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A criminal record can affect your life long after a case ends. A conviction may make it harder to get a job, rent a home, apply for a professional license, qualify for certain opportunities, or move forward without the record following you.
Arizona offers several forms of criminal record relief. Depending on the case, a person may be eligible for a set-aside, record sealing, marijuana expungement, or felony-to-misdemeanor designation under HB 2749.
These options serve different purposes, so the right path depends on the record.
AZ Defenders helps people in Arizona review their rehabilitation options and pursue the remedy that fits their record.
Call AZ Defenders at (480) 531-9572 for a free consultation to discuss clearing, sealing, setting aside, or reducing the impact of your criminal record.
Criminal record rehabilitation is not one single process. Arizona law provides different remedies for different situations, so the best option depends on the record and the relief sought.
For example:
These remedies offer different benefits depending on the record and the person’s goals.
AZ Defenders can review your record and explain which options may apply. More than one remedy may be available in some cases.
A set-aside is one of Arizona’s main post-conviction relief options and provides a court order showing rehabilitation after a criminal conviction. It does not erase the conviction, but it can show that the court has set aside the judgment after the person completed the sentence and met the legal requirements.
A set-aside may help with employment, housing, licensing, background checks, and personal or reputational rehabilitation. It may also be useful for people who have completed probation and paid any required fines or restitution.
The effect depends on the conviction, the person’s goals, and the manner in which the record is reviewed.
Go here to learn more and see whether a set-aside may help your situation.
Record sealing can limit public access to certain criminal records.
This can be especially important when a person is trying to move forward after an arrest, charge, dismissal, acquittal, or eligible conviction.
Sealing does not always make every government record disappear. However, it can make the record harder for the public, employers, landlords, and private background-check companies to access.
Arizona record-sealing eligibility depends on the case type, outcome, waiting period, sentence completion, and other legal requirements. AZ Defenders can review whether your record may qualify and help prepare the petition.
Go here to learn more about record sealing in Arizona.
Arizona also allows expungement for certain qualifying marijuana-related records. This remedy is different from a set-aside or record sealing.
This expungement applies only to eligible arrests, charges, convictions, adjudications, or sentences involving certain marijuana offenses.
If granted, expungement can provide stronger relief than a set-aside because it may remove qualifying marijuana records from public view.
Eligibility depends on the facts of the case, including the amount of marijuana, the type of conduct, and the record involved. AZ Defenders can review the case and determine whether marijuana expungement may be available.
Learn more here to see whether marijuana expungement may apply to your case.
Arizona’s new HB 2749, signed into law on June 4, 2026, created a new path (A.R.S. § 13-604.01) for some people with felony convictions to ask the court to designate the conviction as a misdemeanor.
This is a useful rehabilitation tool because the word “felony” can create barriers long after a person has completed their sentence. The new law takes effect later in 2026, so the court process will be available once it is in force.
The new process is not available for every felony. Under the law, a court may designate a class 4, 5, or 6 felony as a class 1 misdemeanor only when the offense was not dangerous, did not involve a victim, and the person has no prior felony conviction.
The person must also have completed all terms of the sentence, including full payment of any fines, fees, and restitution, and must have stayed out of trouble for at least five years. The court makes the final decision based on whether the change serves the interest of justice.
For eligible people, a felony-to-misdemeanor designation may help reduce the long-term impact of a conviction. It may be especially valuable for employment, licensing, housing, and background-check concerns because it can change how the conviction is classified.
AZ Defenders can review whether your conviction may qualify under HB 2749 and help prepare the request to submit to the court.
The right rehabilitation option depends on the record. Set-asides, sealing, expungement, and felony-to-misdemeanor designation requests serve different purposes.
Each option offers a different result.
The case outcome also matters.
AZ Defenders can review the full record and help you take the best path forward.
Arizona record-relief laws have specific requirements. Filing the wrong request can waste time, create confusion, or lead to a denial that could have been avoided.
Eligibility reviews have many issues to consider, such as:
AZ Defenders can evaluate these issues before filing. Get the strongest available option instead of guessing which petition to submit.
AZ Defenders helps people pursue criminal record relief with a direct, organized process. Our team can review the record, explain eligibility, prepare the petition, and advocate for the requested relief.
Working with AZ Defenders may help because:
Criminal record rehabilitation can be technical, but the purpose is practical. The goal is to reduce the long-term burden of an old case and help eligible people move forward.
A criminal record review can help determine which rehabilitation services may apply. AZ Defenders can review the case history and explain whether a person may qualify for a set-aside, record sealing, marijuana expungement, or a felony-to-misdemeanor designation under HB 2749.
This review can also identify timing issues, missing documents, sentence-completion problems, restitution concerns, or other issues that may need to be addressed before filing.
If you are unsure which remedy applies, AZ Defenders can explain the options and help you choose the strongest path today.
Arizona law provides eligible individuals with several ways to reduce the impact of a criminal record. A set-aside, record sealing, marijuana expungement, or felony-to-misdemeanor designation may help with employment, housing, licensing, and long-term rehabilitation.
AZ Defenders helps people pursue record-clearing and rehabilitation services throughout Arizona. Our team can review your record, explain your options, and help you seek the relief available under Arizona law.
Call AZ Defenders today for a free consultation to discuss your criminal record rehabilitation options.