Maricopa County Criminal Records

Maricopa County keeps criminal history records at the Superior Court in Phoenix and through the Sheriff's Office. You can search criminal history in Maricopa County online through the free county docket search or visit the Clerk office at 601 W. Jackson Street in Phoenix. The county has its own online tools that are faster and more detailed than the state system. Most felony cases are heard at the Superior Court, while cities like Phoenix and Mesa handle misdemeanors in their own municipal courts.

Superior Court Criminal Cases

The Maricopa County Superior Court Clerk's Office at 601 W. Jackson Street in Phoenix keeps all felony criminal case files for the county. Call (602) 372-5375 for help. These files are public unless sealed by a judge. You can look at files in person at any of the four courthouse locations or search cases online.

For case parties only, Maricopa County has ECR Online at ecronline.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov where you can file docs and see more detail if you are part of the case. The public cannot use this portal. Stick with the free docket search if you are not a party to the case.

Copy fees at the Maricopa County Clerk are 50 cents per page. Certified copies cost 35 bucks per doc plus the per page fee. If you need to search by name without a case number, there may be a search fee. Public terminals at all four courthouses let you view files for free.

Note: Downtown Phoenix, Southeast Mesa, Northeast Phoenix, and Northwest Phoenix each have a courthouse with public access to records.

Sheriff Arrest and Jail Records

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office at 550 W. Jackson Street in Phoenix keeps arrest reports, booking logs, and jail records. These are not the same as court files. An arrest record shows when someone was taken into custody and what they were charged with at that time.

You can request records from MCSO at mcso.org/about-us/other-mcso-public-records for most public records. For just incident reports, use mcso.org/i-want-to/request-a-report.

MCSO takes up to 30 business days to fill requests for criminal history documents from Maricopa County.

They only accept cash, money order, or business checks. No personal checks or cards. Call ahead to ask about current fees and what info you need to include in your request. Most people need to know the date of arrest and the person's full name.

MCSO also has incident reports at a separate link shown in the image above. Use that if you just need a basic incident report and not a full arrest file from Maricopa County.

Cities in Maricopa County

Maricopa County has many cities. Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Glendale, Tempe, Gilbert, Peoria, Surprise, Avondale, Goodyear, and Buckeye all have their own police and municipal courts. Misdemeanor cases go to city courts. Felonies go to Maricopa County Superior Court.

If you need a municipal court record, contact the city court where the case was heard. Each city has its own portal or office. For arrest reports from city police, contact that city's police records unit.

For more info on criminal history records in these Maricopa County cities, see the city pages: Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Glendale, Tempe, Gilbert, Peoria, Surprise, Avondale, Goodyear, and Buckeye.

How to Get Copies

Walk into any Maricopa County courthouse to view files on public terminals for free. If you want copies, ask at the Clerk window. Bring cash or a money order. Staff can help you find the right case if you have the case number or the person's name and the date.

For certified copies in Maricopa County, you need to fill out a form and pay the cert fee plus copy fees. These are needed for legal matters where you must prove the doc is real. Plain copies cost less but are not certified.

Mail requests take longer. Write to the Clerk at 601 W. Jackson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003. Include the case number or as much info as you have. Include payment and a return envelope. They will mail copies back to you.