Maricopa County AZ Court Records Search: first identify which court actually has the case
A Maricopa County court records search is not one database search. Superior Court cases, the county’s 26 Justice Courts, Phoenix and other municipal courts, Arizona appellate courts, and federal cases use different systems and different record custodians.
The most common failure is searching a correct name in the wrong system. A felony case may be in Maricopa County Superior Court, an eviction may be in one of 26 Justice Courts, a Phoenix city misdemeanor may be in Phoenix Municipal Court, and a federal case belongs in PACER.
The Maricopa County court-record map is a four-way split
Superior Court
Use the Superior Court docket for Maricopa County civil, felony criminal, family and probate case information. The local system also provides court calendars and minute-entry searching.
Justice Courts
Maricopa County currently has 26 Justice Court precincts. These courts handle matters such as misdemeanors, traffic, evictions, protective orders, small claims up to $5,000 and civil lawsuits up to $10,000.
Municipal Courts
Municipal courts handle city ordinance, traffic and misdemeanor matters. Phoenix Municipal Court is separate from both Superior Court and the Maricopa County Justice Courts.
U.S. District Court
Federal Arizona criminal and civil cases use PACER. A federal Phoenix case will not appear as a Maricopa Superior Court case merely because the courthouse is physically in Phoenix.
Which Maricopa County system should you search?
Search Maricopa County Superior Court cases by name
Maricopa County’s Superior Court does not use one generic search form for every case category. It maintains separate docket searches for civil, criminal, family and probate cases.
| Superior Court category | Name-search options | Other search options |
|---|---|---|
| Civil | Last Name + First Name | Business Name or Case Number |
| Criminal | Last Name + First Name | Initials + DOB or Case Number |
| Family | Last Name + First Name | Case Number |
| Probate | Last Name + First Name | Case Number |
Superior Court name-search workflow
- Choose the correct case category first. Do not search the criminal database when you actually need a divorce, probate or civil matter.
- Enter the last and first name. Start with the spelling most likely used in the court file.
- Open possible matches. Do not identify someone solely from a common-name result.
- Confirm the case prefix and filing year. Current Maricopa case numbers commonly resemble CR2026-… for criminal matters and CV2026-… for civil cases.
- Compare the parties and court division.
- Read the docket history. Look beyond the initiating complaint, charge or petition.
- Check minute entries. A judge’s ruling or hearing result may appear in a minute entry.
- Check the court calendar when a hearing is relevant.
- Use the Clerk for the actual document when the docket is not enough.
Criminal search has a Maricopa-specific alternative: initials + date of birth
The Maricopa Superior Court Criminal Case Search currently offers three distinct methods:
- Last Name + First Name;
- Last Name Initial + First Name Initial + Date of Birth; or
- Case Number.
The initials-plus-DOB route can help distinguish similar names, but sensitive information should be entered only directly into the official court system—not into an independent website.
The Superior Court docket is not perfectly real-time
Maricopa County’s own docket pages warn that auditing can occur for up to 24 hours after information is added, which means entries can be modified after initial posting.
The public docket system also currently states that it is unavailable:
If a docket result changes or temporarily disappears during maintenance, do not treat that as evidence that a court event was cancelled or a case was removed.
Case Information, Court Calendar and Minute Entries answer different questions
Case Information
Use this to identify the case, parties, case number and procedural docket.
Court Calendar
Use this to locate scheduled hearings. Maricopa’s public calendar can show building, floor, room, time, case number and whether a listed hearing is in-person or identified for livestreaming.
Minute Entries
Use these when you need a written record of a judicial ruling, hearing activity or another action documented by the court.
Actual filed documents
Use the Clerk, eAccess or another authorized records route. The Superior Court docket page itself is not a complete document-download service.
How to search Maricopa County Justice Court records
Justice Court records use their own county case-search system. The Superior Court and Justice Courts specifically maintain separate records; one court system does not act as the search database for the other.
The current Justice Court search has three primary routes:
| Search method | Fields available | Useful detail |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Last Name, First Name, DOB | Use DOB only when needed to distinguish possible matches. |
| Business Name | Business Name + optional Year | The year filter can help narrow businesses with repeated litigation. |
| Case Number | Complete case number | The search page gives a format example such as CC2017123456. |
What the 26 Justice Courts handle
Maricopa County currently states that its Justice Courts handle:
- misdemeanor crimes;
- civil and criminal traffic matters;
- protective orders;
- eviction actions;
- small claims up to $5,000; and
- regular civil lawsuits involving up to $10,000.
