A new Arizona law that took effect on September 12, 2026, lets people convicted of certain low-level felonies ask a court to re-classify the conviction as a class 1 misdemeanor. The remedy expires after September 30, 2028. Taylor Law Group, PLLC, a Tucson criminal defense firm led by former Pima County Judge Douglas W. Taylor, is offering free consultations to review old convictions for eligibility.
House Bill 2749, signed into law June 4, 2026, adds section 13-604.01 to the Arizona criminal code. A court may now enter a judgment of conviction for a Class 1 misdemeanor in place of many Class 4, 5, or 6 felonies that did not involve a dangerous nature offense. Nothing is vacated or resentenced. The felony judgment is simply replaced with a misdemeanor judgment for the same offense, which changes the criminal record itself.
"In my years on the bench in Pima County, I handled thousands of misdemeanor cases, and I saw every day how differently the law treats a misdemeanor and a felony," said Douglas W. Taylor, owner and managing attorney of Taylor Law Group, PLLC. "As a defense attorney for 25 years, I have watched class 6 felonies that came out of one bad night follow people through every job application, every lease, and every license application for decades. Set-asides and record sealing existed before, but neither changed the classification itself. This does."
Five conditions must all be met: (1) no prior felony conviction; (2) no victim, as defined in Arizona's victims' rights statute; (3) full completion of every term of the sentence, including all fines, fees, and restitution; (4) at least five years have passed since the sentence was completed, and no subsequent felony conviction and no subsequent misdemeanor involving a victim; and, (5) a finding by the court that the misdemeanor judgment serves the interest of justice. Three offenses are excluded regardless: (1) cruelty to animals, (2) misconduct involving weapons, and (3) any conviction requiring sex-offender registration. The law is also fully discretionary: A judge may enter the judgment, not shall enter the judgment.
"The interest of justice finding is where these cases will be won or lost," Taylor said. "Having sat on the bench, I know judges will want to see who the person has become: steady work, family responsibilities, a clean record, that sort of thing. The petition has to tell that story with documentation, not just ask for a favor."
But the window for relief under this new law is narrower than it seems. The five-year clean period cannot be shortened. So a person whose sentence ended in 2024 will not become eligible for relief until 2029, after the law has expired. The people who can use this remedy are those whose five years are already complete, or will be complete before the fall of 2028.
"Most of the people this law was written for have no idea it exists," Taylor said. "They finished their sentence a decade ago, and no one is going to call them. If you or someone in your family carries an old low-level felony, this is the golden moment to find out whether it qualifies."
An old felony's real weight is the classification itself, which can appear on background checks for employment, housing, and licensing years after a case is closed. Effects on other consequences, including firearm rights, depend on the individual case.
Taylor Law Group, PLLC offers free consultations throughout Pima, Cochise, and Santa Cruz counties to anyone who wants to know whether an old conviction qualifies. Eligibility turns on the charging statute, the felony class, and dates people often misremember, so a review of the court record is the first step.
About Taylor Law Group, PLLC
Taylor Law Group, PLLC is a Tucson-based criminal defense firm led by Douglas W. Taylor, Sr., a former Pima County Judge, representing clients in criminal defense, domestic violence, restraining orders, DUI, and post-conviction matters throughout Southern Arizona. The firm holds a perfect 5.0 rating across 150 Google reviews and offers free, confidential consultations 24 hours a day.
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Contact
Taylor Law Group, PLLC
271 N. Stone Avenue, Suite 100
Tucson, AZ 85701
(520) 440-5635
https://www.douglaswtaylor.com
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Legal Disclaimer: This release is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Eligibility for relief under A.R.S. § 13-604.01 depends on the specific facts, court records, and circumstances of each case, and relief is subject to the court's discretion. Individuals should consult a qualified attorney regarding their particular circumstances.
Source: 38 Digital Market News
Release ID: 2622743
