The Arizona APS Registry is a public database run by the Department of Economic Security that lists people found, after an Adult Protective Services investigation, to have abused, neglected, or exploited a vulnerable adult. Anyone can search it for free online. A substantiated finding stays on the registry for 25 years, and since January 1, 2025, certain healthcare employers are legally barred from hiring anyone whose name appears on it.1Arizona Department of Economic Security. Adult Protective Services (APS) Registry2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 46-459 – Adult Protective Services Registry
What Puts Someone on the Registry
A name is added only after DES investigates and reaches a substantiated finding, meaning investigators concluded by a preponderance of the evidence that the conduct occurred. More evidence had to support the finding than cut against it.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 46-459 – Adult Protective Services Registry
Three categories of conduct trigger placement:
- Abuse: intentionally inflicting physical pain or injury, or sexual mistreatment of a vulnerable adult.
- Neglect: failing to provide necessary food, shelter, medical care, or other basic needs when you have a duty to do so.
- Exploitation: using a vulnerable adult’s money, property, or other resources without authorization, typically for personal gain.
No criminal conviction is required. The registry runs through a civil investigation, so a person can be listed even if no charges were ever filed.
How to Search the APS Registry
Arizona law requires registry information to be available both on written request and online.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 46-459 – Adult Protective Services Registry There are two ways in.
The Free Online Search
The Arizona Department of Health Services hosts a free search tool at hsapps.azdhs.gov. You need the person’s first name, last name, and date of birth. You can also filter by case date range and by finding type (abuse, exploitation, or neglect). Results come back immediately. This is the fastest option for an employer running a quick pre-hire check or for someone checking their own status.
The Centralized Background Checks Portal
Employers who need broader screening can use the Arizona Centralized Background Checks (CBC) portal through DES. It bundles the APS Registry search with a check of the Department of Child Safety Central Registry and can return status on Fingerprint Clearance Cards through the Department of Public Safety.1Arizona Department of Economic Security. Adult Protective Services (APS) Registry It’s designed for employers filling direct-service positions involving children or vulnerable adults.
What It Means for Employment
A listing can effectively end a career in caregiving, and the rules have tightened.
Since January 1, 2025, owners of residential care institutions, nursing care institutions, and home health agencies have been required to check the APS Registry for prospective and current employees. They are prohibited from hiring or continuing to employ anyone on the registry. The requirement comes from A.R.S. ยง 36-411.3Arizona Department of Economic Security. Employers
DES itself must check the registry for any employee in a position providing direct services to children or vulnerable adults, and it may run the same check on employees of its contractors in similar roles. The result is used to decide whether the person is qualified for the position.1Arizona Department of Economic Security. Adult Protective Services (APS) Registry
Beyond those mandatory checks, any employer can choose to search the registry because the information is public. Someone listed may find doors closed across health care, social service, and assisted-living positions even when the employer isn’t legally required to look.
How Long a Listing Lasts
DES keeps each substantiated report on the registry for 25 years from the date of entry, then purges the record during its annual review cycle.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 46-459 – Adult Protective Services Registry Arizona law provides no mechanism to petition for early removal. Rehabilitation, a clean subsequent record, and changed circumstances do not shorten the 25 years. The only way to prevent a listing is to defeat the finding through the hearing process before the name is ever entered.
The 15-Day Window to Stop a Listing
Before a name goes on the registry, the accused person has a right to challenge the finding at an administrative hearing. The timeline is short, and missing one deadline closes the door for a quarter century.
The Notice From DES
After it finishes its investigation, DES must send the accused person a written notice by first class mail within 15 calendar days of completing the investigation.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 46-458 – Hearing Process; Definitions The notice says DES intends to enter a substantiated finding and spells out two rights: to receive a copy of the report with the allegations and findings, and to request a hearing before the entry is made.
Requesting the Hearing
You must submit a hearing request to DES within 15 calendar days of the date on the notice.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 46-458 – Hearing Process; Definitions If DES doesn’t receive a timely request, the substantiated finding stands and the name is placed on the registry. This is the point where most people lose their chance without meaning to. Fifteen days passes fast, especially if you don’t check your mail often or don’t recognize what the letter is.
At the Hearing
A timely request moves the case to the Office of Administrative Hearings, where an Administrative Law Judge independent from DES presides.5Arizona Office of Administrative Hearings. OAH FAQ Handout DES carries the burden of proof and must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the alleged conduct occurred.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 46-458 – Hearing Process; Definitions You can present witnesses, submit documents, and cross-examine DES investigators.
If the judge finds the evidence insufficient, the judge orders DES to change the finding from substantiated to unsubstantiated, and the name is not placed on the registry.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 46-458 – Hearing Process; Definitions If you request a hearing but fail to appear, the hearing is cancelled and the substantiated finding is entered. You can ask to reschedule by showing good cause, but that request must reach DES within 15 calendar days of the notice cancelling the hearing.
Because a listing lasts 25 years and there is no early-removal process, that first 15-day window after the DES notice is the single most important date in the entire process.