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How to File for Arizona Record Sealing Yourself (Pro Se)

Filing without an attorney or service is legal in Arizona, free in court fees, and works for many petitioners with clean facts. Here's the actual procedure, step by step.

This article is for petitioners who want to handle their own § 13-911 sealing petition. Arizona courts allow pro se (self-represented) filings. The court charges $0 to file. If your case has clean facts and you have time to learn the procedure, pro se filing is a reasonable choice.

If after reading this you decide it's more involved than you want to handle yourself — that's also fine. Document-preparation services and attorneys exist for a reason. We'll address that decision at the end.

Step 1: Confirm you're eligible before you file

A § 13-911 sealing denial triggers a 3-year refile bar under § 13-911(L). Eligibility verification before filing is the most important thing you can do. Check:

• The offense is not on the (O)-list. § 13-911(O) excludes sex offenses requiring registration, victims under 15, and certain dangerous offenses. Read the full list — don't skim.
• Your waiting period has elapsed. 2-3 years for misdemeanors, 5 years for Class 4-6 felonies, 10 years for Class 2-3 felonies, measured from absolute discharge.
• All restitution is paid in full. Confirm with the court clerk that your balance is $0.
• All fines and fees are paid.
• You have no active warrants or pending criminal cases.
• No prior § 13-911 denial within the last 3 years.

Our free screening tool runs all these checks against current Arizona statutes — including the SB 1639 (2024) amendments. Use it before you file pro se. There's no obligation to buy anything.

Step 2: Find the correct petition form

Arizona's Self-Service Center publishes record-sealing forms at azcourts.gov/selfservicecenter. The current form for § 13-911 sealing is the "Petition to Seal Conviction" — sometimes labeled as Form 13-911 or by the convicting court's local equivalent.

A few cautions:

• Use the version dated after September 2024 — this reflects SB 1639's 60-day prosecutor objection window. Older versions cite a 30-day window.
• Some counties publish their own variant. Check the convicting county's clerk website for any local form before defaulting to the statewide template.
• The form is fillable PDF. Print it after filling, sign in ink, and prepare two copies (one for the court, one for service on the prosecutor).

Step 3: Fill out the petition correctly

The petition itself is straightforward but unforgiving of small errors. Common drafting mistakes that trigger objections:

• Wrong case number. Use the original criminal case number, not any subsequent petition number.
• Missing offense classification. The petition must cite the original offense class (e.g., "Class 4 felony, A.R.S. § 13-1802"). Pull this from your sentencing minute entry.
• Vague discharge date. Use the actual end-of-probation date, confirmed under State v. Begay (2026). Get this from your probation officer or your Order of Discharge.
• Generic factual narrative. The court wants specifics: what you've done since, why sealing matters now. Don't rely on the form's blank lines alone — attach a personal statement as Exhibit A.

Step 4: Attach required exhibits

Most counties require these exhibits:

• Order of Discharge from Probation (or release-from-custody documentation if you served prison time)
• Restitution Paid-In-Full Verification from the court clerk
• Personal Statement explaining your circumstances and why sealing is appropriate
• Certified copy of the original sentencing minute entry (some counties; check local rules)

Missing exhibits are the most common procedural reason for objections. Get all of them before you file.

Step 5: File at the original convicting court

§ 13-911 petitions are filed at the same court that imposed the original conviction:

• Felonies: The Superior Court of the convicting county.
• Misdemeanors: The original justice court, city court, or magistrate court.

Filing fee is $0. Bring two copies — the clerk stamps them both, keeps one for the court file, and returns the other to you (this is your service copy).

Step 6: Serve the prosecutor

After filing, you must formally serve a copy of the stamped petition on the prosecutor:

• Felonies: Serve the County Attorney for the convicting county.
• Misdemeanors: Serve the City Prosecutor or Town Prosecutor for the original case.

Two acceptable methods:

1. Certified mail with return receipt. Most common. The signed return receipt is your proof of service.
2. Personal service by a registered process server. Costs $50-$100 but produces an Affidavit of Service.

After service is complete, file a Certificate of Service or Affidavit of Service with the court. The 60-day prosecutor objection window starts on the date of effective service — not the filing date.

Step 7: Wait the 60-day prosecutor window

SB 1639 (2024) expanded this from 30 days to 60. The prosecutor has 60 days from service to file an objection. During that window, three things can happen:

• No response. Most common. After 60 days, you can file a Notice of No Objection and request the court rule on the papers.
• Procedural objection. The prosecutor may object to defective service, missing exhibits, or similar procedural defects. These are usually curable — fix the defect and refile or supplement.
• Substantive objection. Rare for properly-prepared petitions. The prosecutor argues the petitioner doesn't qualify on the merits. Triggers a hearing.

Step 8: Court ruling

If uncontested, most courts rule on the papers within 7-14 days of the 60-day mark. If contested, the court schedules a hearing — typically 30-60 days out. If you reach a hearing pro se, you may want an attorney consultation; substantive sealing hearings are not the time to learn courtroom procedure.

Once granted, the court issues a sealing order. The record is removed from public view within a few weeks as agencies (DPS, court system, FBI) update their records.

Realistic time investment

For a clean pro se filing, expect:

• Eligibility research: 2-4 hours (reading the statute, understanding your case classification)
• Exhibit collection: 1-2 hours plus waiting for records to arrive (1-3 weeks if you order by mail)
• Petition drafting: 2-4 hours including a properly-written personal statement
• Filing and service: 1-2 hours
• Total: 6-12 hours of active work, plus 60+ days of waiting

When pro se is a good fit

• Your case has clean facts (no priors, no dispute about discharge date, all restitution paid)
• Your offense is clearly outside the (O)-list exclusions
• You have time to learn the procedure
• You're comfortable with self-directed legal research
• You have no concerns about a prosecutor objection

When you should consider professional help

• Multiple convictions or unusual case histories
• Borderline (O)-list cases (e.g., older "victim under 15" classifications that may not apply under current rules)
• Prior § 13-911 denial in the last few years
• Complicated discharge timing (parole, deferred sentences, intervening probation violations)
• You need this granted on the first try and don't want to risk the 3-year refile bar
• You don't have 6-12 hours to spend on the procedure

Three options going forward

Option 1 — Continue pro se. Run our free screening to confirm eligibility, then follow this guide. Total cost: $0 + your time.

Option 2 — Document preparation service. We prepare the petition, exhibits checklist, personal statement template, and county-specific filing instructions. You file pro se but with a court-ready packet. Cost: $750. Time investment: 1-2 hours of your time after running the free screening.

Option 3 — Hire an attorney. Full representation. The attorney drafts everything, files for you, and appears at any hearing. Cost: typically $1,500-$3,000.

For most petitioners with clean facts and time to learn the procedure, Option 1 works. For most petitioners who want it done correctly without the time investment, Option 2 is the value sweet spot. Option 3 makes sense for complicated facts or contested matters.