Clerk of Superior Court
The Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court manages court records, filings, payments, marriage licenses, passport application processing, family support services, and other administrative functions connected with Superior Court cases. This article explains what the Clerk’s Office handles, how to choose the correct online or in-person service, how court record systems differ, what to prepare before filing or requesting records, how filing fees and payment requirements work, and which Clerk location may be appropriate for in-person service.
Role of the Clerk’s Office
The Clerk of Superior Court is an independent office with duties established by the Arizona Constitution, state statutes, Arizona Supreme Court requirements, and court rules. Although the Clerk works closely with the Superior Court, the Clerk’s Office and the court itself perform different functions.
The Clerk’s primary responsibilities involve maintaining the official administrative record of Superior Court activity. According to the official Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court website, services available through the office include court records and minute entries, filings, payments, marriage licenses, passports, family and juvenile matters, and related court services.
The Clerk’s duties include maintaining court dockets, recording actions taken during Superior Court sessions, receiving and preserving official court documents, accepting filings, collecting court-ordered payments, storing exhibits, and providing public access to records that may legally be released.
The office accepts filings involving several different areas of Superior Court, including:
Civil cases
Criminal cases
Family court matters
Juvenile matters
Probate cases
Tax court cases
Mental health matters
The office also performs functions that are not limited to traditional case filing, such as processing passport applications and issuing and recording marriage licenses.
Clerk Services and Court Services
A common source of confusion is the difference between services handled by the Clerk of Superior Court and services handled by the Superior Court itself. The Clerk generally manages records, documents, filing transactions, payments, and other administrative functions connected with court cases.
Questions about jury duty, court hearings or trials, judge assignments, the Law Library, or the Self Service Center are directed to the Superior Court rather than the Clerk. This distinction can save time because contacting the Clerk about a hearing schedule or jury-duty issue may not lead to the office responsible for the request.
The Clerk’s official services directory is a useful starting point when the request involves filing information, eFiling, payments, family or juvenile documentation, marriage licenses, passports, process-server matters, or an address change associated with Clerk services.
Court Records and Case Information
Several different systems are available for locating case-related information, and they do not all provide the same material. Users should first decide whether they need basic case history, a court document, a minute entry, a certified copy, or access to documents from a case in which they are a party.
Public case and docket searches
The public docket provides case history information for civil, criminal, family, and probate matters. The Public Access to Court Information docket can be used to view court calendars, case information, and docket entries.
The docket is particularly useful when a person knows a party name or case number and wants to identify the history of activity recorded in the case. It is not the same as obtaining the underlying documents. The records-request information provided by the Clerk states that users may look up cases by name or case number and see docket entries, but the docket does not provide copies of the documents themselves.
Docket information may also change after posting. The public system is subject to auditing for as long as 24 hours after information is added, so entry modifications may occur during that period. The system is also unavailable Tuesday through Saturday between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m.
Electronic case records
The Clerk maintains electronic record options for people who need more than basic docket information. The Clerk’s court records section identifies several record-access methods, including ECR Online, eAccess, minute entries, and procedures for obtaining copies.
ECR Online for case parties
ECR Online is intended for registered users accessing cases in which they are parties. The reference information identifies Family Court, probate, civil, criminal, and tax cases as available to registered ECR users.
This is different from the general public docket. A public docket search is designed to show case history and docket information, while ECR Online can provide case-party access to electronic records when the case and user qualify for that system.
eAccess for public documents
The Arizona Supreme Court also operates eAccess, a web-based portal offering 24-hour online access to case records and documents that are unrestricted and open to the public. The service is available to members of the public, attorneys, government users, media users, and litigants. Case documents obtained through eAccess may require a fee.
Because court records can be restricted, sealed, or confidential, not every record can be viewed through a public system. Court records that are closed by law or under Arizona Supreme Court Rule 123 are not available for ordinary public review or reproduction.
Minute entries
Minute entries document actions recorded by the Clerk during court proceedings. The Clerk’s online minute-entry database contains copies of minute entries beginning on or about January 2001, although not every minute entry is available through the website.
The online minute-entry search allows searching by information such as case number, defendant identification information, names, judicial officer, and date range.
Online minute-entry availability has important limits. Family court minute entries have not been available through this public minute-entry website since April 1, 2017. People seeking family court records may instead need the Clerk’s other record-access options, including ECR Online for eligible case parties or the general process for obtaining public records.
Copies and Certified Records
A docket search may be sufficient when a person only needs case history. A different process is necessary when an actual copy of a filed document is required.
The Clerk’s record-copy and records-request instructions describe online and in-person methods. An online records request may be appropriate when a record cannot be located through other methods, when a certified court document is needed, when a recorded marriage-license copy is required, or when the request is more complex.
