Pima County Felony Records

Pima County felony records are kept at the Superior Court in Tucson and by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Anyone looking for criminal case files in this southern Arizona county can search court dockets online or visit the Clerk of Court office in person. The Sheriff's Department also keeps arrest reports and jail records that may be relevant to felony cases. Pima County handles thousands of criminal cases each year through its court system. This guide walks you through how to find and obtain felony records in Pima County, what offices to contact, and what to expect when you make a request.

Pima County Superior Court Criminal Records

The Pima County Superior Court hears all felony cases in the county. This is where serious criminal charges go to trial. The court sits at 110 West Congress Street in Tucson. You can reach the general information line at (520) 724-4200. The Clerk of Court handles all records for the court and keeps files for both active and closed cases.

When someone gets charged with a felony in Pima County, the case goes through this court. The prosecutor files charges. The defendant appears for hearings. Eventually, there is either a trial, a plea deal, or the charges get dropped. All of this gets recorded in the case file. Those records stay with the clerk's office even after the case ends. You can get copies of most documents in a felony case file unless a judge has sealed them for some reason.

The Pima County Clerk of Superior Court website has information about requesting records and other court services.

This site explains court services and how to access case information in Pima County.

Pima County Clerk of Court Felony Records

The Clerk of Court is your main contact for getting felony case files in Pima County. The office is on the first floor of the courthouse at 110 West Congress Street in Tucson. Hours run from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. You can call (520) 724-3200 for general questions. For records requests specifically, the Legal Records Unit handles those calls at (520) 724-3240. They are in Room 241 of the building. You can also email them at COCLegalRecordsWeb@sc.pima.gov if you want to ask about a request or check on status.

Getting copies takes time. The clerk needs 3 to 5 business days to process mail requests. If you go in person, you might get documents faster, but it depends on what you need and how busy they are that day. Complex requests take longer. Old cases may require extra research. Plan ahead if you need records by a certain date.

Arizona Supreme Court Rule 123 governs access to court records in Pima County. This rule says court records are presumed open to the public. You can inspect files during business hours. Some information gets redacted before copies are made. Financial account numbers, Social Security numbers, and some details about minors are removed from public copies. This applies to all Arizona courts including Pima County Superior Court.

Note: The clerk cannot give legal advice about what records you need or how to use them in a case.

Pima County Felony Record Fees

The Pima County Clerk charges fees for copies of court documents. Plain copies cost $0.50 per page. If you need a certified copy with the official court seal, that runs $30.00 per document plus the per page fee. Certified copies have raised and embossed seals that prove they are real. You might need certified copies for legal proceedings or official purposes. For most research, plain copies work fine and cost less.

Mail requests add extra costs. Postage and handling runs $8.00. If you want records faxed instead, that costs $7.00. The clerk accepts money orders and checks for mail payments. In person, you can pay with cash, check, or credit card. Some online systems accept credit cards too. Always confirm payment methods before you send money.

Pima County Sheriff Felony Arrest Records

The Pima County Sheriff's Department keeps arrest records and incident reports separate from court files. If you need a police report or arrest record from a sheriff's case, you contact their Records Maintenance unit. The address is 1650 E. Benson Highway, Suite C in Tucson. Phone is (520) 351-4650. Business hours are 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. You can also email requests to PublicRecordsRequest@sheriff.pima.gov.

Sheriff fees differ from court fees. Reports up to 20 pages cost $5.00 minimum. Pages beyond 20 cost $0.25 each. Flash drives cost $15.00 if you need digital copies. Video recordings, including body camera footage, run $46 per video hour reviewed. That last fee adds up fast if there is a lot of footage. Clearance letters cost $5.00 each.

The sheriff's office has an online form for requesting police reports.

Use this form to request incident reports from the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

Jail reports are a separate category. These show booking information when someone was arrested and held. The sheriff has a jail report request page for those records.

Jail reports can show arrest dates, charges at booking, and release information.

