Record sealing (A.R.S. 13-911) in Arizona: which records can be cleared
What Arizona law lets you clear, record by record.
Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.
Short answer
In Arizona it is called set aside, sealing or expungement: a set aside dismisses the conviction but it stays on your record with a note. Some misdemeanor and felony convictions may be cleared.
- Main remedy
- Record sealing (A.R.S. 13-911)
- What it covers
- Arrests with no charges filed, dismissed charges, not-guilty verdicts, and misdemeanor and felony convictions.
- Ways to clear a record
- 3
Ways to clear a record in Arizona
Set aside, sealing (record sealing), expungement (marijuana only) — A set aside dismisses the conviction but it stays on your record with a note. Sealing (since December 31, 2022) closes your case records to the public and most employers, but police, prosecutors, courts and some agencies can still see them. Only certain marijuana offenses can be expunged, which seals them for everyone except you and your lawyer.
Arizona has 3 ways to clear a record. Each covers different records and has its own waiting period.
Record sealing (A.R.S. 13-911)
Arrests with no charges filed, dismissed charges, not-guilty verdicts, and misdemeanor and felony convictions
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Arrest with no charges, dismissal, or acquittal | No waiting period You can file once the case is over. | End of the case |
Petty offense conviction | No waiting period You can file right away once you finish your sentence and pay what you owe (added by a 2026 law). | Completion of the sentence |
Conviction vacated because you were a sex trafficking victim (A.R.S. 13-909) | No waiting period You can file right away (added by a 2026 law). | The order vacating the conviction |
Class 2 or 3 misdemeanor conviction | 2 years You can file 2 years after you finish probation or your sentence and are discharged. | Completion of the non-money terms of probation or sentence and discharge by the court |
Class 1 misdemeanor conviction | 3 years You can file 3 years after you finish probation or your sentence and are discharged. | Completion of the non-money terms of probation or sentence and discharge by the court |
Class 4, 5 or 6 felony conviction | 5 years You can file 5 years after you finish probation or your sentence and are discharged. | Completion of the non-money terms of probation or sentence and discharge by the court |
Class 2 or 3 felony conviction | 10 years You can file 10 years after you finish probation or your sentence and are discharged. | Completion of the non-money terms of probation or sentence and discharge by the court |
New felony after an earlier sealing | 5 years If you commit a felony after a record was sealed, you can seal the new felony only after its normal waiting period plus 5 more years. | End of the normal waiting period for the new felony |
- Not eligible
- Dangerous offenses; dangerous crimes against children; serious offenses and violent or aggravated felonies; offenses involving use or threatening display of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or knowingly causing serious physical injury; sex trafficking; class 2-5 felony sex offenses
- Limits
- You must have paid all fines, fees and restitution before filing. If the court denies your petition, you must wait 3 years to file again. There is no rule that you must have no other convictions: a 2024 law removed it, even though some court info sheets still mention it.
Law: A.R.S. § 13-911; A.R.S. 13-706; Title 13, ch. 14 and 35.1
Source: Official text
Set aside of judgment of guilt and Certificate of Second Chance (A.R.S. 13-905)
Misdemeanor and felony convictions
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Set aside, any eligible conviction | No waiting period You can apply once you have finished probation or your sentence and been discharged. | Completion of probation or sentence and discharge by the court |
Certificate of second chance, misdemeanor | No waiting period The court includes the certificate when it sets aside a misdemeanor. | Set aside |
Certificate of second chance, class 4, 5 or 6 felony | 2 years Available if at least 2 years have passed since you finished probation or your sentence. | Completion of probation or sentence |
Certificate of second chance, class 2 or 3 felony | 5 years Available if at least 5 years have passed since you finished probation or your sentence. | Completion of probation or sentence |
- Not eligible
- Dangerous offenses; offenses requiring sex offender registration; offenses with a finding of sexual motivation; felonies where the victim was under 15
- Limits
- Only one certificate of second chance for a felony set aside.
Law: A.R.S. § 13-905
Source: Official text
Marijuana expungement (A.R.S. 36-2862, Proposition 207)
Arrests, charges, convictions and juvenile adjudications for possessing up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, up to six plants at home for personal use, or related paraphernalia, for conduct before November 30, 2020
| Kind of case | Waiting period | Counted from |
|---|---|---|
Eligible marijuana offense | No waiting period You can file at any time; petitions have been accepted since July 12, 2021. | July 12, 2021 |
- Not eligible
- Offenses above these amounts and other charges in the same case (for example a DUI) are not expunged
Law: A.R.S. § 36-2862
Source: Official text
What you can say afterwards
After sealing, you may say you were never arrested, charged or convicted for that crime, including on job, housing, financial aid and loan applications, with exceptions: fingerprint clearance card applications; jobs with police, prosecutors, courts, probation, child welfare or corrections; certain jobs related to the type of offense (for example driving jobs after a DUI, money-handling jobs after fraud, in-home service jobs after burglary or theft, child or elder care jobs after abuse); background checks for placing a foster child with you; Medicare/Medicaid program rules; and when state or federal law requires disclosure. A sealed or set-aside conviction can still be used as a prior conviction if you are charged again. A set aside restores gun rights except for serious offenses.
