available 24/7
Free Consultation
Posted on January 30, 2026 in DUI
It may seem counterintuitive at first, but if you have a past DUI conviction in Arizona, that will not necessarily keep you from becoming a police officer in this state.
In this blog post, we discuss how Arizona municipalities treat prior DUIs on your record when you apply to become a police officer.
If you are facing a DUI charge in Arizona, call Rosenstein Law Group at (480) 248-7666 or contact us online to speak with an experienced Arizona DUI defense lawyer.
Law enforcement officers are human beings, and human beings make mistakes. Police departments understand this, so they do not expect police officer applicants to have a perfect past.
Still, police departments are less likely to hire applicants who have convictions for felonies and crimes involving acts of dishonesty. This is because these offenses can be used to impeach an officer summoned to testify against an arrestee/defendant in court. An officer who has prior convictions might look less credible to a judge or jury, and that could harm the prosecution’s case against a defendant.
For this reason, among others, police departments carefully screen applicants to ensure that successful candidates are individuals of reputable character. This screening effort is built into the application process.
Becoming a police officer in many towns and cities in Arizona includes a written examination, a physical fitness test, a background check, and sometimes a polygraph examination, multiple interviews, and graduation from a police academy.
During this process, you will be required to disclose information about any past involvement with illegal drugs and run-ins with the law. This includes DUI charges and convictions.
Although most police application processes are similar, some variations exist among Arizona’s municipalities. It is important to know exactly how the police department you are applying to looks at past DUIs on your record.
For example, many police department applications do not refer to DUIs specifically, but rather require that the applicant have no felony convictions. This is important because—with some exceptions—drunk driving (including extreme DUI and super extreme DUI) in Arizona is a misdemeanor offense.
Not every city follows this general trend.
The most important thing to keep in mind about this disclosure requirement is to be forthright and honest. Your background check will be thorough. If you leave out information about a past DUI or misrepresent the facts, chances are this will be discovered and will result in denial of your application.
If your DUI was not alcohol-related but drug-related, particularly if marijuana was involved, this could become a complicating factor in your application.
Some police departments (for example, Chandler, Mesa, and Scottsdale) prohibit applications from people who have used marijuana within the past three years, more than a certain number of times total since turning 21 years of age, or in the applicant’s lifetime.
Note that marijuana use policies (e.g., “no use within three years”) apply independently of a DUI conviction and vary by department. If you have a misdemeanor DUI offense, it may not disqualify you from applying to a police department, but if the DUI was in connection with marijuana usage, this might pose a bigger problem.
Having a DUI criminal conviction on your record can make it harder to get through the police application process, but it is not always a bar to becoming a police officer. Depending on the police agency you are seeking to join, by taking the steps we have outlined above, you can improve your chances of application success.
If you have a DUI or criminal record as an applicant to a police department, here are some things you can do to improve your chances of successfully completing the application hiring process.
Arizona does not allow for expunging a DUI conviction from your criminal history record, but you can pursue a set aside that serves as court recognition that you have completed all penalties and conditions of your sentence. After a conviction is set aside, you can then petition the court to seal the conviction, case and arrest records. A conviction that has been set aside and sealed does not remove a DUI conviction from your record, but it can help mitigate the impact of the conviction. Note: Set aside and sealing of a past DUI conviction may not affect law enforcement background checks as police agencies still retain access to records that have been set aside and/or sealed.
If you are already a police officer in Arizona and you are charged with DUI, this is a serious matter that may have career-ending consequences.
What happens to a police officer charged with DUI depends on the policies of the particular police department to which the officer is a member.
Generally, after a DUI arrest, the officer will be placed on administrative leave subject to an internal investigation. The consequences can include suspension, placement on paid or unpaid leave, a probationary period, or a requirement to complete substance abuse counseling.
Loss of employment is a possibility, however such is not always mandatory.
The disciplinary process for a police officer arrested for DUI can depend on several factors, including:
If the DUI is a felony-level aggravated DUI in Arizona or its equivalent if the DUI charge is in another state, this is a more serious matter than a misdemeanor-level DUI, and the chance of losing employment becomes greater.
Police officers charged with DUI should retain an experienced DUI defense lawyer to present the absolute best and most aggressive DUI defense available.
If you are applying to join a police department in Arizona and have questions about setting aside and sealing a past DUI conviction, an experienced Arizona DUI defense attorney can help you understand the process and its implications.
The Rosenstein Law Group has handled thousands of Arizona DUI cases and can advise you of your legal options. To learn more about our services, call us at (480) 248-7666, or use our online contact form to speak with an experienced DUI defense attorney.