How Sheriff Offices Are Organized Across Arizona's 15 Counties

Arizona has 15 counties, and each one has an elected sheriff. The office is created by the Arizona Constitution, and the sheriff's duties are set by state law, mainly Title 11 of the Arizona Revised Statutes. Voters choose a sheriff every four years in the general election. That means the sheriff answers to residents, not to the county board of supervisors, even though the board approves the county budget.

There is no single statewide sheriff's agency. Instead, 15 independent offices share the same basic job description. Each sheriff keeps the peace in unincorporated areas, serves court papers, runs or oversees the county jail, and leads search and rescue for lost hikers, stranded drivers, and flood victims. Deputies must be certified by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, known as AZ POST, which sets minimum training for officers across the state.

One point confuses many newcomers. Cities with their own police departments, such as Phoenix, Mesa, Tucson, and Flagstaff, handle most patrol calls inside city limits. The sheriff covers the county outside those boundaries, plus the jail and civil process for the whole county. If you live on a ranch road outside Prescott or in a desert subdivision near Arizona City, the sheriff is your local law enforcement.

Our directory lists 40 sheriff locations in Arizona. Some are headquarters, some are district offices, and some are substations or jail facilities. Knowing which type you need can save you a long drive.

Metro Counties: Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal Run Multi-District Operations

The largest counties run sheriff's offices that look very different from the rest of the state. The Maricopa County Sheriffs Office has its main listing at 100 West Washington Street in downtown Phoenix, phone 602-876-1801. Beyond that, the county is divided into districts. Our database includes Maricopa County Sheriffs Office - District 1 at 1840 South Lewis in Mesa (602-876-1853), Maricopa County Sheriffs Office - District 2 at 920 East Van Buren Street in Avondale (602-876-1865), and Maricopa County Sheriffs Department - District 7 Fountain Hills at 16705 East Avenue of the Fountains (480-837-2047).

Maricopa is one of the most populous counties in the nation, so its patrol areas are spread across a huge stretch of desert and suburbs. District offices give people in outlying communities a nearby contact point instead of a trip to Phoenix. Call the district that covers your address before you go. Sheriff's district boundaries do not always match city limits.

Pima County has the most listings in our database, with 10, and seven of them are in Tucson. They include Pima County Sheriffs Office - Foothills District Office at 7300 North Shannon Road (520-351-6311), Pima County Sheriffs Office - Green Valley District Office at 601 North La Cañada Drive (520-351-6711), and Pima County Sheriffs Office - Ajo District Office at 1249 North Well Road (520-387-8511). Ajo lies a long desert drive from Tucson, so a local district office there matters to people who would otherwise travel for hours.

Pinal County sits between the two big metros. Its main listing is the Pinal County Sheriffs Office / Pinal County Adult Detention Center at 971 Jason Lopez Circle in Florence (520-866-6800). The county also has the Pinal County Sheriffs Office - Arizona City Substation on South Sunland Gin Road (520-466-5646) and the Oracle Substation at 1470 North Justice Drive (520-896-2777). Deputies there cover growing subdivisions as well as remote ranch land.

Rural Arizona: Long Distances, Large Counties, and Several Substations

Outside the metros, one county can be larger than some eastern states, and a single sheriff may serve a small population. Mohave County is a good example, with four listings. The Mohave County Sheriffs Office is at 600 West Beale Street in Kingman (928-753-0753). The Lake Havasu District 3 Substation is at 3500 Arizona 95 (928-453-0745), and the District 2 Substation is at 9880 Vanderslice Road in Mohave Valley (928-768-7055). Mohave County Sheriffs Office - Beaver Dam is at 700 County Highway 91 in Littlefield (928-347-4900), in the state's far northwest corner near the Nevada and Utah lines.

Yavapai County spreads its work across three listed locations. Yavapai County Sheriffs Office - Headquarters is at 255 East Gurley Street in Prescott (928-771-3260). The Mayer Substation is on East Main Street (928-771-3509). The Camp Verde Substation, listed together with the Eastern Detention Bureau, is at 3505 Arizona 260 (928-567-7734).

Gila County runs two jails, one at each end of the county. Gila County Sheriffs Office / Gila County Jail - North County is at 108 West Main Street in Payson (928-474-2208). The South County facility is at 1100 East South Street in Globe (928-425-4449). Payson and Globe are on opposite sides of the county, so confirm which side your matter belongs to before you drive.

Other counties keep a simpler footprint. The Greenlee County Sheriffs Office is at 824 Coronado Boulevard in Clifton (928-865-4149). The Coconino County Sheriffs Office is at 911 East Sawmill Road in Flagstaff (928-774-4523). Coconino is among the largest counties in the lower 48 by area, so deputies there cover forests, canyons, and highways as well as towns. The Cochise County Sheriffs Office is in Bisbee, and the Navajo County Sheriffs Office is in Holbrook.

What You Can Get Done at an Arizona Sheriff's Office

Services differ by county, but most offices handle the same core tasks. Typical reasons to visit or call include:

Concealed carry is a common question. Arizona allows adults 21 and older who may legally own a firearm to carry concealed without a permit. An optional concealed weapons permit is issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, not by county sheriffs.

Bring a government-issued photo ID to any visit. Bring your case number, court paperwork, or the date and location of the incident if you have them. Many substations keep limited public hours, so call first. In an emergency, dial 911 rather than visiting an office.

