A.R.S. § 13-911

Seal Your Arizona Criminal Record

A successful petition removes your record from most public background checks and lets you legally state, in most contexts, that the conviction did not occur.

What sealing actually does

Arizona's record sealing law (§ 13-911), effective January 1, 2023, gives most people with completed criminal cases the right to seal their records. A sealed record is hidden from:

• Standard employer background checks
• Landlord background checks
• Most license-issuing agencies (with narrow exceptions)
• Public court record searches

Sealing is not the same as expungement. The record still exists; it's just shielded from public view. Law enforcement, prosecutors, and certain regulatory bodies (FBI fingerprint clearance, healthcare licensing, school employment) can still access sealed records under specific statutory authority.

In most contexts — including the ones that matter for getting a job, renting an apartment, or applying for school — you can legally answer "no" to questions about whether you've been arrested, charged, or convicted of the sealed offense.

Who qualifies under § 13-911

Your case must fall into one of three buckets:

1. Convictions

You completed your sentence (probation, prison, or both), paid all restitution and fines, and the statutory waiting period has passed:

• Class 2 or 3 felony: 10 years
• Class 4, 5, or 6 felony: 5 years
• Class 1 misdemeanor: 3 years
• Class 2 or 3 misdemeanor: 2 years

Waiting periods run from the date of your absolute discharge from prison or completion of probation — whichever happened later.

2. Dismissed cases or not-guilty verdicts

Charges were filed but later dismissed, or you went to trial and were acquitted. No waiting period. These are typically the most straightforward sealing petitions.

3. Arrests with no charges filed

You were arrested but the prosecutor never filed charges. No waiting period. Even cleaner than a dismissal.

Who doesn't qualify

§ 13-911(O) excludes the following from sealing entirely:

• Dangerous offenses involving the use, discharge, or threatening exhibition of a deadly weapon, or knowing infliction of serious physical injury
• Most serious offenses under § 13-706 (1st and 2nd degree murder, manslaughter with serious injury, sexual assault, dangerous crimes against children, armed robbery, etc.)
• Sex offenses requiring registration under § 13-3821
• Any offense with a sexual-motivation finding under § 13-118
• Offenses with a victim under 15 years of age

DUI convictions are eligible for sealing (different from set-aside, which excludes DUIs).

What you have to have done first

• Paid all victim restitution in full
• Paid all court fines, fees, and surcharges
• Completed all sentence terms (treatment, classes, community service, drug/alcohol testing)
• No open criminal cases or active warrants
• Not received a subsequent conviction during the waiting period (this resets the clock under § 13-911(E))

Recent change: As amended by SB 1639 (effective September 13, 2024), prior felony convictions no longer add waiting time to your sealing petition. Under the original 2021 law, a prior historical felony conviction added 5 years to the standard waiting period; that provision has been removed. If you previously thought you didn't qualify because of a prior, you may want to re-screen.

If you've previously filed a sealing petition that was denied, you must wait 3 years from the denial before refiling under § 13-911(L).

What you get from us

For $750, we prepare and deliver:

• The official AZ Superior Court petition with your information pre-filled into all the form fields
• A pre-fill review checklist so you can verify every checkbox before signing
• County-specific filing instructions — addresses, hours, e-filing portals, what to bring, how many copies
• A personal-statement template with prompts tailored to your case
• A required-attachments checklist (Certificate of Discharge, payment history, support letters, etc.)
• Multi-county support — works statewide, not just Maricopa

The court charges nothing to file the petition.

How it works

1. Free 3-minute screening. No payment, no signup required to see your eligibility.
2. Sign up to save your results. Free account. Magic-link sign-in — no password to remember.
3. Fill out your case detail form. Saves automatically.
4. Submit and pay. $750 once, when you click Submit. Your packet generates immediately.
5. Print, sign, file. Most petitions are decided within 60 to 150 days.

What happens after you file

The Clerk's office will notify the prosecutor, who has 30 days to file objections. Under the post-SB 1639 procedure, the court must wait at least 60 days after filing (extended from the original 30 days) to allow the prosecutor and any victim time to respond before granting or denying. Most petitions are decided without a hearing.

If the petition is granted, the order seals the record. The Department of Public Safety and other criminal justice agencies update their records to reflect the seal, typically within a few weeks.

Typical timeline: 60 to 150 days from filing.

When you should hire an attorney instead

Most clean § 13-911 petitions don't need an attorney. But there are situations where the discretionary nature of the decision means an experienced advocate substantially improves your odds:

• Prior denial that you're refiling on
• Active prosecutor who's likely to object
• Restitution dispute or partial-payment circumstances
• Multiple cases with mixed eligibility
• Complex criminal history

If your situation falls into any of these, hire a licensed Arizona attorney. We'll tell you in your screening result if we think your case warrants representation rather than self-filing.

Frequently asked questions

Related services

• Set Aside the Conviction under § 13-905 (vacates the judgment of guilt — file alongside sealing for maximum effect)
• Restore Civil Rights under §§ 13-907, 13-908
• Restore Firearm Rights under § 13-910

Take the free screening — we evaluate all five paths at once.