The client carried a 2015 Class 4 Felony Dangerous Drug conviction out of Maricopa County Superior Court. Future First filed an application to set aside the judgment under ARS § 13-905 and the court granted the application in 2025, vacating the judgment and restoring civil and firearm rights.
At a glance
| Original conviction | Dangerous Drug Possess or Use (ARS § 13-3407(A)(1)), Class 4 Felony, 2015 |
| Application filed | Application to Set Aside Judgment, ARS § 13-905, 2025 |
| Court | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Result | Set Aside Granted. Judgment vacated, accusation dismissed, civil and firearm rights restored. |
| Rights restored | Civil rights restored. Firearm rights restored under ARS § 13-910 in the same order. |
| Time from application to grant | 98 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
A Class 4 Felony Dangerous Drug conviction in Arizona shuts down occupational paths the average person does not see until they apply. State licensing boards under Title 32 use felony drug convictions as automatic disqualifiers. Employers screen out the application before the interview. Landlords pull background reports and deny without explanation. Federal law strips firearm rights from anyone convicted of a felony, and an Arizona drug felony carries that prohibition for life unless the judgment is set aside and rights are restored.
The client served the original sentence years ago. Probation completed. Drug counseling completed. Every term satisfied. The conviction still showed on every background pull, blocking employment, housing, and the right to lawfully possess a firearm for self-defense or sport.
What we did
Future First filed an Application to Set Aside Judgment and Restore Civil and Firearm Rights under ARS § 13-905 in Maricopa County Superior Court. The brief built the statutory case point by point: full compliance with every term of the original sentence, full payment of all fines and fees, no pending matters, and a record of community contribution since the original conviction.
The application packaged the underlying court records, the discharge order, proof of fee compliance, and a mitigation statement describing the years of clean conduct since the case closed. The State responded without opposition. The judge signed the order setting aside the judgment, dismissing the accusation, and restoring civil and firearm rights to the client.
Set aside on a Class 4 drug felony unlocks the practical doors that the conviction had closed. The client can answer “no” on most employment applications that ask about prior convictions. State licensing boards under Title 32 must consider the set aside when reviewing applications. Firearm rights restoration removes the lifetime federal prohibition tied to the felony conviction.
What our clients say
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If you have an old Dangerous Drug conviction in Arizona
A Class 4 Felony Dangerous Drug conviction is eligible for set aside under ARS § 13-905 once the applicant has completed every term of the sentence, paid every fine and fee, and finished probation. There is no fixed waiting period after sentence completion. The application is filed in the court of conviction.
ARS § 13-905 lets the judge vacate the judgment, dismiss the accusation, and release the applicant from the penalties and disabilities of the conviction. For felony convictions, the same statutory path can restore civil rights. Firearm rights restoration runs through ARS § 13-910 and can be requested in the same application packet.
Set aside does not erase the conviction from the world. It vacates the judgment, allows the applicant to lawfully state on most applications that no conviction stands, and removes the federal firearm prohibition tied to the felony. The next step for many clients is sealing the record entirely under ARS § 13-911.
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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