How Much Does It Cost to Get Off Probation Early in Arizona?

Probation takes your money every month and your freedom every day. You report, you test, you ask permission to travel, and you count the years you have left. If you have done everything the judge ordered, you want to know what it costs to end it early and whether the filing is worth the money.

Arizona record clearing is all we do, and ending probation early is where many of our clients start. Our flat fee for early termination of probation is $1,700, and the rest of this page explains what that buys, what the law requires, and what ending supervision saves you.

How much does it cost to get off probation early in Arizona?

Our fee is $1,700 flat, all in. It covers the whole filing from the first document to the ruling. We do not bill by the hour, so a prosecutor objection or a second hearing does not raise the price. Payment plans are available, and you take $200 off when you hire us within 24 hours of your consultation. Our pricing page lists every discount.

Ending probation early is always its own $1,700. It gets filed while you are still on probation, which makes it a separate case from clearing your record later. Two other numbers matter. Every case after your first is $500 off, so a second case runs $1,200. And there is no extra charge for a courthouse outside Phoenix, because we handle Arizona cases virtually.

What does the $1,700 flat fee cover?

Everything the filing takes. We pull your sentencing order and your supervision history, write the application, and attach the exhibits that prove you finished what the judge ordered. That usually means payment receipts, class and counseling certificates, proof of work or school, and letters of support.

We also talk with your probation officer before anything is filed. The officer’s memo to the judge is often the most important paper in the file, and a surprise filing is the fastest way to draw an objection. If the prosecutor objects, we write the reply. If the judge sets a hearing, we appear at it. None of that is billed on top of the $1,700.

Are there court filing fees on top?

No. No filing fee, no court fee, no hearing surcharge, no travel charge. The $1,700 is what you pay us and what the filing costs.

Plan for the second filing, though. Clearing your record happens after probation ends, as its own case and its own $1,700. That later filing bundles every type of relief your case then qualifies for, so a set aside, sealing, and a designation to misdemeanor filed together are one fee instead of three. The two filings usually sit a year or more apart, so most people budget for them one at a time.

What law lets a judge end probation early?

A.R.S. § 13-901 is Arizona’s probation law, and it holds the early termination power. The judge ends probation and discharges you before the original end date when ending it serves the ends of justice and your conduct on probation warrants it. The prosecutor gets notice and a chance to be heard first. So does a victim who has asked for it.

Older forms and many Arizona lawyers still call this a 13-901(E) motion. In the current law the early termination language sits in subsection G of the same section. One new limit applies to a narrow group. A judge cannot end probation early for a person convicted on or after January 1, 2027 of a dangerous crime against children.

How much of your probation do you need to finish first?

The law sets no percentage, and no month makes you automatically eligible. In our experience Arizona felony judges want to see roughly half the term finished, every dollar paid, and every class done before they take the request seriously. On a case with a victim, some judges want more than half.

Do the math on your own term. A.R.S. § 13-902 sets the outside limits. Probation runs up to seven years for a class 2 felony, five years for a class 3, four years for a class 4, three years for a class 5 or 6, three years for a class 1 misdemeanor, two years for a class 2 misdemeanor, and one year for a class 3 misdemeanor. DUI probation runs up to five years, and aggravated DUI up to ten. On a three year term, your halfway mark is month 18.

Do you need a lawyer to get off probation early?

The law does not require one. You have the right to ask the judge yourself, and people do it every year with no help.

What decides the outcome is the file, not the filer. The judge reads a written application, the exhibits behind it, and the probation department’s response. A request that says you have been good is easy to deny. A request that attaches paid receipts, completion certificates, a work schedule, and a probation officer who does not object is hard to ignore. We also handle the part most people never see coming, which is the prosecutor’s objection and the reply it needs. Filing to ruling usually runs a few weeks to a few months, depending on the courthouse and on whether anyone objects.

Can you pay off your fines to get off probation?

No. Paying everything you owe does not end probation by itself. Arizona has no buyout. Money is one condition among several, and the judge still has to decide that ending supervision serves the ends of justice.

Paying in full does matter. Unpaid restitution is one of the most common reasons a judge says no, because a victim is waiting on that money. A zero balance removes the easiest reason to deny you and takes away the probation department’s strongest argument for keeping you on supervision. Clear the balance first, then file.

What do judges look for before ending probation?

Six things come up over and over.

• Time served on supervision, usually about half the term or more.
• Every fine, fee, and restitution payment made in full.
• Every class, counseling program, and community service hour finished.
• A clean record on probation with no violations and no new charges.
• A probation officer who supports the request, or at least does not object.
• The nature of the offense and what the victim thinks about it.

