Yavapai County Clerk of Superior Court

Yavapai County Clerk of Superior Court

Donna McQuality is the elected Yavapai County Clerk of Superior Court. The official Clerk of Superior Court landing page lists her as appointed and elected in 2014. She continues to lead the office today. Karen Wilkes serves as Chief Deputy Clerk, appointed to that role in 2025. The Clerk runs a staff that spans the Prescott courthouse, the Yavapai County Justice Center, the Juvenile Justice Center, and the Camp Verde courthouse. The office is part of the Yavapai County court system but is constitutionally separate from the bench.

Visitors can reach the Clerk's main records counter at the Prescott courthouse on the second floor in Room 207. The Camp Verde courthouse hosts the Verde Valley records counter for filers in Cottonwood, Sedona, Camp Verde, and the rest of the Verde Valley. The Clerk's office sets the schedule for filing, copy work, and license issuance. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Passport applications are accepted until 4:30 p.m.

The Clerk's role grew in the modern era of court technology. Mandatory e-filing rolled out across Yavapai County on November 2, 2017. The Clerk handles intake and routing for electronic filings, paper exhibits, and court orders. The office also coordinates with the bench on minute entries, sentencing orders, and probate appointments. For a broader view of the courts that feed the Clerk's docket, see the Yavapai County Superior Court page.

The Clerk's contact page lists desk-by-desk phone lines that route public callers to the right specialist. A snapshot of the Clerk's official landing screen is shown next, sourced from courts.yavapaiaz.gov/Departments/Clerk.

The landing page introduces the Clerk's leadership, summarizes the office mission, and points new visitors to the records counter, license counter, and online request routes.

Constitutional Role of the Clerk

The Clerk of Superior Court is established by the Arizona Constitution. The office is independent of the court itself. Its duties are spelled out by state law and by Supreme Court rule. The Yavapai County Clerk keeps the official court file, makes sure documents are accessible to the public, and issues writs and warrants directed by the court. The Clerk also takes and transcribes the minutes of court proceedings.

The Clerk acts as registrar of probate matters in Yavapai County. The office maintains court exhibits as the formal repository. The Clerk serves as Jury Commissioner. That role covers jury summons mail, the master list, juror check-in, and pay processing. The Clerk also collects and disburses court fees, fines, and restitution money under court order. Marriage licenses are issued and recorded by the Clerk. Passport applications are accepted at the Clerk's counter as a federal acceptance agent.

That blend of duties makes the Clerk the public-facing arm of Superior Court. The bench rules. The Clerk records, files, and serves. The split protects the integrity of the record. It also means a Yavapai resident who needs a certified copy talks to the Clerk's staff, not the judge or the judge's assistant. For wider record-access questions, see the Yavapai County public records page.

Records Maintained by the Yavapai County Clerk

The Clerk's record set covers nearly every kind of Superior Court file. Civil, family, criminal, juvenile, and probate matters all flow through the office. Each track has its own intake rules, its own confidentiality rules, and its own copy fees. The Clerk does not hold Justice Court files or Municipal Court files. Those are handled by the courts that issue them. The Clerk's record desk in Prescott can still point a caller to the right Justice Court for traffic, eviction, or small claims work.

• Civil records - complaints, answers, motions, judgments, garnishments, and civil appeals in Superior Court.
• Domestic records - divorce, legal separation, paternity, child support, custody, and parenting time files.
• Criminal records - felony cases, sentencing orders, sealing motions, and set-aside applications.
• Juvenile records - delinquency, dependency, severance, and adoption files held under restricted access.
• Probate records - wills, estates, guardianship, conservatorship, and small estate affidavits.
• Marriage records - license applications, issued licenses, returned certificates, and marriage license search files.
• Court orders - protective orders processed through AZPOINT and signed in Superior Court.

Older records are pulled from the archive at the Prescott courthouse. The Superior Court Records page directs requests for pre-1992 files to the same Clerk team. Newer files can sit in the Clerk's electronic case system. The mix means a single request can hit both paper and digital storage. The Clerk's quote will reflect that work. For document-level lookups on civil and criminal cases filed on or after July 1, 2010, the Arizona eAccess portal can also pull court documents online.

How to Request Records from the Yavapai County Clerk

The Clerk takes record requests four ways. Each route serves a different need. In-person service is the fastest path for certified copies, marriage licenses, and same-day filings. Email is the best path for case-number-specific record requests when the file is digital. Mail works for callers who want documents shipped. Phone calls connect to the right desk but do not move paper on their own.

For in-person service, the Clerk's offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Passport applications close at 4:30 p.m. to allow processing time. The Prescott counter sits in Room 207. The Camp Verde counter sits in the lobby of the Camp Verde courthouse. Walk-in service is first-come, first-served. Marriage license appointments are not required. Both parties must appear together to sign the license application.

For email service, the address is YavapaiRecordsManagement@courts.az.gov. The Clerk reviews the request, prepares a quote, and replies with the total amount due. Payment then runs through the Clerk online payment center after the total is confirmed. Email requesters are told to wait for the quote before paying. The Clerk's email desk also fields questions about file location, case number format, and what fees apply.

For mail service, the request must be written. Include the requester's full name, return address, and phone number. List the case number when known, the names of the parties on the case, and the documents requested. Mail in a self-addressed stamped envelope, or include $8 for postage and handling. Phone callers can reach the records line at (928) 777-7934. Bigger questions go to the General Information line at (928) 771-3312. The Superior Court Records request page walks through the same steps and is shown next.

The official records request page above breaks out in-person, email, mail, and phone routes in one screen and confirms the records mailbox and records desk phone line.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy is the form most often needed for legal use. Courts in other counties, federal agencies, foreign consulates, banks, and immigration offices ask for a raised seal. The Yavapai Clerk issues the seal. The fee is set by law. The Clerk's office runs the process in roughly the same way every time, whether the file is current or old.

