The client carried a Class 4 Felony domestic violence conviction and paired misdemeanor counts out of Maricopa County Superior Court from a 2018 case. Future First filed the Application to Seal Records under ARS § 13-911 and the court granted the application in 525 days, sealing the felony and misdemeanor counts from public view and from background-check exposure.
At a glance
| Original conviction | Aggravated Assault – Domestic Violence (ARS § 13-1204(B)), Class 4 Felony; Assault (ARS § 13-1203(A)(1)), Class 1 Misdemeanor; Aggravated Assault (ARS § 13-1204), Class 1 Misdemeanor |
| Application filed | Application to Seal Records, ARS § 13-911, 2024 |
| Court | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Result | Sealing Record Granted. Felony and misdemeanor counts sealed from public view and from background-check exposure. |
| Rights restored | The applicant can lawfully deny the case in most non-law-enforcement contexts. Background checks that consume the sealed-records database no longer return the case. |
| Time from application to grant | 525 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
Domestic-violence-designated convictions trigger automatic flags on background checks at a level above non-DV cases. Federal firearm prohibition applies to DV-coded convictions independently of the felony classification. Employer screens, housing applications, and licensing reviews all carry a separate response track for any DV designation. Sealing under ARS § 13-911 is the cleanup tool that closes public access to the case.
The client had already worked through the set aside step under ARS § 13-905. The conviction was vacated. The civil disabilities were lifted. The next stage was the sealing application that would close public access to the underlying case file. The Class 4 Felony sealing wait under § 13-911 is five years from judge-ordered non-financial completion. The wait had run.
What we did
Future First filed the Application to Seal Records under ARS § 13-911 in Maricopa County Superior Court. The application documented the statutory wait period, full monetary compliance on the underlying case, the absence of new criminal matters during the wait, and the factors the court weighs under § 13-911. The application covered every count in the case, including the misdemeanor counts that sit alongside the felony.
Felony DV sealing applications draw additional review at the prosecutor stage. The 525-day grant cycle reflects what a Maricopa filing looks like on a DV-coded felony when the prosecutor reviews, the court works the application through the assigned division, and the procedural steps run their full course. The application held up at every review.
The judge signed the order. Sealing Record Granted on every count in the case. The file is sealed from public view. Background checks that consume the sealed-records database no longer return the case. The applicant can lawfully deny the convictions in most non-law-enforcement contexts.
What our clients say
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If you have an Arizona domestic violence conviction
ARS § 13-911 applies to DV-designated convictions on the same terms as non-DV convictions, with the same class-based wait periods. The sealing order closes public access and removes the case from background-check vendor responses. The federal firearm prohibition on DV-coded convictions is a separate question and turns on additional factors beyond the state sealing order.
The path on DV cases usually runs set aside first under ARS § 13-905, then sealing under ARS § 13-911. The two-stage cleanup removes the conviction record from active status and then closes public access. Both orders are usually needed to complete the cleanup.
Felony DV applications take longer to work through Maricopa County Superior Court than non-DV cases of the same class. The prosecutor review and the court’s procedural cycle add time. The applicant has to be ready for the longer timeline. The application has to hold up under the longer review.
Related resources
Call us
Want to clear your record in Arizona? Call Future First Criminal Law at 602-900-6240 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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