In-person record copies
Copies of public records may be obtained at designated Clerk locations during regular weekday business hours. In-person payments for record copies may be made by money order, debit card, credit card, or cash. Personal checks are not accepted for these in-person copy transactions.
The stated copy fee is $0.50 per page. Certification adds a $35 charge for a document. Research fees may also apply when additional research is necessary to fulfill a request.
A certified copy is not automatically required for every use. If a record is being submitted to another government agency, court, or institution, the receiving organization determines whether certification is required. Confirming that requirement before ordering can prevent paying for certification that is unnecessary or receiving an uncertified copy that will not be accepted.
Free inspection of records
Public records maintained by the Clerk may also be inspected without charge at specified Clerk locations during regular business hours. Most public records can be viewed electronically through public-access computers at those facilities.
Free inspection should not be confused with receiving copies. Viewing an available public record at a Clerk facility does not create a paper or certified copy. Copy and certification fees apply when those additional services are requested.
Filing Superior Court Documents
The Clerk accepts Superior Court documents online, by mail, and at filing-counter locations. The appropriate process depends on the type of case and the document being filed.
The Clerk’s filing information page separates filing resources for civil and tax cases, criminal cases, family cases, probate matters, and juvenile cases. It also provides information for electronic filing, filing-counter appointments, and filing depository boxes.
Before submitting documents, identify the case type and use the filing process assigned to that category. A procedure designed for a civil case may not be the correct process for a criminal or juvenile filing.
Clerk employees can provide administrative assistance related to Superior Court filings, but they do not give legal advice. Questions about how to present a legal argument, which claim should be filed, or what legal strategy to use are different from questions about filing procedures.
Electronic Filing Requirements
Electronic filing procedures differ depending on the case type. Civil and tax matters, Family Law cases, and certain probate documents can be electronically filed through authorized electronic filing service providers operated within the Arizona judicial filing system. Criminal and specified juvenile filings use a separate electronic portal managed by the Clerk’s Office.
The Clerk’s eFiling information page identifies attorneys, self-represented litigants, and qualifying out-of-state attorneys appearing pro hac vice in an existing case among the users who may electronically file. Attorneys are generally required to eFile in Civil/Tax and Family Law cases unless excluded by an administrative order.
Common eFiling problems
Electronic submissions can be returned as deficient when filing requirements are not met. The Clerk identifies several recurring problems that filers should check before submission:
Including instruction pages from a document packet as the main filing.
Using an incorrect document or pleading format.
Leaving the case number off the first page.
Entering the wrong case number.
Using a caption for the wrong county.
Using an incorrect or reversed case caption.
Omitting a plaintiff, petitioner, defendant, or respondent from the caption.
Submitting exhibits as the main document instead of as exhibits.
Leaving filing-party information off the upper-left portion of the document.
Attempting to electronically file into an Order of Protection case when that filing is excluded.
Failing to pay a required filing or appearance fee.
Submitting an unsigned document.
These checks are especially useful before an important filing because a rejected document may need to be corrected and resubmitted.
Fee waivers and deferrals
A person seeking a court-fee waiver or deferral for a Maricopa County case should submit the waiver or deferral application through the Clerk’s online process before submitting the associated electronic filing. This order matters because the filing system needs the fee-waiver or deferral request handled through the designated process rather than simply omitting payment from an ordinary filing.
Filing Fees and Payments
Superior Court filing fees vary substantially by case type and transaction. The Clerk publishes separate schedules for juvenile, civil, tax, family, probate, transfer, miscellaneous, and other services.
The official filing fee schedule should be checked before making a payment because the required amount depends on the particular filing. The schedule reflects state base fees together with other charges authorized by statutes, administrative orders, or county action.
Examples in the referenced fee schedule include a $367 civil complaint or petition filing fee, a $263 civil answer or initial appearance fee, and a $376 filing fee for a petition for dissolution of marriage with or without children. Probate filings such as an informal probate or guardianship/conservatorship filing are listed at $306 in the applicable categories.
Some filings are listed at no charge, so users should not assume that every court document carries the same fee. Likewise, filing a later document in an existing case may have a different fee than beginning the case.
The Clerk accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover for filing fees and most services. Users requesting fee deferral or waiver should use the Clerk’s designated application process rather than assuming a fee can simply be skipped.
Family and Juvenile Matters
The Clerk handles documentation and processing associated with several family and juvenile matters. These include child support payments, adoption-related documentation, dependency matters, guardianships, and emancipation proceedings.
Clerk functions in these areas are administrative. The office receives and processes documents and performs related record and payment functions, but Clerk employees do not provide legal advice about family or juvenile cases.
