Finding arizona court records pima isn't always the straightforward digital "Google search" people expect it to be. You'd think in 2026, every single piece of paper ever filed in a Tucson courtroom would be a click away, right? Well, not exactly.
It’s messy.
Honestly, if you're looking for a divorce decree from 1994 or trying to see why your neighbor was in front of a judge last Tuesday, you're going to hit some walls. The system is split between different jurisdictions—Superior Court, Justice Court, and Municipal Court—and they don't always talk to each other.
Most folks start at the wrong website and end up frustrated. You’ve probably seen those third-party "background check" sites that promise everything for $19.99. Don't do it. Half the time, they’re just scraping old data that hasn't been updated since the monsoon season of '22. If you want the real stuff, you have to go to the source.
The Big Split: Superior vs. Justice Court
In Pima County, the type of record you need depends entirely on the "severity" of the case.
Superior Court is the big leagues. We're talking felonies, major civil lawsuits (over $10,000), and basically anything involving family law like divorces or child custody. If it happened at the big building on 110 West Congress Street, it’s a Superior Court record.
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Then you have the Pima County Consolidated Justice Court. This is where the "everyday" legal drama happens—DUIs, evictions, small claims under $10,000, and traffic tickets. They moved into the building at 240 North Stone Avenue a while back. If you’re looking for a record regarding a landlord-tenant dispute, you'll likely find it here, not at the Superior Court.
How to actually get your hands on them
You can access most arizona court records pima through the eAccess portal provided by the Arizona Judicial Branch. But there’s a catch. For Pima County specifically, criminal case records on eAccess only go back to July 1, 2015.
If the crime happened in 2012? You’re going to be making a phone call or a trip downtown.
The eAccess system also isn't free for everything. While you can search for a name or case number to see the "docket" (the list of what happened and when), actually downloading a PDF of the motion or the judgment usually costs money. We're talking roughly $10 per document for uncertified copies if you buy them through the portal.
For the budget-conscious, you can still view records for free on public terminals inside the courthouses. It’s a bit of a trek, and you’ll have to pass through a metal detector, but it's the only way to "browse" without a credit card.
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Why some records seem to vanish
You search a name. You know they went to court. Nothing pops up. Why?
Arizona Supreme Court Rule 123 is the "gatekeeper" here. It governs what the public can and cannot see. There are plenty of reasons a file might be invisible to you:
- Sealed Records: Judges can seal cases if there’s an "overriding interest"—like protecting a victim or trade secrets.
- Mental Health Cases: These are almost always private.
- Juvenile Records: Unless a minor was tried as an adult, those records are locked tight to protect the kid's future.
- Redacted Info: Even if you get the record, you’ll see black bars over Social Security numbers, bank account info, and home addresses of certain protected groups.
If you're looking for a "set aside" conviction (Arizona's version of expungement), it might still show up, but it'll be marked as dismissed or set aside. It doesn't just disappear from the history books, which is a common misconception.
Money, Fees, and the "Certified" Trap
Standard copies are usually 50 cents a page. That sounds cheap until you realize some civil litigation files are 400 pages of legal jargon.
But here is where people get tripped up: Certified Copies. If you need a record for a "formal" reason—like proving you're divorced to the Social Security Administration or showing a lender that a judgment was satisfied—a regular printout won't work. You need the blue ink, the embossed seal, and the clerk's signature.
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In Pima County, a certified copy usually costs a flat $30 fee plus the per-page charge. It’s a bit of a racket, but without that seal, the document isn't "official" for most government agencies.
Divorce and Marriage Records
Wait, these are technically "court" records, but they live in their own world. The Clerk of the Superior Court handles these.
Marriage licenses are public. Anyone can walk in and ask to see who married whom and when. Divorce decrees, however, contain the "dissolution terms." If you need a copy of your own decree because you lost it during a move, you'll need to provide ID. If you're a stranger snooping on an ex, you might find the docket, but getting the actual settlement details can be way tougher depending on how the judge handled the privacy of the children involved.
Practical Steps to Find What You Need
Don't just start clicking. Follow this logic:
- Identify the Court: Was it a felony or a divorce? Go to Superior Court. Was it a speeding ticket or an eviction? Go to Justice Court.
- Use the "Public Access" Search first: This is the free search tool on the AZCourts.gov website. It won't give you the documents, but it will give you the Case Number.
- Search by Case Number: Once you have that number (e.g., C20231234), it’s much easier to request the specific file from the clerk.
- Check the City Courts: If the incident happened inside Tucson city limits and was a minor misdemeanor, it might actually be in the Tucson City Court (103 E. Alameda St). This is a separate system from the County records.
If you are doing this for a background check, remember that the "Disposition" is what matters. A "Charged" status doesn't mean "Guilty." People get exonerated every day in Pima County, and the records should reflect that—if you know where to look.
To get started, head to the Arizona Judicial Branch eAccess portal for digital files, or if the case is older than 2015, prepare to submit a written request to the Pima County Clerk of the Superior Court. For Justice Court matters, use their specific online "Case Search" tool which is generally more user-friendly for traffic and small claims.