Phoenix Public Records

Phoenix public records include police reports, building permits, city council documents, and other municipal records from Arizona's largest city and state capital. The city serves about 1.65 million residents in Maricopa County. You can search many Phoenix public records online through city databases and request others through their portal. Property records and court cases are handled by Maricopa County offices. This guide covers how to access Phoenix public records from city departments.

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How to Request Phoenix Public Records

Phoenix uses an online portal for most public records requests. The GovQA system handles requests for city departments. You can track your request and receive records electronically.

Submit requests through cityofphoenixaz.govqa.us. Create an account to manage your submissions. Describe what records you need with as much detail as possible. Staff will respond with availability and fee information.

The City Clerk Records Search lets you find existing public records online. You can search meeting minutes, ordinances, and other city documents without submitting a formal request.

Contact the City Clerk at 200 W. Washington St., 15th Floor. Phone: (602) 262-6811. Staff can answer questions about what records are available and how to request them.

Phoenix Building Permits

The Planning and Development Department maintains building permit records. These show construction projects, inspections, and code compliance. Records go back to 1995 in the online database.

Search the Phoenix Building Permits Database to find permit records from 1995 to present. You can search by address or permit number. Results show permit type, status, and inspection history.

Phoenix building permits search database from 1995

For newer development projects, the SHAPE PHX portal at shapephx.phoenix.gov provides additional planning information. This includes zoning cases and development applications.

Phoenix Police Records

The Phoenix Police Department handles requests for police reports, accident reports, and other law enforcement records. They operate a dedicated records portal separate from the general city system.

Use the Phoenix Public Safety Records Portal to request police records online. The system charges a $5 convenience fee per request. You can get incident reports, accident reports, and other police documents through this portal.

Phoenix Police public safety records portal

Letters of Clearance cost $8.50 if no record exists, or $28 if records are found. Contact Police Records at 1717 E. Grant St. or call (602) 534-1127. Email: public.records.ppd@phoenix.gov.

Note: Fire records are separate. Contact Fire Records at (602) 256-3395 for fire incident reports.

Phoenix Open Data

Phoenix provides extensive open data through several portals. These datasets include city spending, crime statistics, and geographic information. All data is free to access and download.

The Phoenix Open Data Portal contains hundreds of datasets. You can find information on city operations, public safety, and community statistics. Data is available in multiple formats for analysis.

Phoenix open data portal with city datasets

For financial transparency, the city provides an online checkbook at phoenixaz.opengov.com. You can see how the city spends money and track budget allocations. This is part of the city's commitment to transparency.

Phoenix Property and Court Records

Property records and court cases for Phoenix go through Maricopa County offices. The city does not maintain these records directly.

For property deeds, mortgages, and recorded documents, use the Maricopa County Recorder search. For property values and tax information, use the Maricopa County Assessor. For court cases including civil lawsuits and criminal matters, use the Maricopa County Superior Court system.

Visit the Maricopa County Public Records page for detailed information on accessing these records.