How to Search Pima County Criminal Records
Pima County criminal cases sit in two main court systems. Felony cases run through the Superior Court. Misdemeanors and traffic cases run through the Justice Court or a city magistrate court. A search for a Pima County criminal record should start with the right court.
For Superior Court felonies, open the Clerk's case-records page. It links to Public Record Search, ECR for Parties, ECR for Attorneys, and Arizona eAccess. Pima criminal case coverage on eAccess starts on July 1, 2015. Older cases may be in paper only at Public Records Services, Room 241, 110 W Congress Street.
For Justice Court misdemeanors and traffic, use the Justice Court case and citation search. Justice Court excludes Injunction Against Harassment, Order of Protection, felony cases, and juvenile defendant cases from web access. A separate request can sometimes still reach those files.
- Pick the court tied to the charge.
- Open the public search tool or call the Clerk.
- Enter a case number, citation number, or party name.
- Review the charge, plea, hearings, and disposition.
- Order a certified copy if needed for work, court, or housing.
Note: A Pima criminal docket is research data, not a certified record; order a certified copy for any official use.
Types of Pima County Criminal Records
Each Pima County criminal record covers one type of court action. Felony files live with the Superior Court. Misdemeanor and traffic files live with the Justice Court or a city court. Arrest data starts with the Sheriff or a city police agency. Plea, verdict, and sentence data sits with the court that heard the case.
The Clerk's Criminal Support Services page handles criminal filings, fee payment, restoration of civil rights, and related work. The page lists routes to the right office for each type of criminal record.
That page connects criminal record requesters to fee schedules, forms, and restoration-of-rights help.
- Felony case records - Superior Court CR cases, with charge, plea, sentence, and probation orders.
- Misdemeanor records - Justice Court CR cases and city court files.
- Arrest records - Pima County Sheriff's Adult Detention Complex bookings and city police records.
- Traffic and DUI - Justice Court TR cases and Superior Court felony DUI files.
- Sex offender registry - Arizona DPS registry under A.R.S. § 13-3821 and § 13-3825.
- State criminal history - Arizona DPS repository under A.R.S. § 41-1750.
What a Pima Criminal Record Shows
A Pima County criminal record lists the case data the court files keep. Sealed and juvenile cases will not appear in a public search. A live case shows the parties, the events, and the result. Sentence terms and probation conditions are part of the file once the court rules.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Court prefix, year, and serial number, like CR23-001234-001. |
| Charge | Statute cited, with degree of offense. |
| Court | Superior Court, Justice Court, or city magistrate court. |
| Plea | Not guilty, guilty, no contest, or a deferred plea. |
| Hearings | Arraignment, status conference, motion, trial, sentencing. |
| Disposition | Guilty, not guilty, dismissed, deferred, or set aside. |
| Sentence | Jail or prison time, probation, fines, fees, restitution. |
| Warrant Status | Active warrant, quashed warrant, or no warrant on file. |
Charges vs Convictions
A Pima County criminal record does not always mean a conviction. A charge is an accusation. A conviction is a final finding of guilt by plea, verdict, or court order. The two carry very different weight in a job search, a housing application, or a license check. The court file shows both when the case has been resolved.
| Charge | Conviction |
|---|---|
| Filed accusation by the state or city | Final finding of guilt by the court |
| Triggers a court case, not a finding | Triggers sentence, probation, and any collateral effects |
| May be dismissed, deferred, or reduced | Stays on the record unless sealed or set aside |
| Often appears in arrest data before court rules | Appears after plea or verdict |
Pima County Arrest Records and Jail Status
Arrest data in Pima County starts with the booking agency. The Pima County Sheriff's inmate lookup shows people in custody at the Adult Detention Complex at 1270 W. Silverlake Road. The roster includes people sentenced, held for another jurisdiction, and accused but not convicted. The Sheriff's site is clear that a roster listing is not proof of guilt.
The roster is current custody only. A search by last name returns active bookings. A booking that has been cleared, bonded out, transferred, or sealed will not appear. For a full picture of arrest and case status, pair the roster with the case search in the right court.
For a recently released custody check, see released inmates. For a roster walk-through and bond rules, see inmate records. For active warrants, see warrant records.
Arizona DPS Criminal History
The Clerk does not run background checks. Statewide criminal history records sit with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the central repository under A.R.S. § 41-1750. A DPS record uses fingerprints and is the right tool for an authorized background check, a review of a personal record, or a licensing decision.
DPS also runs the Arizona sex offender registry under A.R.S. § 13-3821 and A.R.S. § 13-3825. The internet sex offender website runs under A.R.S. § 13-3827. The DPS sex offender page links to OffenderWatch for searches and to a downloadable list for community-safety use.
The DPS page sets the framework for registered offender data tied to Pima County addresses.
For nationwide searches across state registries, use the National Sex Offender Public Website. Misuse of registry information to threaten or harass can lead to prosecution.
Specialty Courts for Pima Criminal Cases
Pima County Superior Court runs problem-solving courts for eligible criminal cases. Drug Court handles substance-use-linked offenses with judicial monitoring, treatment, and progress hearings. Criminal Mental Health Court handles cases tied to mental-health needs. Both programs aim to cut repeat offenses through treatment and supervision.
Participation in a specialty court is part of the underlying case docket. Public access tracks the rules for that case type.
Sealed vs Set Aside vs Expunged
Arizona uses three different record-relief paths, and they are not the same. Sealing under A.R.S. § 13-911 is broad public-access relief for eligible arrests, convictions, and sentencing records. A set-aside under A.R.S. § 13-905 sets aside the judgment of guilt but leaves the underlying record. True expungement under A.R.S. § 13-3981 is narrow and applies only to qualifying marijuana offenses.
| Relief | Effect | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Set aside | Sets aside judgment of guilt; record stays visible with notation | A.R.S. § 13-905 |
| Seal | Removes most public access; may answer "no" on many applications, with exceptions | A.R.S. § 13-911 |
| Expunge (marijuana) | Erases qualifying marijuana offense | A.R.S. § 13-3981 |
The Arizona Judicial Branch sealing page walks through the process. A petition must go to each court where the case was filed. Sealing relief covers records held by courts, DPS, prosecutors, and law enforcement, with statutory carve-outs.
The self-help page is the official starting point for a Pima County criminal sealing petition.
Public Defender and County Attorney
The Pima County Attorney's Office prosecutes felony cases and serious misdemeanors. County Attorney Laura Conover leads the office. The Pima County Public Defender represents indigent people charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses, plus juveniles in delinquency and parties in dependency cases. The office was set up in 1970 and now employs attorneys, investigators, social workers, mitigation specialists, and support staff.
A defendant does not hire the Public Defender directly. Appointment runs through the court after indigency screening. Those who do not qualify can seek private counsel or a bar referral.
Confidential Criminal Records in Pima County
Some Pima County criminal records are closed by statute. Juvenile delinquency records have a special framework under A.R.S. § 8-208, which opens many delinquency records but closes adoption, severance, and dependency files. Mental-health case documents fall under A.R.S. § 36-509 and route to the Juvenile Clerk on Ajo Way.
Sealed records under A.R.S. § 13-911 are closed to most public access by court order. Even after sealing, copies that were published or shared before the seal may still circulate. The Arizona self-help page warns of that limit.
Note: A Pima criminal record search will not show sealed, juvenile, or Title 36 mental-health files, and an online absence is not proof that no case exists.