Appeals from Justice Court generally go to the Maricopa County Superior Court’s lower-court appellate process rather than directly jumping to the Arizona Court of Appeals.
Justice Court precinct matters more than many searchers realize
Maricopa’s Justice Court structure is geographic. The correct court can depend on where the event, property, defendant or transaction is located.
| Case type | Typical precinct connection |
|---|---|
| Civil / criminal traffic | Generally the precinct where the violation occurred. |
| Eviction | Filed in the precinct where the tenant/property is located under the applicable venue rules. |
| Small Claims / Regular Civil | Often related to where the defendant resides/does business or where the transaction/dispute occurred, subject to Arizona venue law. |
| Protective Order | Arizona allows protective-order filing in any court in the state, subject to the applicable rules. |
| Marijuana expungement petition | Filed with the court that handled the original case. |
Justice Court location finder warning for 2026
The Justice Courts currently warn users that the Maricopa County Interactive Elections Map may not work correctly for everyone and specifically tell searchers to use the applicable 2023–2025 boundary option rather than 2026 or 2027 Justice Court precinct boundaries when following the current court-location instructions.
Traffic citation? Read the bottom of the ticket before searching
Maricopa County’s Justice Courts provide a very practical routing rule:
- city police commonly cite cases into a municipal/city court;
- state, county and some tribal law-enforcement citations commonly go to Justice Court; but
- the issuing officer and circumstances can affect the actual court.
The bottom of the citation identifies the court that will handle the case.
Phoenix Municipal Court is a separate records system
Phoenix Municipal Court is Arizona’s largest limited-jurisdiction municipal court. It handles civil traffic, criminal traffic, parking and city misdemeanor matters, including offenses such as DUI, reckless driving, assault, shoplifting and trespassing within its jurisdiction.
It also handles certain protective-order matters.
Phoenix Municipal Court
Address: 300 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phone: 602-262-6421
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., excluding City holidays.
Records: case documents and audio records can be requested directly from the Municipal Court.
Phoenix Municipal Court copy fees differ from Superior Court fees
| Phoenix Municipal Court record service | Current fee |
|---|---|
| Ordinary copies | $0.50 per page |
| Certified copy | $17.00 certification fee plus $0.50 per page |
| Processing guidance | Phoenix currently asks users to allow approximately 3–5 business days for record-request processing before cost notification. |
Arizona’s statewide Public Access Case Lookup is useful—but it has exclusions
The Arizona Judicial Branch also operates a statewide Public Access to Court Information search. As of this review, the service states that it receives information from 177 of Arizona’s 184 courts.
Its name search currently supports:
- Last or Business Name;
- First Name;
- Date of Birth month/year fields;
- Court; and
- Case Number as an alternative search.
What the statewide lookup specifically excludes
The Arizona Judicial Branch says the statewide public lookup does not return several categories, including:
- sealed cases;
- Orders of Protection cases through the ordinary case search;
- mental-health cases;
- probate cases;
- victim and witness data;
- juvenile incorrigible/delinquency case information; and
- charges stemming from local ordinance violations.
The statewide Case Notification feature is currently unavailable
Arizona’s Public Access Case Notification page currently states that the notification service is unavailable and that a replacement solution is under development.
Even when operating, the existing service documentation says notification does not support Maricopa County limited-jurisdiction courts.
Case search and document search are different in Maricopa County
Locating a case is generally free. Obtaining the actual filed document is a separate task.
Arizona eAccess: online Superior Court documents
Arizona’s eAccess portal provides online document access for qualifying Superior Court civil and criminal cases filed on or after July 1, 2010.
For Maricopa County, this can be useful after you locate the case number through the local Superior Court docket.
What eAccess does not provide
Arizona expressly excludes Superior Court records for these categories from eAccess:
- probate;
- juvenile; and
- family/domestic relations.
Sealed, confidential and otherwise legally restricted documents are also unavailable.
eAccess freshness and document charges
Arizona states that eAccess case data is updated approximately every two hours, but the information is still not the official court record and can be incomplete or change later.
Current eAccess training/account documentation continues to show a Pay-As-You-Go document option of $10 per document. Subscription options are also available. Verify the price shown in the official portal before purchasing because electronic-service fees can change.
eAccess can also provide electronically certified documents for an additional fee. Some agencies, however, may require a paper certified copy with a raised seal from the Clerk’s Office.
Maricopa ECR Online is mainly for parties and attorneys
The Maricopa County Clerk maintains a separate Electronic Court Record (ECR) Online service.
This is not the same thing as general public eAccess.
ECR Online is designed for:
- registered parties viewing cases where they are a party of record; and
- attorneys viewing cases where they are on the case record.
