - Division 1
• Court of Appeals - Division 2
• Chandler Municipal Court (non-delinquent cases )
• Gilbert Municipal Court
• Justice of the Peace Courts (non-delinquent cases)
• Maricopa Superior Courts (non-criminal cases)
• Mesa Municipal Court
• Paradise Valley Municipal Court
• Tempe Municipal Court
• Pima Consolidated Justice Court (non-delinquent cases)
• Pima County Superior Court

How to Obtain Arizona Court Records in Person?

For the Arizona Court of Appeals, interested entities may request to view or copy court documents. Those who want to view court records may submit their requests to the Office of the Clerk. Viewing of the court case information must take place in the viewing room of the Clerk's Office. As such, members of the public are not allowed to remove documents from the Clerk's Office. Requests for copies of court documents from the Court of Appeals can be made in any of three ways as follows.

• Counter Request
• The requester may submit a Copy Request Form at the counter of the Clerk's Office. The office is located at 1501 W. Washington Avenue, Phoenix (2nd floor). Such requests can only be submitted during the Clerk's Office business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Friday.
• Email Request
• Completed Copy Request Form for copies via email may be sent to inform@appeals.az.gov. Requesters must include full payment before they can receive requested copies.
• Mail Request
• To obtain copies of court records via mail, a completed Copy Request Form may be mailed with check or money order payment to:
• Court of Appeals
• Division One Clerk's Office
• 1501 W. Washington Avenue
• Phoenix, AZ, 85007
• Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Closed on state holidays. Phone: (602) 452-6700
• Email: inform@appeals.az.gov

The Arizona Court of Appeals is required by state law to charge 50 cents per page for copies of court records. The requester may confirm the number of pages contained in the sought document by contacting the Clerk's Office via phone on (602) 452-6700. Alternatively, the requester may send an email to the court via inform@appeals.az.gov to ascertain the number of pages in requested case documents.

Requests for a Certified Copy of the sought documents attract a certification fee of $17. Cash (in the exact change), money order, and check are accepted for payment. However, in some instances, a user may be allowed to pay via credit/debit card if the Clerk's Office grants permission. The card payment option may also require the payment of an additional user fee.

No matter the number of multiple cases being requested, the requester must use one request form per case. Also, if the copy request is more than ten pages, the requester may not be able to collect the copies immediately after payment. They will receive a notification from the Clerk's Office as soon as the copies are ready for collection.

How to Conduct an Arizona Court Record Search by Name

To conduct an Arizona court record search, the inquirer must have information about the court record of interest. It could be the names of any of the parties involved in the case, that of the attorney or even the judge(s) involved, the date or time frame within which the case was filed, and the county or courthouse in charge of the case.

To conduct an Arizona court record search by name, an interested person may visit the website provided by the record custodian. On the site or portal, they may enter the party name into the search box provided. Some online resources require a fee payment, while others may require an account creation before a person is granted access to the needed court records. Alternatively, a person doing a court record search may visit the court clerk's office in person during business hours.

How to Get Court Records Online for Free in Arizona

Court records are free online through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database. Court records are available on official court websites maintained by the clerk of the courts or on public terminals at the courthouse. Some government-operated websites that offer free access to Arizona court records include:

• The eAccess portal of the Arizona Judicial Branch
• The Arizona court case finder
• The Arizona State Archives for cases filed before 1950

In addition, many government-operated websites have online databases containing court records open to members of the public for free. Most of these sites require that a person interested in looking up court cases on their sites signup for an account before they can access a case file.

Considered open to citizens of the United States, court records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:

• The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
• The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.

While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.

Types of Courts in Arizona

Based on jurisdiction, the Arizona court system is classified into three:

• General jurisdiction courts - Arizona Superior Courts fall under this category and are located in each of all 15 counties of the state. They are the highest courts in the state.
• Appellate jurisdiction courts - these courts have the power to review cases from general and limited jurisdiction courts. The Arizona Supreme Court and the Arizona Court of Appeals are appellate courts.
• Limited jurisdiction courts are the courts with the jurisdiction only to hear specific cases in the state. Courts that fall under this classification are Justice Courts, Municipal Courts, Tribal Courts, and Federal Courts.

What Shows Up on Arizona Judgment Records?

Arizona judgment records are documents describing the outcome of a case - that is, the court's decision or order regarding a civil dispute or criminal charges in its jurisdiction. The clerk of courts is the record custodian for these documents, which are available for public perusal per the Arizona Public Record Law.