Jurisdiction Limits That Catch Arizona Residents Off Guard

The sheriff is not the only agency in your county. The Arizona Department of Public Safety patrols interstates and state highways, and deputies often back them up. Arizona has 22 federally recognized tribes, and tribal police and federal agencies handle most matters on reservation land, so a sheriff's authority there can be limited. National forests, national parks, and monuments add federal rangers to the mix.

Counties along the Mexico border, including Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz, work alongside federal agencies such as U.S. Border Patrol. If you are not sure which agency covers a location, call the nearest sheriff's district office and ask. Dispatchers deal with jurisdiction questions every day and can point you to the right agency quickly.

Sheriff offices in Arizona are independently elected county agencies responsible for law enforcement, jail operations, and civil process service. Each county in Arizona elects its own sheriff, who serves as the chief law enforcement officer for that county's unincorporated areas.

Sheriff locations are available in 30 cities across Arizona. They are spread across 15 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration of sheriff office listings include Tucson, Payson, Holbrook, reflecting the population centers where multiple sub-offices or specialty divisions may be located.

Arizona residents should note that sheriff offices handle civil law enforcement functions — such as serving eviction notices and foreclosure papers — in addition to criminal law enforcement, so the sheriff office is often the correct point of contact for civil legal matters at the county level.

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If you are a Arizona resident looking to obtain a concealed carry permit, request a background check clearance letter, or serve legal documents through official channels, your county sheriff office is the starting point — contact them directly to confirm required documentation and current processing times.

Browse Sheriff by county across Arizona to find the nearest location.

Finding the Right Sheriff Contact in Arizona: A Practical Checklist

Arizona's county lines decide which sheriff handles your request, so start with your address. If it sits inside a city that runs its own police department, call that department for patrol matters. If it sits in an unincorporated area, the county sheriff is responsible. The district or substation nearest you is usually the best first call.

Substations vary a lot. Maricopa County Sheriffs Office - District 1 in Mesa and the Pima County Sheriffs Office - Foothills District Office in Tucson serve dense suburban areas. The Pinal County Sheriffs Office - Oracle Substation and the Yavapai Sheriffs Office - Mayer Substation serve small communities where the nearest headquarters may be a long drive away. Counties on the Mexico line, including the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office at 1250 North Hohokam Drive in Nogales (520-761-7869) and the Cochise County Sheriffs Office at 205 North Judd Drive in Bisbee (520-432-9505), cover wide rural territory.

In the west, the La Paz County Sheriffs Office is at 1109 West Arizona Avenue in Parker (928-669-6141). In the northeast, the Navajo County Sheriffs Office is at 137 West Arizona Street in Holbrook (928-524-4450).

Before you leave home, do four things. Confirm that the office is open to the public, since some substations keep limited hours. Bring a government-issued photo ID. Have your case number, court paperwork, or incident date ready. Ask whether you need an appointment for fingerprinting, records pickup, or jail visits.

If you are in danger or a crime is in progress, call 911 first. The listed office numbers are for business matters, not emergencies.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sheriffs in Arizona

Arizona sheriffs are elected county officers who serve four-year terms. Candidates run in a partisan primary and then in the November general election, so the sheriff's race appears on your ballot with other county offices. If a sheriff leaves office early, the county board of supervisors typically fills the vacancy by appointment until the next election. To confirm who holds the job in your county today, check with the county elections department or call the sheriff's office. The board controls funding, but it does not direct day-to-day law enforcement decisions.

In an emergency, call 911 and the dispatcher routes the call to the right agency. For non-emergency matters, go by your address. Inside the limits of a city such as Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, or Flagstaff, the city police department handles patrol. In unincorporated areas, the county sheriff responds. Some small communities contract with the sheriff for policing, so a deputy may patrol a town without its own police department. If you are unsure, call the nearest sheriff's district office listed in our directory and ask which agency covers your street.

The main listing is the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office at 100 West Washington Street in Phoenix, phone 602-876-1801. Our database also includes District 1 in Mesa at 1840 South Lewis (602-876-1853), District 2 in Avondale at 920 East Van Buren Street (602-876-1865), and District 7 in Fountain Hills at 16705 East Avenue of the Fountains (480-837-2047). Choose the district closest to where the incident happened or where you live. Call before driving, because district offices may offer different hours and services than the downtown Phoenix location.

Arizona's public records law, found in Title 39 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, gives the public access to many government records. Start with the records unit at the sheriff's office that took the report. Provide the date, location, names involved, and any case number. Offices may charge copying fees, and some details are withheld, such as information about active investigations, juvenile matters, or victim privacy. Processing times vary, so ask about the timeline when you submit your request. Crash reports on state highways usually come from the Arizona Department of Public Safety instead.

Arizona allows adults 21 and older who can legally own a firearm to carry concealed without a permit. A concealed weapons permit is still available through the Arizona Department of Public Safety, not the sheriff. Some people choose to get one because other states may recognize it. Carrying is restricted in certain places, including schools and many secured government buildings. Sheriff's office lobbies and county jails often post their own rules, so ask before you bring a firearm to a visit or appointment.

Start with the sheriff's office or detention center in the county where the arrest happened. Pinal County runs the Pinal County Adult Detention Center in Florence at 971 Jason Lopez Circle (520-866-6800). Gila County has two jails, one in Payson at 108 West Main Street (928-474-2208) and one in Globe at 1100 East South Street (928-425-4449). Have the person's full name and date of birth ready. Ask about visiting hours, deposits to an inmate account, and bail procedures, because each county sets its own rules.