Where to Conduct an Arizona Warrant Search

As per the dictates of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in Arizona, search and seizure warrants can be issued only if there exists a probable cause, that is, a reasonable belief that a crime has been or is being committed and that the suspected individual was or is involved in it. This belief must be substantiated by facts.

You may need to conduct an Arizona warrant search for many reasons: you may want to know if any search or arrest warrant has been issued in your name. You may also want to check on the credibility of a person: your new employee, a casual acquaintance who has asked you out, the new babysitter, or your new tenant. Before allowing them to enter your life or gain access to your possessions, it is safe to check if warrants have been issued against them and for how serious a crime.

An Arizona warrant search is easy; most records are available for public viewing and you may access them via a convenient mode.

Warrant Records Search

The Arizona Department of Public Safety documents records of warrants and you may request to access them online, via mail, in person, or through fax. The Public Records Unit (PRU) processes these requests and processing may take 15-20 days' time. Some records, like those before the year 2001, may take a longer time to be processed. However, as per the Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) § 39-121.03, you cannot use these records for commercial purposes.

Making a Request for a Warrant Search

You make a request a warrant online by filling in the Public Records Request Form, which is available at https://www.azdps.gov/Services/Records/Public_Records/New/. You may also mail or fax your request using the Public Records Request Fillable Form, which is at this site: https://www.azdps.gov/Services/Records/Public_Records_Request.pdf. Mail it to Public_Records@azdps.gov or to the Department of Public Safety, Attention PRU MD 1200, P.O. Box 6638, Phoenix, Arizona 85005-6638. You may also fax the form to (602) 223-2945.

You may make your request in writing and submit it in person at the Department Records Section housed in the Arizona Department of Public Safety building on 2102 West Encanto Boulevard, Phoenix, Arizona.

After You Make a Request for a Search Warrant

Once your request has been received and processed, you will receive an invoice via e-mail, USPS mail, or fax. The records will be made available to you only after you have made the payment through business check, money order, or cashier's check. Keep in mind that personal checks are rejected.

You may however review the records before you make the payment. To do this, you will have to schedule an appointment by calling 602-223-2345. Leave a brief explanatory message, your name and contact details, and the invoice number.

The Department of Public Safety is currently in the process of creating a warrant search database of Arizona’s most wanted fugitives. Once this database is operational, you will be able to search records for wanted persons by parameters like their names, last known residence, county, and aliases used.

Apart from the central database maintained by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, many counties have their own databases where you may search warrant records online. For instance, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office documents all the bookings that have taken place in the last three days at http://www.mcso.org/index.php?a=GetModule&mn=Mugshot&iscotw=1. The office also lists all active warrants at http://www.mcso.org/index.php?a=GetModule&mn=Techno_Cops&spec=tech.