Maricopa County Arrest Records

Title 13 of the Arizona Criminal Code enforces the constitutional authority of Maricopa County law enforcement agencies to arrest anyone reported or caught committing an offense. On arrest, either by actual restraint or submission to custody, the suspect is temporarily detained in a jail facility until their initial arraignment or court appearance.

To create official files for court proceedings, and future events, the arresting officer will typically take the arrestee through a booking process. Booking involves collecting DNA samples, mugshots, personal information, crime details, and fingerprints. These official files are generally termed Maricopa County arrest records.

Arrest records are generally maintained by the sheriff’s offices in each jurisdiction. Since these arrest records are part of Maricopa County Court records, they are a useful legal reference for instituting criminal court proceedings. Most importantly, they provide insight into a person's criminal history files, maintained by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Note: arrest records that did not result in a charge of conviction are not the same as criminal records, which is a comprehensive account of a person’s criminal interactions.

Are Arrest Records Public in Maricopa County?

Yes. Non-confidential arrest records are open to the public. Arizona Public Records Law facilitates the public disclosure of arrest records created and maintained by local law enforcement agencies, such as the Sheriff’s Office, and the Arizona Department of Safety unless specific exemptions apply.

Per the public records law, all arrest records are subject to disclosure at a reasonable fee unless they are confidential by statute, rule, or privilege, disclosure of such records is not in the best interest of the county, and individual privacy interests outweigh the public’s right to access.

Arizona Revised Statutes Title 39 outlines a few non-disclosures as listed below:

• Criminal investigations that visually showcase the identity of a witness under the age of eighteen 39-121.04
• Personal identifying details of a crime witness contained in an arrest record in an ongoing criminal investigation 39-123.01
• Individuals and noncriminal justice agencies are not permitted to use arrest records for purposes besides the reason for which they were given 41-1750.
• Information that may deprive a defendant of a fair trial
• Medical and payment records 12-2292
• Communication between a person reporting a criminal activity that leads to an arrest

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Maricopa County arrest records contain necessary information about the arrestee and alleged crime(s):

• Full name of the suspect and aliases
• Specific alleged crime/offense
• Crime classification (felony or misdemeanor)
• Arrest details, like, date, time, and location of the arrest
• Social security number
• Physical identifying information and marks (Height, weight, sex, tattoo, race, and scars)
• Date of birth
• Age
• Fingerprints
• Photographs
• Mugshots

Maricopa County Crime Rate

The 2020 crime statistics published by the Department of Public Safety report a total of 116,710 index crimes for Maricopa County. According to the report, property crimes were the most reported offenses constituting 80% [96,442] of the county crime total, while violent crimes accounted for the remaining percentage.

Larceny theft, motor vehicle theft, and burglary were the most reputable offenses within the property crimes category. Larceny theft accounted for 71,418 of all property crimes, followed by burglary at 13,911, and motor vehicle theft at 11,113. The total value of the stolen property is put at $174,260,332

Likewise, aggravated assault, rape, and robbery were the most reported violent offenses. Aggravated assault made up 13,224 of the violent crime total, followed by robbery at 4,313 and rape at 1,956.

Finally, Arizona DPS also provides an online crime statistics tool for yearly offense rates reported by specific law enforcement agencies. City police departments like Phoenix Police Department also publish yearly crime statistics. Individuals can visit any city police department website for city-based crime statistics.

Maricopa County Arrest Statistics

2022 crime statistics put the number of arrests made in Maricopa County at a total of 102,593. Larceny theft accounts for 12,430 of this number, followed by simple assaults at 13,389, and driving under the influence at 9,551.

Find Maricopa County Arrest Records

Citizens and residents of Maricopa County can visit any local, state, or federal law enforcement agency to find arrest records. The first line of duty is to identify which law enforcement agency carried out the arrest. Next, identify where the inmate is housed.

Maricopa County inmates are typically detained in the arresting city police department’s detention facility until arraignment and at any Maricopa County Sheriff's Office jail facility location if remanded. The MCSO is the primary booking facility in Maricopa County.

Likewise, anyone looking for state or federal inmates can visit the Arizona Department of Corrections, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, or the immigration office.

Thus, to inspect an arrest record for arrests that occurred within the county, the person can contact the County Sheriff’s Legal Liaison Section or the City Police Department Records Section. Each department maintains obvious procedures for obtaining records and processing fees.

To obtain any record from the County Sheriff's Legal Lisaon:

• Email LLSAdmin@mcso.maricopa.gov
• Fax to: (602) 876-0056
• Phone: (602) 876-3400
• Deliver in person or by mail to 550 West Jackson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003

Persons who wish to request an incident report only can submit their request to the MCSO Departmental Reports Section.

