Maricopa County Criminal Records

Maricopa County criminal records are available through the Sheriff's Office and the Superior Court Clerk. This is Arizona's most populous county with over 4 million residents. The county seat is Phoenix. Criminal cases here range from misdemeanors to serious felonies handled in one of the busiest court systems in the country. You can search many Maricopa County criminal records online or request copies in person at county offices.

MCSO Criminal Records and Reports

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office handles criminal records for unincorporated areas and provides support to local police agencies. MCSO is one of the largest sheriff's offices in the nation. They process thousands of record requests each year. You can get incident reports, arrest records, and booking information through their records unit.

To request a report from MCSO, visit their office at 550 W. Jackson Street in Phoenix. The records unit is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 3 PM. You can also submit requests by mail. The fee for incident reports is $5 for the first 10 pages. Each page after that costs $0.50 more. Payment must be in cash, money order, cashier's check, or business check. They do not accept credit cards or debit cards for Maricopa County criminal record requests.

Processing takes about 30 business days for most requests. If you need a report faster, you may want to call ahead to check on availability. Some reports can be picked up the same day if they are ready. Others take longer if they involve ongoing investigations or complex cases in Maricopa County.

The MCSO website has information about requesting reports and what you need to include in your request. You will need to provide the date of the incident, location, and names of people involved to help them find the right records.

The docket system shows case schedules and hearing dates. It is useful for tracking the status of criminal cases in Maricopa County courts.

Maricopa County Superior Court Records

The Clerk of the Superior Court keeps all felony case files and many misdemeanor records for Maricopa County. The main courthouse is at 601 W. Jackson Street in Phoenix. You can visit in person during business hours from 8 AM to 5 PM. Phone inquiries go to (602) 372-5375 or the easy to remember number (602) 37-CLERK.

Several online tools let you search Maricopa County criminal court records from home. The statewide Arizona Courts Public Access portal includes Maricopa County cases. You can search by name or case number for free. Results show basic case information like charges, filing dates, and case status. This is a good starting point for any search of Maricopa County criminal records in the court system.

For actual documents from court files, you need the eAccess portal. This system charges $10 per document. You can view scanned images of complaints, motions, orders, and other court filings. Many people use this for legal research or to get copies of their own case paperwork from Maricopa County courts.

The county also runs its own court docket system that shows upcoming hearings and past case activity. This is helpful if you need to know when someone has a court date or want to see the timeline of a criminal case. The docket updates regularly and covers all criminal divisions in Maricopa County.

Copies from the clerk cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $35 plus the per page fee. If you need records for legal purposes, certified copies carry an official seal that proves they are true copies of the original court documents.

Note: Some records may be sealed or have restricted access based on the type of case or ongoing proceedings.

How to Get Maricopa County Criminal Records

There are several ways to obtain criminal records in Maricopa County. The method you choose depends on what type of record you need and how fast you need it. Online searches are quickest for basic case lookups. In-person visits work best when you need certified copies or want to see a full case file.

For police reports and arrest records, contact MCSO or the local police department where the incident occurred. Many cities in Maricopa County have their own police forces that keep their own records. Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, and Gilbert all have separate police records units. The Sheriff handles areas outside city limits and provides jail booking records for the whole county.

Court records come from the Clerk of the Superior Court. You can search online first to find the case number, then request copies by mail, in person, or through the eAccess system. Having the case number speeds up the process significantly. Without it, staff must search by name which can take longer and may not find all relevant Maricopa County criminal records.

If you want to run a background check on yourself, you have options. The Arizona DPS fingerprint clearance card process is one route. You can also request your own records directly from the court or sheriff. There is no fee for crime victims to get one copy of a police report under Arizona law.

Maricopa County Record Fees

Fees for Maricopa County criminal records vary by agency and document type. MCSO charges $5 for incident reports up to 10 pages. Additional pages cost $0.50 each. The Superior Court charges $0.50 per page for copies. Certified copies are $35 plus the page fee.

Online document access through eAccess costs $10 per document. This gives you immediate access to scanned court filings without visiting the courthouse. Some people find this more convenient than traveling to downtown Phoenix, even with the per document fee. Searching the public access portal is free. You only pay if you want to download actual documents from Maricopa County criminal case files.

Third party services may charge additional fees. Accident reports can be purchased through LexisNexis. The RAIDS Online system shows crime mapping data for the county. These tools have their own fee structures separate from what the county charges directly.

Cities in Maricopa County

Maricopa County includes many major cities with their own police departments and municipal courts. For city level criminal records, you may need to contact these agencies directly in addition to county resources.

Major cities in Maricopa County include Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Gilbert, Peoria, Surprise, Goodyear, Avondale, Buckeye, and Queen Creek. Each city keeps its own police records. Municipal courts handle misdemeanor cases and traffic violations that occur within city limits.

Felony cases from any city in Maricopa County go to the Superior Court. So if you need felony records, the county court is the right place to look regardless of which city the crime occurred in.

Nearby Arizona Counties

If your search for criminal records extends beyond Maricopa County, these neighboring counties may have relevant information.