What shows up on a Arizona background check
Last updated: May 2026
Arizona criminal-history records are maintained by Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Criminal History Records Section. Whether you are about to apply for a job, an apartment, or a professional license, the most useful thing you can do is understand exactly what an employer or landlord will see — and what changes if you successfully clear your record.
FCRA notice
The background-check services we link to are not consumer reporting agencies as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Reports generated by these services may not be used in whole or in part to make decisions about employment, tenant screening, insurance, credit, or any other purpose that requires FCRA compliance.
ExpungeReady earns a commission on some links on this page. We only recommend services we believe are useful for personal-records research. Always verify your own records directly with the state repository or the FBI before relying on any third-party report.
What Arizona employers actually see
On a standard private background check ordered through a consumer-reporting agency, a Arizona employer typically sees:
- Felony and misdemeanor convictions that have not been set aside or sealed
- Pending charges
- Set-aside convictions appear as "set aside" — the conviction still appears with a notation
- Sealed convictions do not appear on private background checks
Arizona follows the federal FCRA 7-year limit on non-conviction information. As of 2023, A.R.S. § 13-911 makes most convictions eligible for sealing.
How to see your own Arizona record
Official source: Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Criminal History Records Section
Cost: $22 (review your own record only; no fee for sealed records check)
Turnaround: 3–5 business days
Where to start: https://www.azdps.gov/services/public/records
The official Arizona record only covers in-state arrests and convictions. If you have lived in multiple states, or want to see what private aggregators have collected about you, run a personal records check first — it shows the same data an out-of-state employer's consumer-reporting agency would pull.
What changes after expungement in Arizona
Arizona does not have a traditional expungement statute for adult convictions; the remedies are (1) set-aside under A.R.S. § 13-905, which adds a notation but does not remove the record, and (2) sealing under A.R.S. § 13-911 (effective Jan 2023), which prevents most public access. After sealing you can lawfully deny the arrest and conviction in most employment and housing contexts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between set aside and sealing in Arizona?
A set-aside under A.R.S. § 13-905 vacates the judgment of guilt and restores most civil rights, but the conviction still appears on background checks with a "set aside" notation. Sealing under A.R.S. § 13-911 (new in 2023) is stronger: the record is hidden from the public, including private background-check companies, and the person may lawfully deny the conviction in most contexts.
How do I check my own Arizona criminal record?
Arizona maintains its criminal-history records through Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Criminal History Records Section. You can request your own record for $22 (review your own record only; no fee for sealed records check); results typically arrive in 3–5 business days. Pulling your own record before applying for a job is the single most useful step you can take.
Do private background checks show Arizona sealed or expunged records?
Private consumer-reporting agencies are required to remove sealed or expunged records once notified, but they often retain old copies and may continue to report them by mistake. After your order is granted, request a free annual personal-records report from each major reporting agency and dispute any entries that still show the old data.