Pima County Inmate Lookup

If someone is currently in jail on felony charges in Pima County, you can search for them online. The sheriff runs an inmate lookup portal that shows current bookings. This tool is free to use. It shows the person's name, charges, booking date, and bond information. Keep in mind that charges at booking can change. The prosecutor may add charges, drop some, or change the level of offense later on.

The Pima County inmate lookup portal lets you search by name.

This tool shows who is currently in the Pima County jail and what charges they face. It updates regularly as people get booked in or released.

Pima County Justice Court Case Search

Justice Courts in Pima County handle misdemeanors and preliminary hearings for felonies. If a felony starts with an arrest, the first court appearance often happens at a Justice Court. The case then moves to Superior Court for trial. So Justice Court records may have early information about a felony case even though the main file is at Superior Court.

Pima County has a Justice Court case search that covers these lower court records.

This search tool can help you find early case information before the felony moved to Superior Court.

Justice Courts are spread across Pima County in different precincts. Each serves a geographic area. The online search covers all of them. If you need records from a specific precinct, you can request them online or visit that courthouse. The main Justice Court administration can point you to the right location if you are not sure where a case was heard.

Arizona Criminal History Records in Pima County

Beyond local court and sheriff records, there is a statewide criminal history database. The Arizona Department of Public Safety runs the Central State Repository under A.R.S. Section 41-1750. This law requires all Arizona law enforcement agencies to report arrests and case outcomes to DPS. So if someone was arrested in Pima County, that information should be in the state database.

Individuals can review their own Arizona criminal record for free. You fill out a Record Review Packet and submit your fingerprints. DPS mails you a copy of your record within 15 days. This is useful if you want to check what shows up before an employer runs a background check. You can also challenge errors in your record through this process.

There is one big limit. Arizona law does not allow DPS to run background checks for private employers or requests from outside the state. If you are a private citizen trying to check someone else's record, you need to use court records directly. That means going through the Pima County Clerk of Court for felony case files. The state repository is mainly for law enforcement use and for people checking their own records.

Sealing Pima County Felony Records

Arizona now allows some felony records to be sealed. This option started on December 31, 2022. A.R.S. Section 13-911 sets the rules for who can petition to seal their record. You must have finished your entire sentence including probation, paid all fines, and completed any required classes or treatment. Then you wait a certain amount of time depending on the felony class.

The waiting periods work like this. For a Class 2 or 3 felony, you wait 10 years after completing your sentence. For Class 4, 5, or 6 felonies, the wait is 5 years. Some crimes cannot be sealed at all. Dangerous offenses, crimes against children, serious violent felonies, and sex trafficking convictions are not eligible. If your Pima County felony case qualifies, you file a petition with the Superior Court that handled the case. A judge reviews it and decides whether to seal the records.

Note: Sealed records are not destroyed, but they become hidden from most public searches.

Felony Records for Tucson Residents

Tucson is the largest city in Pima County. Most felony arrests in the county happen within Tucson city limits. The Tucson Police Department handles city arrests. Their records are separate from the sheriff's files. But all felony cases still go through the Pima County Superior Court regardless of which agency made the arrest.

If you live in Tucson and need felony records, you have several options. For court case files, go to the Pima County Clerk of Court. For arrest reports from Tucson Police, contact their records unit at (520) 791-4462. The police department charges $5.00 per report plus $0.25 per page after 15 pages. Video copies from Tucson Police cost $44.00 per video hour reviewed. Each agency has its own fees and procedures, but all felony court records stay at the county level.

People searching for Tucson felony cases should check both the city police records and the county court files. An arrest report tells you what happened at the scene. The court file tells you how the case turned out. Together, they give you a complete picture of a felony case in Pima County.

Nearby County Felony Records

Pima County borders several other Arizona counties. If someone has felony cases in multiple counties, you need to check each one separately. Court records do not transfer between counties. A case filed in Pima County stays in Pima County records even if the person moves away.

Counties near Pima include Pinal County to the north, Santa Cruz County to the south, and Cochise County to the east. Each has its own Clerk of Court and fee schedule. The statewide court search at apps.azcourts.gov can help you find cases across multiple Arizona counties. But for certified copies or complete files, you still need to contact each county clerk directly.