Find Maricopa County Court Docket Records

Maricopa County operates the fourth largest court system in the United States, serving a population of over 4.7 million residents across the Phoenix metropolitan area. Court dockets in Maricopa County include records from Superior Court, 26 Justice Court precincts, and multiple Municipal Courts in cities throughout the county. The Clerk of Superior Court maintains all Superior Court case files and provides public access to court dockets through an online portal called Docket, which offers free case searches by name or case number at any time.

Superior Court Docket Access

The Maricopa County Superior Court handles felony cases, civil disputes over $10,000, family law matters including divorce and custody, probate proceedings, and appeals from limited jurisdiction courts. The Clerk of Superior Court office is at 620 W. Jackson Street in Phoenix. You can call them at 602-372-5375. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The clerk maintains all case files and court dockets for Superior Court and provides copies to the public upon request.

The official online system for searching court dockets is available at superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/docket, where you can look up cases by party name, case number, or filing date. This screenshot shows the public access case search portal known as Docket, which is the main tool for finding Maricopa County court records online.

The search results display the case number, parties involved, case type, filing date, and current status. You can click on any case to view the full court docket, which lists all filings, hearings, and court orders in chronological order.

Maricopa County uses several terms for court records. The word docket refers to the case history and court calendar. Case search means looking up a case by name or number. Find a case is another common term on their website. Public Access to Court Information describes the online portal system. Electronic Court Records (ECR) refers to the subscription service for viewing documents. Minute entries are the official written records of what happened at court hearings. These terms all relate to finding and viewing court dockets in Maricopa County.

Types of Court Dockets Available

Civil cases in Superior Court include personal injury lawsuits, contract disputes, real estate matters, and business litigation. The court docket for a civil case shows the complaint, the answer, all motions filed by both sides, hearing dates, and the final judgment. You can track the progress of civil cases through the docket to see when key events occurred and what the court decided at each stage. Criminal cases include felonies such as aggravated assault, theft over $1,000, drug crimes, and serious DUI offenses. The criminal court docket lists the charges, the defendant's attorney, all court appearances, plea agreements if any, trial dates, and sentencing information after conviction.

Family law cases make up a large portion of Superior Court dockets in Maricopa County. Divorce petitions, legal separation cases, child custody disputes, child support enforcement, paternity actions, and orders of protection all go through Superior Court. The docket shows both parties, the date filed, hearing dates for temporary orders, trial dates if the case is contested, and the final decree or order. Some family law details may be restricted to protect privacy, but the basic docket information is usually available to the public. Probate cases appear in court dockets when someone dies and their estate needs to be settled. The docket identifies the decedent, the personal representative appointed by the court, creditor claims, and the final distribution of assets. Guardianship and conservatorship cases also show up in probate court dockets when the court appoints someone to care for a minor or an incapacitated adult.

Not all records are public. Juvenile delinquency cases are confidential. Mental health proceedings are sealed. Adoption records are restricted. When records are sealed by court order, they do not appear in the public docket search system. If you search for a sealed case, no results will show up even if the case exists.

Getting Copies of Court Documents

You can get copies of documents from the Clerk of Superior Court in person, by mail, or online. In-person requests are made at the Customer Service Center at 601 W. Jackson Street in Phoenix. Bring a valid ID. Tell the clerk what case you need and which documents you want. They will print copies for you. The fee is 50 cents per page. Certified copies cost $35 per document plus the per-page fee. Certification means the clerk stamps the copy as an official court record, which is needed for some legal purposes.

For mail requests, send a written request to Clerk of Superior Court, 201 W. Jefferson, Phoenix, AZ 85003. Include the case number, the names of the parties, a list of documents you need, and your return address. Include payment. The clerk accepts money orders or business checks but not personal checks. Add $8 for postage and handling. Processing takes a few weeks depending on how busy the clerk's office is. Phone requests are limited to general information only. You can call 602-372-5375 to ask about hours, fees, or directions, but the clerk cannot search for cases or provide specific case information over the phone.

ECR Online at ecronline.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov is a subscription service for attorneys and parties in a case to view and file documents electronically. The public can also use the statewide eAccess system at eaccess.azcourts.gov to purchase documents for $10 each. You must create an account and add a payment method. Then search for the case and select which documents to download as PDFs.

Justice Court Records

Maricopa County has 26 Justice Court precincts spread across the county. Justice Courts handle misdemeanor criminal cases, civil cases up to $10,000, small claims up to $3,500, evictions, and traffic violations. Each precinct maintains its own court dockets and records. The Justice Court Administration office is at 222 N Central Ave, #210, Phoenix, AZ 85004. You can call them at 602-506-8530 for general information about which precinct handles cases in a particular area.

Justice Court case search is available online at justicecourts.maricopa.gov/app/courtrecords/casesearch where you can search all 26 precincts at once or narrow your search to a specific Justice Court location. The search works by party name or case number. Results show the precinct where the case was filed, the case type, charges or claims, court dates, and dispositions. You can view the docket online for free. To get copies of documents, you must contact the specific Justice Court precinct that handled the case.

Fees for Court Records

Copies from Superior Court cost 50 cents per page. If you want certified copies, add $35 per document. Research fees are $35 per year or source searched. This applies when the clerk must search old files that are not in the computer system. Postage and handling costs $8 if you want records mailed to you. Payment methods accepted include cash, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, money order, and business check. Personal checks are not accepted at the Clerk of Superior Court office.

The complete fee schedule is posted at clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/services/filings/filing-fees, which lists all filing fees, copy fees, and service charges for Superior Court proceedings. Justice Court fees are similar but may vary slightly by precinct. Municipal Court fees depend on which city court you are dealing with. Each city sets its own fee schedule for copies and services.

Cities in Maricopa County

Many cities in Maricopa County operate their own Municipal Courts with separate court dockets from the county system. These cities have qualifying populations over 50,000:

• Phoenix - Phoenix Municipal Court at 300 W. Washington Street
• Mesa - Mesa Municipal Court with online case search
• Chandler - Chandler Municipal Court with eCourt portal
• Scottsdale - Scottsdale City Court with eServices
• Glendale - Glendale City Court
• Gilbert - Gilbert Municipal Court
• Tempe - Tempe Municipal Court with case status lookup
• Peoria - Peoria Municipal Court
• Surprise - Surprise City Court
• Avondale - Avondale City Court
• Goodyear - Goodyear Municipal Court
• Buckeye - Buckeye Municipal Court

For cases in these cities, check both the city Municipal Court and the county Justice Court. Minor offenses within city limits go to Municipal Court. More serious misdemeanors and civil cases may be in Justice Court.

Note: Smaller cities and unincorporated areas use Justice Courts for all cases.

Nearby Counties

Maricopa County borders several other Arizona counties. If your case was filed in a neighboring county, you will need to search that county's court system:

• Pinal County to the south and east
• Yavapai County to the north
• Gila County to the northeast
• Yuma County to the west
• La Paz County to the northwest