Arizona, the sixth-largest state in the U.S., spans over 114,000 square miles and is home to more than 6.3 million residents. The state is divided into 15 counties and 91 incorporated cities, with major metropolitan areas including Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Glendale, and Scottsdale. Arizona's economy is driven by key sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, and mining.
The Arizona government is the state’s largest employer, comprised of a network of state and local agencies, departments, and divisions. In support of government transparency and accountability, Arizona has enacted strong open government and public records laws, often referred to as "sunshine laws." These laws grant the public access to a wide range of government-held data, including:
Recorded meetings
Budgets and expenditures
Employee salaries
Public reports and agency files
Unless restricted by specific exemptions, these records are accessible upon request.
Arizona’s open records framework allows individuals to submit record requests to various state and local entities, including:
Police departments for criminal background checks
County recorder’s offices for deeds and land records
Courts for divorce filings, criminal cases, and bankruptcies
To help guide requestors, the Arizona Public Record Directory provides a centralized resource to access:
Official department websites
Clear, step-by-step instructions for making record requests
Downloadable forms for certified copies
Direct links to helpful services, organized by state, county, and municipality
This directory saves time and prevents the confusion often caused by general internet searches.
Background checks are frequently requested by employers evaluating potential hires, as well as by individuals seeking to verify their own histories or screen others for personal reasons (e.g., caretakers or business partners).
The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) maintains the state’s central criminal history repository and offers detailed background reports that include:
Arrest records
Criminal charges
Convictions and dispositions
Arizona law requires all law enforcement agencies to report arrest and case outcomes to this central database, making the AZDPS a primary source for reliable criminal background checks.
While personal financial data is protected and not publicly available under FOIA statutes, a wide range of publicly accessible records provide insight into individual and business assets, such as:
Real estate ownership
Bankruptcy filings
Court judgments and liens
UCC filings (Uniform Commercial Code)
Registered business entities
In addition, you can verify professional licenses issued in Arizona through state department databases. PublicRecordCenter offers access to the best online resources for locating asset-related information, both within Arizona and out of state.
Arizona’s judicial system provides online tools to look up court cases and legal filings without needing to visit courthouses in person. Through the Arizona Judicial Branch's case search databases, you can:
View case statuses
Search by party name, charge, or case number
Access court calendars and upcoming trial schedules
Order records for divorces, criminal and civil cases, traffic violations, and juvenile matters
These services are particularly useful for legal professionals, researchers, and individuals needing official court documentation.
PublicRecordCenter’s Arizona section is continually updated by researchers and contributors to ensure access to the most accurate, official, and cost-effective resources. Because no single website contains every public record, the directory includes a variety of official government and reputable private links, many of which offer:
Free or low-cost record access
Printable forms with instructions for certified document requests
User-friendly databases for conducting your own searches
This free portal helps residents and researchers efficiently obtain Arizona public records without relying on expensive third-party services offering limited information.