Judges still deny people who look good on paper. A case with a victim, an unpaid balance, or an objection from the probation department is the usual reason. Nobody promises you a ruling here. The judge decides, and our job is to put the strongest possible record in front of that decision.

How much money does early termination save you?

Start with the monthly fee. A.R.S. § 13-901 sets an adult probation fee of at least $65 a month, and the judge sets a lower amount only after finding you are unable to pay it. End a three year term at month 18 and you skip roughly 18 months of that fee, about $1,170. The filing pays back most of its own cost in fees alone.

The bigger number is the one you never see on a receipt. While you are on probation, any new accusation puts your suspended sentence back in play, and an offense committed on probation carries added punishment. Even a false accusation puts you in front of a judge. Ending supervision early removes that exposure. Our page on the value of clearing your record runs the same math for a set aside and sealing.

What happens after you get off probation early?

The judge signs an order, your supervision ends, and you are discharged. The monthly fee stops. No more reporting, no more asking permission to move or travel, no more searches, no more testing.

The conviction does not disappear. Your case stays a public record, searchable by name in Arizona’s public case lookup and visible on background checks, until you clear it. That surprises people who expect an early discharge to wipe the slate. Ending probation early ends supervision. Clearing the record is the next filing, and finishing probation sooner starts that clock sooner.

Can you clear your record once probation ends?

Yes, and that is why many people file in the first place. Once you fulfill the conditions and the judge discharges you, you are eligible to apply for a set aside under A.R.S. § 13-905 right away. There is no filing fee for that application and no waiting period.

Sealing works on a clock. Under A.R.S. § 13-911, the wait starts the day you finish the nonmonetary conditions and are discharged. It runs ten years for a class 2 or 3 felony, five years for a class 4, 5 or 6 felony, three years for a class 1 misdemeanor, and two years for a class 2 or 3 misdemeanor. A discharge 18 months early moves that finish line 18 months closer. If your class 6 felony was left undesignated, A.R.S. § 13-604 says the judge designates it a class 1 misdemeanor once you finish probation and are discharged. Our guides to set aside eligibility, record sealing eligibility, and designation to misdemeanor walk through each one.

Why should you choose AZ Record Removal?

Arizona record clearing is all we do. We are owned and powered by Future First Criminal Law, and our founder, Zachary Divelbiss, cleared his own record before he cleared anyone else’s. He had six convictions from when he was young, a DUI, a fake ID charge, and four underage alcohol charges. He used a set aside and sealing to take them out of the public court databases and off background checks, so he knows the wait from both chairs.

The rest is simple. One flat fee of $1,700 per case. We handle cases statewide and virtually, so you never drive to a courthouse and we never charge you for the distance. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, and consultations are scheduled during business hours. Call 602-900-6240 and tell us where you are in your term.

What should you do next?

Count the months you have served and find your halfway mark. Pull your receipts, your certificates, and anything showing steady work or school. If you still owe a balance, pay it down. Then take our eligibility quiz or call 602-900-6240, and we will tell you whether your case is ready to file or what it needs first. If it is ready, the fee is $1,700 and we get to work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to file for early termination of probation in Arizona?

Our flat fee is $1,700 per case, all in. It covers the written application, the exhibits, coordination with your probation officer, a reply to any prosecutor objection, and a hearing if the judge sets one. There is no filing fee, no hearing surcharge, and no extra charge for a courthouse outside Phoenix. Payment plans are available, and hiring within 24 hours of your consultation takes $200 off.

Are probation records public in Arizona?

Yes. Your criminal case is a public record in Arizona, and so is the fact that you were sentenced to probation. Anyone who searches your name in the public case lookup sees it, and background check companies copy it. Ending probation early does not hide it. Sealing under A.R.S. § 13-911 is what takes the case record out of public view, and that wait starts after your discharge.

How long does early termination of probation take in Arizona?

From filing to ruling, usually a few weeks to a few months. The timing depends on the courthouse, the judge’s calendar, whether the prosecutor objects, and whether a victim asks to be heard. Preparation adds time before that, because the exhibits proving you finished every condition have to be gathered first. A complete file moves faster than one the judge has to ask questions about.

Does getting off probation early clear your record?

No. An early discharge ends supervision and the monthly fee, but the conviction stays on your record and on background checks. Clearing it is a separate filing after probation ends. A set aside under A.R.S. § 13-905 is available as soon as you are discharged, and sealing under A.R.S. § 13-911 opens after a waiting period based on the class of your offense.