1. Gather the case number, the party names on the case, and the file date. Older cases may need party names alone if the case number is lost. Pre-1992 records may need extra search time.
2. Pick a request method. In-person at Prescott Room 207 or Camp Verde for same-day copies. Email YavapaiRecordsManagement@courts.az.gov when the file is digital and shipping is fine. Mail when the request must be on paper.
3. List the specific documents needed. Examples include a divorce decree, a judgment of dissolution, a sentencing minute entry, a probate letter, a marriage license certificate, or a sealing order. Each document is priced by the page.
4. Wait for the fee quote. Email and mail requests are reviewed by the Clerk's records desk. The quote shows the page count, the certification fee, and the shipping or postage charge.
5. Pay the quote. In-person payment can be made by cash, check, or card at the counter. Email requesters are sent a link to the Clerk online payment center after the quote is confirmed. Mail requesters can include a check or money order with the request.
6. Receive the copy. In-person service is same-day in most cases. Email service ships a paper copy or, when available, sends a sealed electronic copy. Mail service goes out in the requester's self-addressed stamped envelope or with the $8 postage fee paid in advance.

Note: A certified copy is required for court filings, name changes, real estate work, and federal benefits, since an uncertified copy is not accepted in court.

Yavapai County Clerk Records Request Fields

Every records request must include certain fields. The Clerk uses the field set to confirm identity, locate the file, and quote the fee. A complete request moves faster. A request with missing data is bounced back for a follow-up. The table below lists the request fields the Yavapai Clerk asks for on email and mail submissions.

Note: Wait for the official quote before paying through the online payment center; the total is set by the Clerk after the search and page count are confirmed.

Yavapai County Clerk Fees

The Clerk follows the fee authority in A.R.S. § 12-284. Plain copies are priced by the page. Certified copies add a flat fee plus the page count. Marriage license fees are set by the same statute set. The Clerk does not waive the fees on a casual basis. Indigent fee waivers run through the Self-Service Center process and need a court order.

Filing fees on new cases are listed separately. The Clerk publishes the current Superior Court filing fee chart. Justice Court fees are published on the Justice Court fees page and are not collected by the Clerk. Probate filing fees vary by case type. For a deep look at probate filing and copy fees, see the Yavapai County probate records page.

The Clerk also accepts passport application fees. The federal execution fee is charged at the counter, while the State Department fee is paid by check or money order to the U.S. Department of State. Two checks may be needed. The e-Filing rollout did not change the fee structure for paper copies or in-person services. The Clerk e-Filing page below shows the official mandate from November 2, 2017.

The e-Filing page confirms the mandatory rollout and links attorneys and self-represented filers to the AZTurboCourt portal used statewide for case initiation.

Desk-by-Desk Yavapai County Clerk Contacts

The Clerk's directory routes calls to the right desk. Each line below handles a specific function. Callers who do not know which desk to use can start at General Information. The records line handles record requests, certified copies, and old case lookups. Specialty desks handle appeals, restitution, jury, probate, and Verde Valley service.

The official Yavapai County Clerk contact page hosts the same directory. The Verde Valley Services Supervisor line is the right starting point for callers in Cottonwood, Sedona, Camp Verde, and the Verde region.

The Clerk's Contact Us page provides the same desk listing for online visitors and is the official source for the numbers shown above.

Marriage Licenses, Probate, and Jury Services Through the Clerk

The Clerk runs three service lines that often surprise first-time visitors. Marriage licenses, probate registration, and jury service all flow through the same office. The Clerk issues every marriage license in Yavapai County. Both parties must come in together. A valid government photo ID is required. The license fee is $98. A certified marriage certificate copy is $35. There is no waiting period and no blood test. More detail sits on the marriage and divorce records page.

Probate registration is a clerk function under Arizona law. The Clerk takes new probate filings, processes letters of personal representative, and maintains the probate file. Small estate affidavits, formal probate, informal probate, guardianship, and conservatorship all run through the Clerk. The Probate Specialist desks are in Prescott at (928) 777-7949 and in Camp Verde at (928) 554-8536. The Yavapai County probate records page covers the full process.

Jury service is also handled by the Clerk. The Jury Commissioner sits inside the Clerk's office. Summons are mailed by the Clerk. Check-in for prospective jurors runs out of Prescott, the Criminal Justice Center, and Camp Verde. Pay processing for served jurors is handled by Financial Services inside the Clerk's office. Callers with jury questions can reach Prescott main jury at (928) 777-3022, the CJC jury line at (928) 771-3102, or Verde Valley jury at (928) 554-8938.

Note: A marriage license is good for 12 months from the date of issue under Arizona law, and the license must be signed and returned to the Clerk after the ceremony.

Yavapai County Clerk Office Locations

The Clerk maintains two main public counters. The Prescott counter is the headquarters. The Camp Verde counter serves the Verde Valley. Both run the same hours. Both accept records requests, certified copy orders, marriage license applications, and passport applications. The Prescott office is on the second floor of the historic courthouse. The Camp Verde office is in the Verde Valley courthouse complex on North Commonwealth Drive.

The Prescott office is the main records counter, the main marriage license counter, and the main passport counter. The Camp Verde office runs the same services on a Verde Valley scale. Visitors who need a hearing transcript, a sealed file motion, or a certified order from a closed case should expect a short search time when the file is older than 1992. Pre-1992 records are pulled from the Prescott archive. The Yavapai County Clerk of Court records desk in Prescott handles those pulls. For court hearing schedules, see the Yavapai County court dockets page. For broader case lookup, see the court records page, and for general public records the FAQ page answers common questions.