The Clerk states that ECR Online does not provide access to:
- sealed cases;
- sealed/confidential documents;
- juvenile cases; or
- mental-health cases.
Online identity authentication for an individual party currently requires an Arizona driver’s license.
Public courthouse terminals can show more than the ordinary web docket
The Clerk’s public terminals provide access to Maricopa’s Integrated Court Information System (iCIS) and the L-Index, an archival listing of older cases/documents with limited identifying information.
At these terminals, users can research:
- case information;
- party information;
- docket information;
- judgment information;
- court minutes / minute entries; and
- available scanned document images.
Access restrictions still apply to sealed, mental-health, juvenile and other non-public records.
Where to inspect Maricopa Superior Court records in person
The Clerk currently states that public records may be inspected without a copy charge at public-access locations during regular business hours.
| Records location | Address |
|---|---|
| Customer Service Center | 601 W. Jackson Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003 |
| Northwest Regional Court Center | 14264 W. Tierra Buena Lane, Surprise, AZ 85374 |
| Southeast Court Complex | 222 E. Javelina Avenue, Mesa, AZ 85210 |
| Northeast Regional Court Center | 18380 N. 40th Street, Suite 120, Phoenix, AZ 85032 |
Current record-service hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Clerk phone: 602-372-5375 or 602-37-CLERK.
Maricopa Superior Court copy and certification fees
| Clerk service | Current fee |
|---|---|
| Ordinary / photographic copy | $0.50 per page |
| Certification of one document | $35.00 |
| Exemplification | $70.00 |
| Authentication | $105.00 |
| Electronic replication per case | $35.00 when the service applies |
| Research locating document | $35.00 per year/source researched when applicable |
| Postage / handling / fax | $8.00 under the currently published miscellaneous fee schedule |
Superior Court Clerk fees checked: August 30, 2026. Verify the exact total before ordering because page count, research, certification and delivery can change the final cost.
How to request a certified Maricopa County Superior Court document
- Find the case. Use the correct Maricopa Superior Court category search.
- Write down the complete case number.
- Identify the exact document. Examples include Judgment and Sentence, divorce decree, final civil judgment, probate order or another minute entry/order.
- Ask the receiving institution what it needs. Determine whether an ordinary copy, certified copy, exemplified copy or authenticated record is required.
- Check eAccess if it is an eligible civil/criminal document. This can avoid an unnecessary courthouse trip when electronic certification is acceptable.
- Use the Clerk for paper certification. This is especially important when a raised seal is required.
- Confirm page count and fees.
- Select in-person or another supported request method.
- Use an accepted payment method. The Clerk currently states that in-person payments can include money order, debit card, credit card or cash; personal checks are not accepted for the cited in-person record-copy process.
- Keep your receipt and case number.
Justice Court copy fees are different again
| Maricopa Justice Court record service | Current cost |
|---|---|
| Copies of filed documents / court orders | $0.50 per page |
| Certification | $33.00 per document under the current Justice Court fee schedule |
| Commercial-request clerk fee | $33.00 where applicable |
Justice Court records can disappear under the retention schedule
The Justice Courts state that their records are subject to Arizona’s limited-jurisdiction court retention schedule.
Depending on case type, the retention period can range from approximately one year to eleven years. The Justice Courts state that most records are destroyed once the applicable retention limit is reached.
Older Justice Court record workflow
- Identify the approximate case year.
- Identify the correct Justice Court precinct.
- Search the Justice Court case system.
- Save the case number if a result appears.
- Contact the specific Justice Court that heard the case.
- Ask whether the file is still retained under the limited-jurisdiction retention schedule.
- If it is retained, ask whether copies or certification are available.
- If staff confirms the record was lawfully destroyed after retention, do not promise that another county database contains a complete substitute.
Superior Court older-record retention is more complex
Arizona maintains a separate Superior Court Records Retention and Disposition Schedule under Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 3-402.
The current schedule was amended effective in late 2025. It distinguishes:
- case data;
- case files;
- documents and transcripts;
- exhibits; and
- different record categories and retention periods.
Do not apply the Justice Court “1–11 year” range to a Superior Court felony, divorce, probate or civil file. They are governed by different retention rules.
Arizona Rule 123 controls public court-record access
Arizona Supreme Court Rule 123 governs public access to records of:
- Arizona Supreme Court;
- Court of Appeals;
- Superior Courts;
- Justice Courts;
- Municipal Courts; and
- judicial administrative offices.
The rule distinguishes public records from closed/confidential records and also regulates electronic access, bulk data and commercial-purpose record requests.
