Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Maricopa County, Arizona, has about 4.7 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Maricopa County Superior Court and the Justice Courts, and the file of each case, kept by the Clerk of the Superior Court, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Maricopa County public records, Maricopa County warrants, Maricopa County inmate search, Maricopa County criminal records, Maricopa County police reports, Arizona arrest records and Arizona inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Maricopa County
Court cases from Maricopa County are filed in the Maricopa County Superior Court, which hears felonies, civil cases over $10,000, divorces, probate and juvenile matters.
The Justice Courts take misdemeanors, traffic cases, civil cases up to $10,000 and evictions.
A city with a municipal court of its own tries the tickets written under its ordinances.
Divorces go to the Superior Court, and the file stays with the Clerk of the Superior Court.
The Clerk of the Superior Court keeps the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Arizona Public Records Law.
Looking Up a Case from Maricopa County
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at justicecourts.maricopa.gov/app/courtrecords/casesearch (page title: Case Search), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026. That page belongs to a lower court, the Justice Courts, not to the Maricopa County Superior Court.
Statewide, Public Access to Court Information is the Arizona Judicial Branch's free statewide case search; the Maricopa and Pima county courts run their own.
The Arizona court page SearchSystems verified is at azcourts.gov/clerkofcourt/CASEINFORMATION.aspx.
What Reaches the Court from Maricopa County
Together, the 16 agencies in Maricopa County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 122,747 arrests to the FBI that year; the County Attorney decides which of those arrests become cases in the Maricopa County Superior Court or the Justice Courts.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at maricopa.gov/m/directory/department?did=389 (page title: Staff Directory, County Attorney), phone (602) 506-3411, 225 West Madison Street Phoenix, AZ 85003, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Maricopa County guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Maricopa County criminal records, Maricopa County divorce records, Maricopa County traffic tickets, Maricopa County DUI and Maricopa County property records.
More Official Court Pages for Maricopa County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Maricopa County and Arizona. These court pages from its Maricopa County listing were opened again on October 1, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Public Access to Court Information (apps.azcourts.gov)
Cities in Maricopa County
Wherever in the county a case arises, it is filed in the Maricopa County Superior Court or the Justice Courts; tickets under a city's own ordinances go to its municipal court where it has one.
SearchSystems has a guide to the offices of these cities in Maricopa County, with the 2024 Census Bureau population:
- Phoenix (1,673,164)
- Mesa (517,151)
- Gilbert (288,790)
- Chandler (281,231)
- Glendale (258,143)
- Scottsdale (246,170)
- Tempe (190,114)
- Surprise (167,564)
- Goodyear (118,186)
- Buckeye (114,334)
- Queen Creek (83,781)
- El Mirage (36,468)
- Fountain Hills (23,696)
- Paradise Valley (12,523)
- Tolleson (9,353)
- Wickenburg (8,301)
- Litchfield Park (6,863)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Maricopa County?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at justicecourts.maricopa.gov; it belongs to a lower court, the Justice Courts, not to the Maricopa County Superior Court. Statewide, Public Access to Court Information is the Arizona Judicial Branch's free statewide case search; the Maricopa and Pima county courts run their own.
Which court hears felonies in Maricopa County?
The Maricopa County Superior Court, which hears felonies, civil cases over $10,000, divorces, probate and juvenile matters. The Justice Courts take misdemeanors, traffic cases, civil cases up to $10,000 and evictions.
Who keeps the court records in Maricopa County?
The Clerk of the Superior Court. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Arizona?
Yes: Public Access to Court Information, the Arizona Judicial Branch's free statewide case search; the Maricopa and Pima county courts run their own.
Is this the official Maricopa County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.