The client wanted a 2025 DUI conviction cleared so a pending healthcare job and nursing school plans would not be blocked. Future First filed the set aside application the day after sentencing and walked it through to a granted order, with a Certificate of Second Chance attached, in 76 days.
At a glance
| Original conviction | DUI Impaired (ARS § 28-1381(A)(1)) and DUI With BAC of 0.08 or More (ARS § 28-1381(A)(2)), Class 1 Misdemeanor, 2025 |
| Application filed | Application to Set Aside Conviction under ARS § 13-905, 2025 |
| Court | University Lakes Justice Court |
| Result | Set Aside Granted With Certificate Of Second Chance |
| Rights restored | Not applicable (misdemeanor conviction did not strip civil or firearm rights) |
| Time from application to grant | 76 days from application filing to granted |
The challenge
The client had just been sentenced on a Class 1 Misdemeanor DUI at University Lakes Justice Court. The conviction carried real career stakes. The client worked at a major Arizona health system, had a confirmed Medical Assistant offer at a second health system pending, and planned to start nursing school. Healthcare employers and nursing programs run background checks. An un-set-aside DUI conviction on the record reads as an open red flag on every application.
Time pressure was the second issue. The client did not have years to wait. The new job and the school timeline meant the set aside needed to come back quickly and clean, with the strongest possible findings on the order.
What we did
Future First filed the Application to Set Aside Conviction under ARS § 13-905 the day after sentencing. Most set aside filings come months or years later. Filing immediately works when the sentence was short, monetary obligations are paid in full, counseling is complete, and there are no priors. The client met all of those conditions, so Future First closed the gap to zero.
Future First paired the application with a Legal Basis for Set Aside letter walking the court through every ARS § 13-905(C) factor on the record. The letter documented full cooperation during the stop, full compliance with the sentence, no priors, and the specific employment and education plans that the relief would protect. Future First also requested a Certificate of Second Chance under ARS § 13-905(K) so the relief came with the additional statutory protections for occupational licensing, employment, and housing.
The court granted both the set aside and the Certificate of Second Chance. The complaint was dismissed and the judgment of guilt was vacated. The client moved forward with the healthcare offer and the nursing school plan with the conviction off the record under Arizona law.
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If you have an old conviction in Arizona
A set aside under ARS § 13-905 is the Arizona judge order that vacates the judgment of guilt, dismisses the underlying complaint, and releases you from the penalties and disabilities of the conviction. It is the cleanest record-removal remedy Arizona offers on a misdemeanor that is still on your record. Employers, landlords, and licensing boards see the set aside notation on the case, which signals that an Arizona judge reviewed your full picture and chose to clear the conviction.
Eligibility runs off ARS § 13-905(C). The judge weighs the nature of the offense, your compliance with the sentence, time since completion, any prior or subsequent record, victim status, and the reasons you want the relief. Strong applications front-load the documentation on each factor so the judge has everything in one filing.
Timing matters. You do not have to wait years to apply on a misdemeanor if your sentence is complete, your monetary obligations are paid, your counseling is done, and you have no priors. Filing quickly with a complete record and a Certificate of Second Chance request often beats waiting and hoping the conviction does not surface during a background check.
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Call us
Want to clear an Arizona DUI conviction off your record? 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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