Sealed, juvenile, mental-health and protected information
Do not use a missing web result as a reason to bypass an Arizona confidentiality rule.
- sealed records should remain sealed;
- confidential documents should not be reconstructed;
- juvenile delinquency information has additional public-access restrictions;
- mental-health files are subject to heightened protections;
- victim and witness information can be excluded from online access;
- protected addresses and identifiers should not be republished; and
- records closed by law, rule or court order are not made public merely because another website claims to have them.
How to read a Maricopa criminal record responsibly
What to look for after opening a criminal case
- case number and filing date;
- charging counts;
- amended allegations;
- arraignment;
- release/bond-related entries;
- plea;
- dismissal;
- trial result;
- judgment and sentence;
- probation-related court orders;
- appeal; and
- later sealing or post-conviction activity where publicly available.
Eviction records are usually Justice Court records—not Superior Court records
Ordinary residential eviction actions in Maricopa County are commonly handled in the Justice Court precinct connected to the rental property.
An eviction filing does not mean:
- the landlord ultimately won;
- the tenant was physically evicted;
- a money judgment was entered;
- the judgment remains unpaid; or
- the case was not later dismissed or otherwise resolved.
Maricopa Justice Courts describe an eviction action as potentially involving both a claim for possession and a claim for money. Review the judgment and later docket instead of relying on the filing alone.
Justice Court, Municipal Court and Superior Court do not share each other’s records
The Maricopa Justice Courts state this directly in their record-request guidance: the 26 Justice Courts are separate from Superior Court and from City/Municipal Courts, and the systems do not have access to each other’s records.
Arizona appellate records for Maricopa County cases
For appellate matters, Arizona maintains a separate Appellate Courts case portal covering:
- Arizona Supreme Court;
- Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One; and
- Arizona Court of Appeals, Division Two.
Maricopa County Superior Court appeals commonly fall within Court of Appeals Division One.
The appellate portal provides access to active cases, decisions and court calendars. Arizona currently states that the appellate case website is updated by approximately 7:00 a.m. each day.
Federal Maricopa County court records: District of Arizona
A federal case filed in Phoenix belongs to the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, not the Maricopa Superior Court.
Use PACER to search federal:
- civil cases;
- criminal cases;
- bankruptcy cases; and
- federal appellate matters.
Sandra Day O’Connor U.S. Courthouse
Address: 401 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phone: 602-322-7200
Clerk’s Office hours: 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
PACER search workflow
- Open PACER.
- If you know the case is in the District of Arizona, use that court’s PACER access.
- If the federal court is uncertain, use the PACER Case Locator.
- Search by party or case number.
- Confirm that the result identifies the District of Arizona.
- Check the docket before purchasing documents.
- Use filing dates and docket-entry numbers to avoid opening unnecessary documents.
PACER pricing currently in effect
| PACER item | Current information |
|---|---|
| Electronic access | $0.10 per billable page |
| Typical document cap | Generally $3 per document, subject to PACER’s published exceptions |
| Quarterly automatic fee waiver | Current charges of $30 or less per quarter are waived |
| January 1, 2027 announced change | $0.12 per page and $40 quarterly automatic-exemption threshold |
What if a Maricopa County name search returns nothing?
- Check the court level. Superior, Justice and Municipal Courts use different systems.
- Check case category. Superior Court has separate civil, criminal, family and probate searches.
- Check spelling. Retry reasonable name variations.
- Try case number. A known case number is more precise than a common name.
- Criminal search? Try the official initials + DOB option where appropriate.
- Traffic case? Read the court named on the citation.
- Eviction or small claim? Search Justice Courts rather than Superior Court.
- City ordinance case? Check the relevant municipal court.
- Probate? Do not rely on Arizona’s statewide Public Access Case Lookup, which excludes probate results.
- Older Justice Court case? The retention schedule may have expired.
- Older Superior Court case? Check Clerk terminals, iCIS/L-Index and the record-retention route.
- Sealed/confidential? Respect the restriction.
- Federal? Use PACER.
How to confirm the result belongs to the correct person
- full first and last name;
- middle name or initial where shown;
- case number;
- court type;
- Justice Court precinct or Superior Court division;
- filing date;
- case category;
- party role;
- attorney information;
- lawfully displayed identifying context; and
- final or most recent disposition.
