The client carried a 2015 Class 4 Felony Dangerous Drug conviction out of Maricopa County Superior Court. Future First first secured a set aside under ARS § 13-905 in 2025, then filed for sealing under ARS § 13-911 in 2025 and the court granted the sealing application in 2026.
At a glance
| Original conviction | Dangerous Drug Possession (ARS § 13-3407(A)(1)), Class 4 Felony; Drug Paraphernalia (ARS § 13-3415(A)), Class 1 Misdemeanor, 2015 |
| Application filed | Application to Seal Criminal Case Records, ARS § 13-911, 2025 |
| Court | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Result | Sealing Record Granted. All records relating to the arrest, the charging documents, and the case file sealed. |
| Rights restored | Civil and firearm rights had been restored earlier in the set aside order. The sealing order removes the record from public-facing background databases. |
| Time from application to grant | 253 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
A Class 4 Felony Dangerous Drug conviction sits on a record even after a set aside vacates the judgment. The set aside lifts the federal firearm prohibition and lets the applicant answer most application questions in the negative. The set aside does not remove the entry from background databases that aggregate public court records. Employers, landlords, and licensing services still see the case name and charge type in those reports.
The client had already secured the set aside through Future First in 2025. The next step was to remove the record from public-facing background data. Sealing under ARS § 13-911 is the statutory tool that closes that gap.
What we did
Future First filed an Application to Seal Criminal Case Records under ARS § 13-911 in Maricopa County Superior Court. The application built on the earlier set aside order and packaged the underlying court file, the sentencing order, proof of full sentence completion, and the prior set aside order under ARS § 13-905.
The brief established three points the statute requires: the offense is eligible for sealing, the applicant completed every sentencing term, and sealing serves the applicant and the public’s safety. Future First handled the sealing application as a paired follow-up to the set aside, which is the cleanest sequence for permanent record removal in Arizona.
The State responded without opposition. The judge signed the order sealing all records relating to the arrest, the charging documents, and the case file. The Clerk of the Court sealed the records and transmitted the order to the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the prosecutor.
What our clients say
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If you have an old felony drug conviction in Arizona
A Class 4 Felony Dangerous Drug conviction is eligible for sealing under ARS § 13-911 once the applicant has completed every term of the sentence and the statutory waiting period has run from the date of judge-ordered non-financial completion. The waiting period for higher-tier felonies is longer than for lower-tier offenses. ARS § 13-911 sets a five-year wait for retained Class 4 Felonies, measured from completion.
For most clients the cleanest sequence is set aside first, then sealing. The set aside restores civil and firearm rights and lifts the practical penalties of the conviction. The sealing order then removes the case from public-facing background databases entirely.
Sealing does not erase the case from the world. It removes it from public-facing background checks, employer searches, and landlord screenings. The applicant can lawfully say “no” when asked about prior arrests or convictions on most applications.
Related resources
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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