The client carried a 2022 Class 1 Misdemeanor DUI conviction. Future First set the judgment aside earlier in 2026 and then filed a sealing application under ARS § 13-911. The Tempe Municipal Court granted the sealing application the same year.
At a glance
| Original conviction | DUI Impaired (ARS § 28-1381(A)(1)), Class 1 Misdemeanor, 2022 |
| Application filed | Application to Seal Criminal Case Records, ARS § 13-911, 2026 (paired with set aside under ARS § 13-905 granted same year) |
| Court | Tempe Municipal Court |
| Result | Sealing Record Granted; All Records Sealed. |
| Rights restored | N/A (misdemeanor; no civil or firearm rights lost). Records sealed under ARS § 13-911. Judgment set aside under ARS § 13-905 the same year. |
| Time from filing to grant | 76 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
The client pled to a Class 1 Misdemeanor DUI in 2022. Sentence included jail with most days suspended, fines, fees, alcohol screening, and counseling. Every condition was met years ago. The conviction kept appearing on background reports even after the set aside cleared the judgment of guilt.
A set aside under ARS § 13-905 vacates the judgment, but the case file lives on in the public-record system. Employers, landlords, and licensing boards see the case. Sealing under ARS § 13-911 is the next move to take the case out of public-facing background searches entirely.
What we did
Future First filed a Application to Seal Criminal Case Records under ARS § 13-911 in Tempe Municipal Court alongside the set aside application. The brief built sealing eligibility on a separate statutory track. Sentence-completion was documented. Monetary obligations were satisfied years prior. The DUI eligibility wait under § 13-911(E) ran from the date the applicationer completed court-ordered counseling.
Tempe Sealing Records DUI applications hinge on the right wait calculation. For a non-Extreme first-offense DUI, the eligibility window is three years from completion of judge-ordered counseling. MVD-ordered ignition interlock and license actions do not start the clock. We showed the math, attached the counseling completion documentation, and aligned the timeline.
The court reviewed the Department of Public Safety report and made the findings the statute requires. The offense is eligible. The timeframes have passed. The application was filed in the correct court. The applicationer has not been subsequently convicted of a felony or non-DUI Title 28 misdemeanor. Sealing is in the best interests of the applicationer and the public’s safety. The judge granted the application under ARS § 13-911.
What our clients say
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If you have an old DUI conviction in Arizona
A first-offense non-Extreme DUI conviction in Arizona is eligible for sealing under ARS § 13-911 three years after the applicationer finishes court-ordered counseling. MVD-side requirements such as the ignition interlock period and license suspension do not count toward the wait period.
Set aside and sealing are different remedies under different statutes. Set aside vacates the judgment of guilt under ARS § 13-905. Sealing removes the case from public-facing records under ARS § 13-911. Many applicationers pair the two for the cleanest outcome.
The application requires sentence-compliance documentation, the underlying conviction documents, and a clean record after the conviction. The prosecutor receives notice and has time to object. Most non-Extreme DUI sealings move through the court without a hearing.
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Call us
Want to clear your record in Arizona? Call Future First Criminal Law at 602-900-7625 or request a free consultation. We have handled hundreds of Arizona record removal applications across every statute path. The cleanup is permanent and the process moves faster when handled by a firm that knows the local court.
Anonymized in line with firm policy. Client name not used. Specific dates approximated to year only. Outcome described reflects this client’s actual results. Past outcomes do not guarantee future results. For more detailed information on Arizona record removal law, visit the Arizona State Legislature website.
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