Regulated by the states in which they are filed and finalized, divorces records are located within the offices of that state. Characteristically, the records are found at the local Prothonotary Office or other county office located at the local county courthouse.
The essential information about divorced couples is included in the divorce records. This includes their full names, the wife’s maiden name, the full home address at the time of the divorce, the name of the county in which the couple filed for the divorce, and the resultant date on which the divorce was finalized. The divorce certificate also contains a unique identification number. Some states include the number but not the names of the children who were seventeen years of age and under on the divorce records.
Since the husband’s name is used for filing purposes for divorce records, your search should be conducted using the man’s name even if the divorce records you are looking for belong to a woman.
If you are requesting a copy of a specific divorce record in Arizona, it is not necessary to provide information that is not requested. However, if you are conducting a genealogical search that goes back quite a bit in time and you are requesting much older records, additional information might prove helpful to the search. This is especially the case with records dating prior to 1900, which are often imprecise in details or difficult to locate. In those cases, the more information that you can provide, the quicker the search will end.
Unfortunately, if you do not know the name of the county where the divorce was filed, you should search for that information. It is possible that a simple Internet search or telephone call to your local county office can provide that information if you have the address of the couple at the time of the divorce. Unfortunately, if you don’t have the address or the name of the county, then you will need to carry out a county-by-county search or a search for spouses. Each county does assess a fee for all searches even if they are not productive. Therefore, this can become quite expensive.
A search for spouses, both past and current, will produce the names of all spouses along with their addresses at the time that they were married. Using this information, you can get the name of the county and continue your search at the county courthouse.
As a general rule, a basic search takes somewhere between two and ten days. This depends on several factors including the divorce date, the amount of information that was provided, the number of available staff at the courthouse, and the time of year.
You must include your personal information such as full name, current address, relationship to the individual whose divorce records you are requesting, and the reason for your search. Additionally, the courthouse charges a small fee that ranges between five and fifteen dollars.
A more efficient and timely search will take place to find divorce records in Arizona if you follow these steps. Print or type each full name and address clearly including the full name of both the husband and the wife and the maiden name for the wife. Keep your request brief.and limit each request to one divorce document.
Include the nicknames and alternate spellings that may have been used for the individuals. Include the full address of the individual at the time of the divorce with the street, city or town, county, and state. Include the date that the divorce was finalized or include a time frame with a short span of years for the search. Expect to pay an additional fee for searches such as this.
Include personal contact information with a daytime and evening telephone number. You can also include e-mail address or a fax number. Include your relationship to the individuals who are listed in your request. Include the reason you are making the request for the divorce records. Print your full name and sign your request. Include a piece of identifying information such as a photocopy of your driver’s license. Include a self addressed stamped envelope with your request. Date your request.
A list of the local county courthouses that provide divorce records in Arizona is provided in alphabetical order:
Apache County
Apache County Clerk
P.O. Box 365
Saint Johns, AZ 85936
Telephone: (928) 337-4364
For birth/death records:
Office of Vital Records
2727 West Glendale Ave PO Box 3887
Phoenix, AZ 85030-3887
Telephone: (602) 364-1300
Fax: (602) 249-3040
Cochise County
Cochise County Clerk
P.O. Box CK
Bisbee, AZ 85603
Telephone: (520) 432-9364
Coconino County
Coconino County Clerk
100 E. Birch Ave.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001-4625
Telephone: (928) 779-6536
Gila County
Gila County Clerk
1400 E. Ash St.
Globe, AZ 85501-1414
Telephone: (520) 425-3231
Graham County
Graham County Clerk
800 W. Main St.
Safford, AZ 85546-2829
Telephone: (520) 428-3310
Greenlee County
Greenlee County Clerk
Webster Street
Clifton, AZ 85533-1027
Telephone: (928) 865-3872
La Paz County
La Paz County Clerk
P.O. Box 730
Parker, AZ 85344
Telephone: (520) 669-6131
Maricopa County
Maricopa County Clerk
201 West Jefferson
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Telephone: (602) 506-3360
Mohave County
Mohave County Clerk
401 East Spring Street
Kingman, AZ 86401-0003
Telephone: (928) 753-9141
Navajo County
Navajo County Clerk of the Superior Court
P.O. Box 668
Holbrook, AZ 86025
Telephone: (928) 524-6161
Pima County
Pima County Clerk
150 W. Congress St. Rm 194
Tucson, AZ 85701-1707
Telephone: (520) 740-8522
Pinal County
Pinal County Clerk
P.O. Box 827
Florence, AZ 85232-0827
Telephone: (520) 868-6000
Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County Clerk
P.O. Box 1265
Nogales, AZ 85628-1265
Telephone: (520) 287-2221
Yavapai County
Yavapai Clerk of Superior Court
Prescott, AZ 86301-3803
Telephone: (928) 771-3100
Yuman County
Yuman County Clerk of the Court
198 S Main Street
Yuma, AZ 85364
Telephone: (928) 329-2170
