Arizona background check: clearance cards and court records

Why Arizona employers rarely get records from DPS

Arizona keeps its central criminal history at DPS, but DPS does not sell checks to private employers or the public, and it does not issue clearance letters for visas or foreign adoptions. So most private employers hire a background screening company, which searches county and statewide court records, sex offender registries and other sources, matching on name and birth date. That report falls under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which means a separate consent form before, and a pre adverse action copy of the report if the employer may say no; see the FTC page for applicants.

Your national file is a separate request to the FBI, covered on our FBI background check page.

The fingerprint clearance card

Many Arizona laws require workers in certain fields to hold a valid fingerprint clearance card before or as a condition of a license, certificate or job. Common examples are school staff, child care workers and others who work with children or vulnerable adults, but the statute for each role decides. Your licensing agency, board or employer will tell you whether you need one and which law applies.

The DPS Clearance Card Section, through its Applicant Clearance Card Team, reviews the state and FBI results to decide whether you are suitable for a card. DPS cannot pre screen anyone; it only decides after the fingerprint results arrive.

Arizona pre employment background check timing

Reports built on county court searches commonly take several working days, more when a clerk has to retrieve paper files or a former employer answers slowly. A clearance card takes longer than a status check suggests, because DPS has to receive and review both state and FBI results. Applicants and employers can check card status online with an application or card number; DPS does not email or fax status to employers. Use our check duration estimator for typical ranges.

If your clearance card is denied or suspended

DPS mails denial and suspension letters to you. By law, DPS cannot share the details of the fingerprint check with applicants. If you are denied, you may be able to ask the Arizona Board of Fingerprinting for a good cause exception, a separate process that DPS cannot answer questions about. Read the letter for deadlines and the board's contact details.

Free criminal background check in Arizona: what is possible

DPS lists no charge for the Record Review Packet used to check your own record, though the law enforcement agency that takes your prints may charge. Employer checks through screening companies and clearance card applications have costs, usually paid by the employer or the applicant depending on the job. Our cost guide explains what raises the price.

Arizona background check laws: reviewing your record

The Central State Repository handles personal record reviews; the DPS Public Records Unit does not. The review exists so you can check that your state record is accurate and complete. The response includes any criminal history DPS holds but not personal identity or address details. Get the packet on the DPS records request page.

When you find a mistake, go back to whoever created the entry: a court clerk for outcomes, or the police department for arrest facts. An error on a screening firm's report calls for a written dispute to that firm with court papers enclosed; our dispute page shows how. The EEOC's background check page explains how employers should judge records.

Laws and DPS steps change, so treat this as a summary. Look at the DPS pages before relying on any detail here; a licensed Arizona lawyer, or a free civil legal clinic, can say how the rules fit your record.