A.R.S. §§ 13-907, 13-908

Restore Your Civil Rights in Arizona

Voting, holding public office, and jury service. If you're a first-time AZ felony offender who completed your sentence and paid restitution, your rights may already be automatically restored — you just need a confirmation order.

Wait — am I already restored automatically?

Under A.R.S. § 13-907 (as amended in 2022 by HB2119, effective September 24, 2022), if all of these apply, your civil rights were automatically restored by operation of law:

• This is your only Arizona felony conviction (one, not multiple)
• You completed probation OR received an absolute discharge from prison on or after September 24, 2022
• All victim restitution is paid in full
• The offense was not a dangerous offense (§ 13-704) or a serious offense (§ 13-706) — those have their own rules

No application required. Your civil rights came back the moment you met those conditions.

But many people in this situation don't know it. Voter registrars, employers, and licensing boards often want to see a written court order confirming the restoration. Without one, you may be turned away from voting, told you can't sit on a jury, or denied a position requiring civic-eligibility verification.

That's where we come in. For first-time AZ felony offenders, we prepare an Application to Certify Automatic Restoration — a short petition the court grants without a hearing. You walk away with an official order in hand.

Discharged before September 24, 2022?

If your absolute discharge or probation completion occurred before September 24, 2022, the auto-restoration provision in HB2119 doesn't apply automatically. You must still file an application — typically a § 13-908 application — to formally restore your civil rights. The good news: courts process these as routine matters when the eligibility checklist is met.

When you actually need an application (§ 13-908)

If you're not a first-time AZ felon with a post-2022 discharge, or you have unique circumstances, you'll need a § 13-908 application. This applies to:

• Two or more felony convictions (in Arizona or any state)
• Discharge before September 24, 2022 — even first-time felons
• Out-of-state felonies — apply in the AZ county where you currently live
• Federal felonies — civil rights restoration is technically possible under § 13-908, but federal firearm rights typically require a Presidential pardon
• Restitution unpaid or partially paid — discretionary, but possible under § 13-908

§ 13-908 restoration is discretionary — the judge weighs your offense, time elapsed, criminal history, restitution, and rehabilitation. The 2-year waiting period for § 13-908 was removed in 2022 by HB2119. There is no longer a mandatory wait to apply for civil rights restoration.

A persuasive personal statement matters more than anything else for discretionary § 13-908 applications. The packet we prepare includes a guided template specifically for this.

What civil rights restoration actually restores

In Arizona, a felony conviction suspends:

• The right to vote
• The right to hold public office
• The right to serve on a jury
• The right to possess a firearm (separate process — see Restore Firearm Rights)

When civil rights are restored — whether automatically under § 13-907 or by court order under § 13-908 — voting, office-holding, and jury service come back. Firearm rights are a separate question and require their own analysis under § 13-910.

Who doesn't qualify

Civil rights restoration is broadly available, but a court may decline to grant a discretionary § 13-908 application if:

• You have an active warrant or pending criminal case
• You have outstanding restitution and can't show good-faith payment efforts
• You have a recent subsequent conviction
• The conviction was for an extreme offense and time elapsed is short

How long does it take to restore civil rights in Arizona?

For an automatic-restoration confirmation under § 13-907: typically 30 to 90 days — these are routine and judges grant them on the papers without a hearing.

For a discretionary § 13-908 application: typically 60 to 150 days. Some judges request a hearing for these; most decide on the papers if the application and personal statement are well-prepared.

What you get from us

For $750:

• The official AZ Superior Court application with your information pre-filled
• Pre-fill review checklist for verification before signing
• County-specific filing instructions statewide
• Personal-statement template tuned to discretionary § 13-908 factors (acceptance of responsibility, what's changed, current circumstances, no future risk)
• Required-attachments checklist (Certificate of Discharge, payment history, optional support letters)
• Auto-restoration certificate request included if you qualify under § 13-907

The court charges no filing fee.

When you should hire an attorney instead

• Your case has multiple jurisdictions (AZ + out-of-state + federal)
• You have substantial unpaid restitution and need to argue the equities
• A prior application was denied
• You're seeking restoration as part of a larger strategy involving sealing, set-aside, and firearm rights

Frequently asked questions

Related services

• Set Aside Conviction under § 13-905 — vacates the judgment, may auto-restore firearms
• Restore Firearm Rights under § 13-910
• Seal Your Record under § 13-911