FAQ

Public Records FAQ

Arizona law requires all officers and public bodies to maintain records reasonably necessary to provide an accurate accounting of their official activities and of any government funded activities.
Any record in the custody of an Arizona government entity that has a substantial nexus to government activity is considered a public record and is presumed to be subject to disclosure. Griffis v. Pinal Cnty., 215 Ariz. 1, 4, ¶ 10, 156 P.3d 418, 421 (2007). Pursuant to A.R.S. section 39-121, the public has a right to inspect (i.e. view in person) public records. Pursuant to A.R.S. section 39-121.01, the public has a right to obtain copies of public records, subject to reasonable copy fees.

What types of records are available?

General Information

Records Requests on this portal are public. We suggest not including confidential information such as birthdates or Social Security numbers.
Requesters’ information is not published on this portal; however, this information is public and may be released in response to a public records request.
Once you submit your request, you will receive email notifications regarding its status. If you are not receiving the email notifications, check your spam/junk folder.
Records or parts of some records may not be subject to public dissemination under Arizona law. Our office will notify you if releasing the record is restricted under law or if parts of the record requested will be redacted.

Fees

If a document is available for public dissemination, our office will contact you about any fees associated with your request.
Our office offers inspection of public records (A.R.S. § 39-121) with reproduction of documents available at 10¢ a page.
Other fees for postage, materials, personnel time and equipment may apply.
All orders must be paid in advance.
The fee schedule for certified copies is $3 per certification plus $0.10 per page.
The fee schedule for databases is posted on our website.
The fee schedule for the Statewide Voter Registration Database, on a request for authorized use, will be furnished to any person requesting them on payment of a fee equal to the following amounts for the following number of voter registration records provided:

For one to one hundred twenty-four thousand nine hundred ninety-nine records, $93.75 plus $0.0005 per record.
For one hundred twenty-five thousand to two hundred forty-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine records, $156.25 plus $0.000375 per record.
For two hundred fifty thousand to four hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine records, $203.13 plus $0.00025 per record.
For five hundred thousand to nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine records, $265.63 plus $0.000125 per record.
For one million or more records, $328.13 plus $0.0000625 per record.

What should I include in my records request?

Please be as specific as you can about the records you are requesting because this will help us locate responsive records as efficiently as possible. Information that is helpful in finding responsive documents includes date ranges, subject matter, search terms, likely custodians, and the like.
Please be sure to include information about how we can contact you with any follow-up questions, as well as when the records are available for you.

Are there any tips for submitting requests?

Please be as clear and specific as you can be about what you are looking for, as this will help us answer your request more quickly and accurately.
Please watch for follow-up messages from us, as we may need additional information from you to complete your request. Often, we will not be able to proceed until we receive the additional information we have requested from you, so responding quickly will help us keep your request moving forward.

What happens after my request is submitted?

When your request is received, a confirmation will be sent to you.
We will then begin looking at the request to confirm that it is seeking SOS records and, if so, identify where in the agency those records are stored. We may reach out to you at this stage if we have identified any obstacles to fulfilling your request or if we need additional information or clarification about what you are seeking.
As potentially responsive records are gathered, we will review them to determine whether they are responsive to the request you have made. If so, we will also look for any confidential information that might need to be redacted or withheld.
Once the records are reviewed and any redactions made, you will be notified that the records are ready and given information about any copying or other charges. Once you pay any required charges, you can download the records from the portal (or receive them via another method if you request).

How long will it take to receive the records I have requested?

How long it will take to respond to your request varies based on the overall volume of requests pending at the time, the steps that must be taken to locate potentially responsive items, and the amount of time needed to review those items to determine whether they are responsive and whether there is any reason they would need to be redacted or withheld.

We suggest visiting the following websites for more information about Arizona Public Records.