Law: A.R.S. 13-911(I)(5); A.R.S. 13-905(O)
Records from when you were under 18
If you are at least 18 and were adjudicated delinquent or incorrigible, you can apply to the juvenile court to destroy your juvenile court and juvenile corrections records, if the offense is not a serious one listed in A.R.S. 13-501(A)-(B) or a Title 28 chapter 4 (DUI-type) offense, you have no felony conviction, no pending charge, finished probation and paid restitution. If you do not qualify, you may apply at age 25. There is no filing fee. You can also apply to set aside a juvenile adjudication; statewide forms are on the courts' Juvenile Law Forms page.
Law: A.R.S. 8-349; A.R.S. 8-348
Cannabis convictions in Arizona
You can petition to expunge records of possessing up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, up to six plants at home, or paraphernalia, for conduct before November 30, 2020. If granted, the conviction is vacated, the records are sealed, your civil rights including gun rights are restored, and you may say you were never arrested, charged or convicted for that offense.
Law: A.R.S. 36-2862, Proposition 207
Pardons in Arizona
- Who decides
- Governor of Arizona, on recommendation of the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency
- How
- Apply to the Board of Executive Clemency, which reviews the application and recommends to the Governor.
Law: Ariz. Const. art. V, § 5
In nearby states
- New Mexico: Expungement
- Utah: Expungement
- Nevada: Record sealing
- Colorado: Record sealing (expungement for juvenile records and mistaken-identity arrests)
What to do now in Arizona
Get your own record
Your record lists each case; you need it to see which remedy fits. Arizona Courts Self-Service Center: Sealing Criminal Case Records and Completing the Petition to Seal Criminal Case Records.
See if enough time has passed
Waiting periods differ by case and remedy. Waiting periods.
Ask the court
You file the request in the court that handled the case. How to file.
Get help
Legal aid can help for free: AZLawHelp.org (Arizona Bar Foundation) - apply for free or low-cost legal help and AZCourtHelp.org (forms, court locations, live chat).
Free legal help in Arizona
Questions about clearing a record in Arizona
What does Arizona call expungement?
Set aside, sealing (record sealing), expungement (marijuana only). A set aside dismisses the conviction but it stays on your record with a note. Sealing (since December 31, 2022) closes your case records to the public and most employers, but police, prosecutors, courts and some agencies can still see them. Only certain marijuana offenses can be expunged, which seals them for everyone except you and your lawyer.
Which records can be cleared in Arizona?
Record sealing: Arrests with no charges filed, dismissed charges, not-guilty verdicts, and misdemeanor and felony convictions. Set aside of judgment of guilt and Certificate of Second Chance: Misdemeanor and felony convictions. Marijuana expungement: Arrests, charges, convictions and juvenile adjudications for possessing up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, up to six plants at home for personal use, or related paraphernalia, for conduct before November 30, 2020.
What about marijuana convictions in Arizona?
You can petition to expunge records of possessing up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, up to six plants at home, or paraphernalia, for conduct before November 30, 2020. If granted, the conviction is vacated, the records are sealed, your civil rights including gun rights are restored, and you may say you were never arrested, charged or convicted for that offense.
What happens to juvenile records in Arizona?
If you are at least 18 and were adjudicated delinquent or incorrigible, you can apply to the juvenile court to destroy your juvenile court and juvenile corrections records, if the offense is not a serious one listed in A.R.S. 13-501(A)-(B) or a Title 28 chapter 4 (DUI-type) offense, you have no felony conviction, no pending charge, finished probation and paid restitution. If you do not qualify, you may apply at age 25. There is no filing fee. You can also apply to set aside a juvenile adjudication; statewide forms are on the courts' Juvenile Law Forms page.
Who can still see a cleared record in Arizona?
After sealing, you may say you were never arrested, charged or convicted for that crime, including on job, housing, financial aid and loan applications, with exceptions: fingerprint clearance card applications; jobs with police, prosecutors, courts, probation, child welfare or corrections; certain jobs related to the type of offense (for example driving jobs after a DUI, money-handling jobs after fraud, in-home service jobs after burglary or theft, child or elder care jobs after abuse); background checks for placing a foster child with you; Medicare/Medicaid program rules; and when state or federal law requires disclosure. A sealed or set-aside conviction can still be used as a prior conviction if you are charged again. A set aside restores gun rights except for serious offenses.