A requester must know the case identifying information to obtain a judgment record in Arizona and pay the applicable search and copying fees. The search begins with a visit to the clerk's office during regular business hours. To facilitate the search, the requester must provide the case number, litigants' names, and judgment year. In addition, the requester must pay the search fees applicable to retrieving the judgment record of interest.

Upon retrieving the record, the requester may opt for regular or certified copies of the judgment record. The choice depends on the document's intended use, but the information therein remains. A typical Arizona judgment record briefly describes the contested issues or charges. It also includes the litigants' names, the court's decision or order, and the presiding judge's name.

Are Arizona Bankruptcy Records Public?

Arizona bankruptcy records provide financial details on people or businesses that have filed for bankruptcy in courts within the state. It contains different details such as a list of assets, income, creditors, and other information. The United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Arizona, handles all bankruptcy cases filed in Arizona and has bankruptcy records in Arizona. Arizona bankruptcy records are available in the public domain and can be accessed by members of the public. However, some private information, such as social security number, date of birth, and residential address, needs to be revealed.

Records of bankruptcy proceedings and related documents such as Arizona Liens, title deeds, mortgages, judgments, and foreclosures are accessible to interested and eligible members of the public per state law.

How to Find Bankruptcy Records in Arizona

In Arizona, bankruptcy records are considered public unless they are sealed by federal law. For interested members of the public, bankruptcy records are accessible at the clerk's office at the Arizona Bankruptcy Courts. Online access is also possible through PACER and Arizona's judicial branch eAccess portal. Relevant pieces of information needed for a bankruptcy records search are the name of the debtor, creditor, case number, and the court where the case was filed.

Can You Look Up Court Cases in Arizona?

Yes, Arizona court case lookup can be performed using the eAccess online portal; the Supreme Court provides remote access to applicants looking for Superior Court records. The portal holds information about cases filed from July 1, 2010. However, the portal does not include Municipal and Justice Courts court records. Court case information from Justice and Municipal courts can be looked up via the Arizona Judicial Branch Case Search facility. Some cases are not included in the case search results. Such cases include mental health and probate cases, sealed cases, cases involving un-served Orders of Protection, and victims and witness data.

Looking Up Arizona Court Case Records: Exemptions

While most court cases in the state of Arizona are available for public lookup, some are sealed from public access because they contain sensitive information. For example, records from closed hearings are not available for public lookup. Furthermore, some pieces of information in public cases are not available to the public, for example, social security numbers, financial account information, house addresses (in criminal cases), taxpayer identification number, dates of birth, and names of minors.

As stated in the privacy policy for electronic case files, the following cases are exempted from public access in a case lookup:

• Juvenile records
• Statements of reasons
• Unexecuted warrants or summons
• Sealed documents, such as plea agreements containing victim statements or cooperation
• Ex parte requests that authorize expert, investigative, and other kinds of services according to the CJA (Criminal Justice Act)
• Financial affidavits
• Documents that may disclose information about jurors or potential jurors.

How to Find a Court Docket in Arizona

In Arizona, court dockets are considered public records. Interested persons may look up a court docket online if the court maintains an electronic system, at the Clerk's Office in person during business hours, or via third-party repositories.

An Arizona court docket is a record that gives a brief summary of all the filings and proceedings in a court. It contains essential information such as pleadings, briefs, motions, etc. Dockets help courts to keep track of several cases as they include multiple cases, including upcoming filings and proceedings.

What are Civil Courts and Small Claims in Arizona?

In Arizona, civil cases are lawsuits between entities, usually involving claims of $10,000 or less. Civil cases may involve attorneys and can also be appealed to a court higher than the court in which the lawsuit was filed.

Generally, civil cases in Arizona are decided by Justice Courts. Such cases may involve evictions, landlord and tenant matters, breach of contract suits, and consumer complaints against businesses.

Arizona small claims courts are a division of Justice Courts that handle cases involving claims of less than $3,000. Small claims cases are mostly informally handled, often without the services of attorneys. However, attorneys may only be used only upon agreement by both parties. Small claims cases are also not allowed to be appealed. Also, the filing of a small claims case must be done within the defendant's residence's justice precinct or as otherwise provided by Section 202 of Title 22 of the Arizona Revised Statutes. Those who want to file small claims complaints may obtain forms directly from the court. Alternatively, they can get information on how to file electronically via the eFilling Information in Arizona.