Do you have a juvenile delinquency record in Maricopa County?
You might be eligible for:
destruction of records
restoration of civil rights
set aside of a juvenile adjudication
expungement of marijuana offenses.
This page can help you learn about and start that process.
This process is completely FREE.
The content on this page is only for JUVENILE records in MARICOPA County.
But first, a quick legal disclaimer:
The following information is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. If you are unsure, you should consult with an attorney. For example, you could speak with Community Legal Services.
The Process
- 1. Check if you have an outstanding warrant with the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County.
Contact the Criminal Department about Warrants. You can call them or email them. You can't file for a juvenile records destruction if you have an outstanding warrant. You must complete this step and clear anything up before trying to clear your record.
Phone: (602) 506-8575
Email: crpublicquestion@superiorcourt.maricopa.gov
- 2. Get your record
Download and fill out this form.
Then, email your completed form to the Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department: juvenilerecordsrequests@jbazmc.Maricopa.gov. They will do a records check and return a Public Profile, which is a summary of your juvenile legal or probation records.
- 3. Find out if you're eligible
Try our eligibility tool here (it is free and completely anonymous). It can help you determine if you may be eligible.
The Superior Court Website also has documents that explain what may make you eligible or ineligible.
- 4. Fill out the application form.
Go to this Superior Court Website. It has:
Application Forms. Download and fill out the forms. You will then submit them to the court.
-Destruction of Records: English Español
-Set Aside an Adjudication: English Español
-Restore Civil Rights: English Español
-Expunge Marijuana: English Español
Application Guides. These documents explain how to fill out your application(s).
- 5. File your completed application. You've got three options:
Electronic filing process. You can file electronically and for free whenever you want. Check out the video guide here.
In-person filing process. You can always show up in person with your application in hand. It is also free. Check out the video guide here.
In-Person Events. There are in-person events held by the Superior Court to help you get your records destroyed or civil rights restored. They will be posted here when announced.
- What happens after you file your application?
The Clerk of the Superior Court will send a physical copy of your application to the County Attorney (which is the Prosecutor’s Office). They do a background check to see if you have any pending criminal charges or an adult conviction. A paralegal also checks the court's database system to see if you have outstanding victim restitution fees and to verify the charges, which they will convey to the Court.
The Superior Court will make the decision.
The Clerk of the Superior Court will return one copy of the Application for your records. You’ll get notified of the decision in the mail at whatever address you listed on your application.
Some more info:
The process is free.
This is only for JUVENILE records in MARICOPA COUNTY.
You can complete any of these applications as many times as necessary.
You have to repeat the process if you have a Juvenile Court case in more than one county. You must file a separate Application with the Clerk of Superior Court in each county in which you had a case.
For Destruction of Records: there is no requirement for victim notification/input. Also, the Court is not required to give you the reason(s) if you are denied.
For A Set Aside, it could include victim notification or input, if they opted in. The Court will give you the reason(s) if you are denied.
Partners:
To build the content on this page, the ASU YJL worked with:
Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County (Juvenile Judicial Officers, Juvenile Court Administration, Juvenile Probation Department, Law Library Resource Center)
Maricopa County Office of the Public Advocate
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
Maricopa County Clerk of Court