Court records are not the same as jail, police or property records
| What the visitor needs | Correct source |
|---|---|
| Superior Court case | Maricopa Superior Court / Clerk |
| Justice Court case | Maricopa County Justice Courts |
| Phoenix municipal case | Phoenix Municipal Court |
| Current jail custody | Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office jail/inmate system |
| Phoenix police report | Phoenix Police public-record process |
| Deed / recorded real-estate document | Maricopa County Recorder |
| Arizona appellate case | Arizona Appellate Courts portal |
| Federal case | PACER |
Official sources reviewed for this Maricopa County guide
- Maricopa County Superior Court — Public Access Docket — civil, criminal, family, probate, calendars and minute-entry routes.
- Superior Court Criminal Case Search — name, initials/DOB and case-number search fields.
- Superior Court Civil Case Search — person, business and case-number searching.
- Superior Court Family Case Search — family name and case-number search.
- Superior Court Probate Case Search — probate name and case-number search.
- Maricopa County Clerk — Obtaining Records — copy methods, public inspection, certification and records locations.
- Maricopa Clerk — Electronic Court Records — public terminals, iCIS, L-Index and ECR access.
- Maricopa Clerk — Current Fees — current Superior Court copy, certification, exemplification and authentication fees.
- Maricopa County Justice Courts Case Search — name, business and case-number search.
- About Maricopa County Justice Courts — 26 precincts and limited-jurisdiction case types.
- Justice Court Records Requests — record-request routing, retention and Rule 123 guidance.
- Justice Court Fees — copies and certification costs.
- Arizona Public Access to Court Information — statewide case lookup and listed exclusions.
- Arizona eAccess — Superior Court civil/criminal document access and certification options.
- Arizona Appellate Court Cases — Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals case access.
- Phoenix Municipal Court — Phoenix limited-jurisdiction court information.
- Phoenix Municipal Court Records Requests — copy, certification and audio-record procedures.
- U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona — Records — federal records and PACER routing.
Research review date: August 30, 2026. Court systems, fees, case status, retention rules, office procedures and hearing schedules can change. Recheck time-sensitive information directly with the court.
Frequently asked questions about Maricopa County court records
1. Where do I search Maricopa County court records by name?
It depends on the court. Use the Maricopa County Superior Court docket for Superior Court civil, criminal, family and probate matters. Use the separate Maricopa County Justice Court Case Search for Justice Court cases. City cases such as Phoenix municipal traffic or misdemeanor matters can require the city’s Municipal Court system.
2. Can I search Maricopa County criminal court records by date of birth?
The Maricopa Superior Court criminal search currently provides an alternative search using a defendant’s first and last initials together with date of birth. Enter sensitive information only into the official court system and verify the returned case carefully.
3. Why can I find a Maricopa case in Justice Court but not Superior Court?
The systems are separate. Justice Courts handle limited-jurisdiction matters such as many misdemeanors, traffic cases, evictions, small claims and lower-value civil disputes. Superior Court handles different categories, including felonies and major civil, family and probate matters.
4. How many Justice Courts are in Maricopa County?
Maricopa County currently has 26 Justice Court precincts. Canyon Trails Justice Court is scheduled to open January 1, 2027 and become the 27th court.
5. Are Maricopa Superior Court documents free to view online?
Searching the public docket is free, but the docket does not provide every filed document. Arizona eAccess provides qualifying Superior Court civil and criminal documents for a fee. Public inspection is also available at Clerk public-access locations, and qualifying parties can use ECR Online for their own cases.
6. Can I download Maricopa family or probate documents through Arizona eAccess?
No. Arizona states that eAccess does not provide Superior Court probate, juvenile or family/domestic-relations records. Use the Maricopa Superior Court docket to identify the case, then contact the Clerk for public documents that are lawfully available.
7. How much is a certified Maricopa County Superior Court copy?
The Maricopa County Clerk currently lists $0.50 per page for ordinary copies and $35 for certification of one document. Exemplification and authentication have higher fees. Confirm the current total before ordering.
8. How do I find an old Maricopa County Justice Court record?
Identify the Justice Court precinct and approximate year, search the Justice Court case system, then contact that specific court. Justice Court records are subject to retention schedules that can range from about one to eleven years depending on case type, and many records are destroyed after the applicable retention period.
9. Where do I search a Phoenix Municipal Court case?
Phoenix Municipal Court is separate from Maricopa Superior Court and the county Justice Courts. For Phoenix traffic, parking, city misdemeanor and related municipal records, use the official Phoenix Municipal Court and its record-request process.
10. Can Public-Court-Records.us be used for employment or tenant background screening?
No. Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency and should not be used as an FCRA consumer-reporting service for employment, tenant, credit, insurance or similar eligibility decisions. A matching court name also does not independently establish identity or the final outcome of a case.