For prompt record retrieval, the following information may be required:

• Name of the arrestee
• Arrestee’s date of birth
• Date(s) of incident
• Booking number(s)
• Requester’s Mailing address
• The requester’s contact telephone number
• Additional details that can aid the record search

Note:

• The MCSO cannot grant public access to arrest records authored by other law enforcement jurisdictions (Federal, State, Tribal, or City [Local] Police Departments).
• To obtain arrest records from city police departments, one may direct their requests to any of the Maricopa County Police Department Agencies. For example, Chandler Police Department.
• Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and the Maricopa Police Department (Pinal County) are two separate agencies.

As earlier stated, arrest records generated by the state or federal law enforcement agencies are maintained separately. To obtain these records, individuals may explore the following options:

The Arizona Department of Public Safety

Arizona Department of Public Safety collates and maintains arrest records and disposition information submitted by criminal justice agencies. Individuals can contact the Department Records Unit (DRU) to obtain public arrest records.

The FBI Bureau of Prisons

Federal arrest records are maintained by the Bureau of Prisons. Anyone who wants to look for an inmate held in federal custody can explore the online Federal Inmate Search tool by name or number.

Free Arrest Record Search in Maricopa County

Maricopa County provides public arrest records to individuals at no inspection charge, except for processing fees. To request an arrest record search, one may visit the online resources provided by the MCSO or any city police department.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Search Portal is a typical online search tool to find arrest information of inmates in any of the five jail facilities. At least the arrestee’s booking number, name, and date of birth are required for the search.

Conversely, city police departments also provide online search tools to find arrest details and reports on their website. For example, the Chandler Police Department maintains an Open Data Portal for people to view recent arrests and bookings.

An alternative to the above options is to search independent third-party public records databases. These third-party sources typically refer to law enforcement agencies for public information.

One can view arrest records and other public records for free. However, comprehensive reports may attract a nominal processing fee.

Get Maricopa County Criminal Records

Maricopa County criminal record checks provide details of an individual’s criminal interactions and involvement with criminal justice agencies. The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS)

serves as the central repository for criminal records within the state.

Admittedly, local law enforcement agencies, like the county sheriff’s offices and city police departments are only authorized to maintain and disseminate arrest information and dispositions within their jurisdiction. However, Arizona revised statutes 41-1750 mandate criminal justice agencies within Arizona to report criminal history information to the ADPS for proper compilation and dissemination.

To get a Maricopa County criminal record, the requester can download the record review packet, or request one by contacting the ADPS, Criminal History Records Section at (602) 223-2222. The record review package typically contains instructions, a Record Review Packet Checklist, a blank applicant fingerprint card, a contact information sheet, and a pre-addressed return envelope.

Only authorized criminal record holders and criminal justice agencies can request copies of criminal records. Eligible individuals who wish to do so must first submit a full set of legible rolled fingerprints for proper identification. This also ensures that the record subject receives the right criminal history record.

Download and print the fingerprint card and take it to a law enforcement agency to be fingerprinted. The law enforcement agency, either the local police department, county sheriff’s office, or state police may prefer to use a fingerprint card on standard stock.

Individuals may use the provided fingerprint card mentioned above or one provided by the printing agency as long as it is the FBI blue standard applicant fingerprint card. The fingerprint card requires one to enter their name, date of birth, social security number, physical description, signature, and residence.

Note:

• The fingerprint card must read “RECORD REVIEW” under the reason for fingerprints.
• An official of a law enforcement agency must take the fingerprints
• The official must record their badge/serial number and the name of the agency in the block provided.
• It is important to not fold or bend the completed fingerprint card

Next, subjects of records must complete the record review contact information sheet mentioned above. If they are represented by an attorney, the attorney must submit a notarized letter of authorization from the record subject.

Either the record subject or their attorney can mail the completed fingerprint card, record Review contact information sheet, and notarized authorization letter, if applicable, to:

Arizona Department of Public Safety
Criminal History Records Unit
P.O. Box 18450
Phoenix, AZ 85005-8450

In approximately 2 weeks or 15 days, the AZDP will mail a copy of any existing Arizona criminal record to the address provided on the completed Record Review Contact Information Sheet.

Alternatively, one may explore the Public Access to Court Information or the eAccess portal on the Arizona Supreme Court web page. A case number or name are required search parameters. However, the provided results are not admissible as official records.

