Registration for Felons:
Restoring Voting Rights

Many citizens who have been convicted of a felony believe they can never register to vote. That is not true. In Arizona, it is possible to have your rights restored.

The following information is from the ACLU

In Arizona, the government takes away your right to vote if you have been convicted of one or more felonies (A.R.S. § 13-904). The following information explains the basics of how to regain your civil rights, including your right to vote. This information is a resource, not legal advice, for people with felony convictions. If you notice incorrect or outdated information on this page, please email communications@acluaz.org.

One Felony Conviction (Automatic Restoration, A.R.S. § 13-912)

For your first-and-only one-count felony conviction, you automatically regain your civil rights upon absolute discharge from imprisonment or completion of all aspects of your probation. In addition, you must pay all court-ordered fines or restitution before your right to vote will be restored. To see if you owe any outstanding sums, contact the clerk of the court where you were sentenced.

Two or More Felony Convictions, Incarceration Served (Judicial Restoration After Waiting Period, A.R.S. § 13-906)

If you have multiple felony convictions and were incarcerated, you must wait two years from your date of absolute discharge to apply for your rights to be restored. You must submit your Certificate of Absolute Discharge with your application. Your rights restoration application must be submitted to the court where you were sentenced (or, if your conviction was in federal court, to the presiding judge of the Superior Court in the county where you now reside). If you were convicted in multiple court cases, you must file a separate restoration application for each one.

Two or More Felony Convictions, Probation Served (Judicial Restoration Without Waiting Period, A.R.S. § 13-905)

If you have multiple felony convictions and only served probation, you do not have to wait two years to apply for your voting rights to be restored. Your right to vote may be restored by the court that discharged you from probation. Arizona law requires probation officers or courts handling your probation to notify you, in writing, of the process for restoring your right to vote. You should work with your probation officer upon the termination of your probation, which may include the payment of fines and/or restitution, to restore your civil rights.

What if I was convicted of a federal crime?

In Arizona, the same rules apply whether you were convicted of a federal or state felony. If you served only probation, you're eligible to apply for restoration after the completion of probation (A.R.S. § 13-909). If you served a prison sentence, you’re eligible to apply for restoration after waiting two years from the date of your absolute discharge (A.R.S. § 13-910). Instead of applying to the sentencing court, however, you must apply for restoration of your voting rights with the presiding judge of the Superior Court in the county where you reside. If you served time in a federal prison, your restoration application will need to be accompanied by a Certificate of Absolute Discharge from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

What if I was convicted in another state?

There are no provisions in Arizona law for the restoration of rights that may have been lost as a result of a conviction in another state. You will need to apply to have your voting rights restored in the state where you were convicted. For voting rights information in different states, visit http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/felon-voting-rights.aspx. For additional questions about getting your rights restored in a different state visit https://www.sentencingproject.org/state-contacts/.

Obtaining a Certificate of Absolute Discharge for Arizona State Court Convictions

If you were convicted of more than one felony and were incarcerated in an Arizona prison, the first step toward restoring your rights is to get a Certificate of Absolute Discharge. You must attach a copy of your Absolute Discharge Certificate to your application for civil rights restoration.

You can obtain this certificate from the Arizona Department of Corrections. The Arizona Department of Corrections has a "Request for Absolute Discharge" form available on its website: https://corrections.az.gov/sites/default/files/files/adc-absolutedischargeform_051017.pdf. Complete this form and send it to the Arizona Department of Corrections to receive a copy of your Certificate of Absolute Discharge. For more information about obtaining your Certificate of Absolute Discharge, call 602-542-4948, email ADCAbsDisch@AZCorrections.gov, or write to Arizona Department of Corrections, 1601 W. Jefferson, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

Filing the Restoration Application

You can file your civil rights restoration application with the Superior Court in the county where you were originally sentenced (or, if your conviction was in federal court, to the presiding judge of the Superior Court in the county where you now reside). To obtain a rights restoration application, contact the county court clerk's office (contact information is available below). You will need to know your case number(s) and will be asked to file a separate application for each of your criminal cases; therefore, you may need multiple copies of your absolute discharge paperwork.

There is no fee for filing an application for the restoration of civil rights in Arizona and you do not need a lawyer.