Users working with an existing family case should also remember that family court minute entries are no longer provided through the Clerk’s general public minute-entry website. Record access may instead depend on the type of document requested and whether the requester is a registered party using ECR Online.
Marriage Licenses and Passports
The Clerk of Superior Court also issues and records marriage licenses and processes passport applications. These services are separate from court-case searches and filings, even though they are administered by the same office.
The Clerk’s marriage-license and passport services should therefore be treated as their own transactions. A person looking for a recorded marriage-license copy, for example, may use the Clerk’s records-request process when the required copy cannot be obtained through another available method.
Marriage-license and passport fees also differ from court filing fees. The Clerk’s published schedule lists separate charges for marriage licenses, certified marriage-license copies, passport books, passport cards, and related passport application services.
Forms and Document Preparation
The Clerk provides several office-specific forms and directs users to other official judicial sources for forms organized by legal area. Available Clerk forms include documents involving minute-entry distribution, arrearage calculations, stop-payment requests, address changes for bond release, and bond wire transactions.
The Clerk’s official forms page also directs users to Superior Court forms and Law Library Resource Center materials. Selecting the form associated with the correct legal area is particularly important because similar-sounding court proceedings may require different paperwork.
Before filing a form, verify the case number, party names, case caption, signatures, and filing category. Those items overlap with several of the deficiencies specifically identified by the Clerk for electronically submitted documents.
Choosing an Office Location
The Clerk operates facilities in Phoenix, Surprise, and Mesa. Not every reason for visiting the court system belongs with the Clerk, so the first step should be identifying the service required. Court records, copies, filings, marriage-license services, payments, and other Clerk transactions should be matched to Clerk services, while jury duty, hearings, judicial assignments, and other court-operated functions should be directed to the appropriate Superior Court service.
For public-record copies and free record inspection, the reference material specifically identifies the Customer Service Center, Northwest Regional Court Center, Southeast Court Complex, and Northeast Regional Court Center. The broader Clerk locations directory contains additional Clerk facilities used for other court-related operations.
Administration office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The records information also states that public-record copy service is available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the designated record locations.
Clerk Offices and Locations
Central Court Complex
201 W Jefferson St
Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 372-5375
Customer Service Center
601 W. Jackson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 372-5375
Downtown Justice Center
620 W. Jackson Street
Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 372-5375
Durango Juvenile Center
3131 West Durango
Phoenix, AZ 85009
(602) 372-5375
Northeast Regional Center
18380 N. 40th St., Suite 120
Phoenix, AZ 85032
(602) 372-5375
Northwest Regional Center
14264 West Tierra Buena Lane
Surprise, AZ 85374
(602) 372-5375
Old Courthouse
125 W Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 372-5375
South Court Tower
175 W. Madison
Phoenix, AZ 85003
(602) 372-5375
Southeast Juvenile Center
1810 S. Lewis St.
Mesa, AZ 85210
(602) 372-5375
Southeast Regional Center
222 E. Javelina
Mesa, AZ 85210
(602) 372-5375
Clerk of Superior Court FAQs
Can I eFile a new probate or tax court case?
Not every case type allows the same kind of electronic filing. According to the Clerk’s official eFiling information, eFileAZ accepts initiating and later filings in civil and family law matters, but tax filings are limited to subsequent filings. Probate eFiling is also limited to post-initiation documents. Wills and informal probate resubmissions are specifically excluded from eFileAZ. Before uploading anything, check the filing category rather than assuming that an existing eFiling account allows every document to be submitted electronically.
How do I know whether an online filing is official proof that I filed?
The online docket should not be treated as the final proof of filing when that proof becomes important. The Clerk states that information in the court database is based on documents physically filed with the office, but the Clerk does not warrant online data unless an original document bearing the Clerk of the Court filing stamp can substantiate the filing or an alleged error. If a filing date could affect a deadline or another legal requirement, retain the officially filed version of the document rather than relying only on what appears in an online case search.
What happens if my eFiled document needs faster processing?
The Clerk identifies requests for expedited processing of an eFiled document as an issue handled by the Clerk’s eFile support function. This is separate from general technical problems involving eFileAZ or AZTurboCourt. The Maricopa County eFiling page distinguishes Clerk-related filing issues from provider technical support, which can help filers determine where to direct a problem involving an already-submitted document.
Are free eFiling training sessions available?
Yes. The Clerk’s eFiling guidance directs users to instructional materials and notes that eFileAZ offers free live training sessions weekly. Training can be especially useful before a first electronic filing because the filing systems have different rules for civil, family, tax, probate, criminal, and juvenile matters. The official guidance also recommends reviewing applicable administrative orders, local eFiling guidelines, and filing instructions before submitting documents.