Finally, record subjects may request a national check/clearance by contacting the FBI at:

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Special Correspondence Unit
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
(304) 625-5590

For further questions, review the Arizona Department of Public Safety FAQ section.

Maricopa County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Maricopa County arrest records contain information regarding a person’s arrest, alleged crimes, and outcomes. These records do not mean that one is guilty of the alleged crime since the person was not arraigned in court and the charges can be discharged.

Conversely, a criminal record or rap sheet is an extensive account of one’s run-ins with law enforcement agencies. These records chronicle a person’s arrests, charges, convictions, and sentencing.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Forever. Arrests may stay on one's record forever. However, they may be expunged if the individual clocks 99 years old. Alternatively, the person may file a motion to seal the record.

Expunge Maricopa County Arrest Records

Maricopa County, Arizona does not make provisions for one to expunge their arrest records. However, individuals can seal their arrest records. These terms are similar but have different meanings and applications.

Sealing one’s arrest records does not imply that the records are permanently erased. Select parties, like the arrestee, attorney of record, case victim, court clerks, criminal justice agencies, probation department, the Department of Child Safety, and an Arizona correctional facility may have access to the record.

Likewise, Arizona law mandates the disclosure of a sealed arrest record for the following reasons:

• If one is charged with a felony
• When the arrest record is circumstantial to impeaching a party in the trial
• To increase one’s court sentence for subsequent DUI offenses

ARS § 13-911 outlines the required criteria for sealing arrest records in Maricopa County. The judiciary categorizes all information on someone’s arrest, conviction, and sentencing as case records. To seal arrest records, one must submit a Petition to Seal Criminal Case Records to the Arizona Judicial branch.

Per the statute, only eligible persons who satisfy the following criteria can petition the court to seal their arrest records:

• Arrested for an offense and no charges were filed
• Charged with an offense and the charges were dismissed
• Convicted of an offense and has met all of the sentencing conditions imposed by the court.

One may file a petition to seal records at any of these court levels:

• Petitioners who were convicted for an offense must file in the court where they were convicted.
• Petitioners who are found ‘not guilty’ on all charges must file the petition in the court where the complaint or indictment was filed against them. However, if the complaint was filed in a different court, and subsequently transferred to another court, the petition must be filed in the holding court.
• If the petitioner had an initial court appearance but no charges were filed, they must file in the court where they had the appearance.
• ·Petitioners who were arrested without an initial appearance and charges must file in the Maricopa County Superior Court

One will be required to submit the following information:

• Full name
• Address
• Date of birth
• Email address.
• Name used at the time of arrest, charge, or conviction
• Offense(s)
• Court’s case number

Note:

• One can file a Petition to Seal Criminal Case Records for one eligible offense as long as the court has not denied a petition to seal in the last three years and
• The petitioner must meet eligibility and filing criteria.
• Petitioners with multiple arrest records must file separate petitions for each one
• The court does not charge a fee to seal criminal case records in Maricopa County, Arizona.
• Unless the petitioner, prosecutor, or victim requests a court hearing, the court may not schedule a hearing.

Typically, it takes the court at least 30 days to deny or grant a petition to seal. Afterward, the person is free to say that they have been arrested or charged for related offenses, with few exceptions according to ARS § 13-911(I)(5).

Maricopa County Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant is a legal order issued by a court of reputable jurisdiction for the arrest of an individual believed to have committed a crime. A judge may only issue an arrest warrant if there is probable cause or evidence to believe that the named individual committed said offense. An arrest warrant typically contains the defendant’s name, the crime they are charged with, and the date and location of issuance.

Upon issuance, the law enforcement officers gain the legal coverage to search for and detain the person pending their court appearance.

If one suspects that they have an arrest warrant, it is best to seek legal advice from an attorney of law to immediately address the warrant, navigate the legal process, and protect their rights.

Maricopa County Arrest Warrant Search

Residents of Maricopa County can perform an arrest warrant search through any local law enforcement agency, like the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and metropolis police departments.

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office generally publishes lists of the most wanted individuals to create public awareness and aid fugitive arrest. Also, people looking to confirm whether they have an existing warrant can explore the online lookup warrant tool provided by the sheriff’s office.

Suppose one finds out that they have an existing arrest warrant. In that case, It is advised for such individuals to employ an attorney or a licensed bondsperson to visit the law enforcement agency and settle the conditions of the arrest warrant.

Do Maricopa County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Maricopa arrest warrants do not expire. They remain active until the law enforcement officer apprehends the named defendant in the warrant. However, the court may quash or recall the arrest warrant.