The client was arrested in 2023 and never charged. The State declined prosecution, yet the arrest record kept surfacing on background checks. Future First won a Phoenix Arrest Record sealing order under ARS § 13-911 that removed the record from public view.
At a glance
| Underlying record | 2023 arrest on an alleged felony offense. No complaint, indictment, or information was ever filed |
| Application filed | Petition to seal criminal case records under ARS § 13-911, 2026 |
| Court | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Result | All records relating to the arrest sealed |
| Rights restored | Records sealed. No charges ever filed, no conviction ever entered |
| Time from application to grant | 113 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
The client, a military veteran with no prior record, was arrested in 2023 and booked on an alleged felony offense. The State reviewed the case and declined to prosecute. No complaint, indictment, or information was ever filed. The matter never advanced past the investigative stage.
The arrest record survived anyway. A booking photo, a police report, and an arrest entry stayed in the databases employers, landlords, and licensing agencies search. The client carried the burden of an unresolved record with no forum to answer allegations that were never formally pursued. Only sealing under ARS § 13-911 removes an unfiled arrest from public view.
What we did
Because no charges were filed, Future First petitioned Maricopa County Superior Court, the court that would have adjudicated the case, to seal all records relating to the arrest under ARS § 13-911. The petition documented the State’s decision not to prosecute, the client’s clean history before and since, and his record of military service and steady community contribution.
The court ordered the Department of Public Safety report, reviewed the full history, and granted the Phoenix Arrest Record petition. The order seals all records relating to the arrest, directs the Clerk to seal the case file, and transmits the order to the Department of Public Safety and the prosecutor. The whole process took 113 days from filing to grant.
What our clients say
Clients tell us what record removal changes for them. Read their words on our Google reviews or our client reviews page.
If you were arrested but never charged in Arizona
An arrest with no charges filed qualifies for sealing under ARS § 13-911 with no waiting period. Many people assume an unfiled case disappears on its own. It does not. The arrest record, the report, and the booking entry stay public until a court orders them sealed.
The filing path matters. If you had an initial appearance, you file where that appearance happened. If you were arrested with no initial appearance, you file in the superior court for the county of arrest. Getting the venue right the first time saves months.
Once sealed, you gain the legal right to state on most applications that you were not arrested for the sealed matter. The Phoenix Arrest Record result shows an unfiled arrest comes off public view in under four months with the right filing.
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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