SB1774 voting rights; restoration. | Arizona Bill

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text confirms that voting rights are restored on final discharge regardless of unpaid restitution for first-time offenders and those with prior convictions.

SB1774: Voting Rights Restoration and Civil Rights Rules

This bill automatically restores voting rights to people who finish their sentence, while other civil rights may require paying restitution or filing an application depending on the person's criminal history.

What This Bill Does

Automatically restores all lost civil rights for first-time felony offenders in Arizona once they complete probation or are discharged from prison and pay all victim restitution.
Restores voting rights automatically upon final discharge, even if the person has not paid all required victim restitution.
Requires people with prior felony convictions or unpaid restitution to apply to a superior court to restore civil rights other than voting.
Excludes automatic restoration of firearm rights for anyone convicted of a dangerous offense or a serious offense as defined by state law.
Removes filing fees for applications related to restoring civil rights and requires courts to grant eligible applications without holding hearings.

Who It Names or Affects

People in Arizona who have been convicted of their first felony offense.
Individuals with prior felony convictions or unpaid restitution seeking restoration of non-voting civil rights.
Superior courts that must process applications and grant them without hearings for eligible applicants.

Terms To Know

Final discharge: The point when a person finishes probation or receives an absolute release from prison, including state prisons in other states or federal prisons.
Victim restitution: Money ordered by the court for a convicted person to pay back to victims of their crime.
Dangerous offense: A specific type of serious crime defined in Arizona law under section 13-704 that blocks automatic firearm rights restoration.

Limits and Unknowns

This bill does not automatically restore the right to possess a firearm for people convicted of dangerous or serious offenses.
The effective date is not listed in the provided text, so it is unknown when these changes begin.
Restoration of civil rights other than voting remains at the discretion of a judicial officer if an application is required.

Official Summary Text

SB1774 - voting rights; restoration.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1774 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
voting rights; restoration.

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1774

Introduced by

Senator
Gonzales

AN
ACT

amending sections 13-907 and 13-908,
Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the restoration of civil rights.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 13-907, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
13-907.

Automatic restoration of civil rights for first offenders;
firearm rights; definition

A. On completion of probation for an offense
committed in this state or absolute discharge from imprisonment, any person who
has not previously been convicted of a felony offense shall automatically be
restored any civil rights that were lost or suspended as a result of the
conviction if the person pays all victim restitution imposed
,
except that the person's right to vote is automatically restored on final
discharge
.� A person who is entitled to the restoration of any civil
rights pursuant to this subsection is not required to file an application
pursuant to section 13-908, except that if the person does file an
application, the court shall grant the application without receiving a response
from the state or holding a hearing.

B. On completion of probation for an offense
committed outside the jurisdiction of this state or absolute discharge from a
prison in another state or the federal bureau of prisons, a person who has not
previously been convicted of a felony offense is eligible for automatic
restoration of any civil rights that were lost or suspended as a result of the
conviction if the person pays all victim restitution imposed.� A person who is
entitled to the restoration of any civil rights pursuant to this subsection shall
file an application pursuant to section 13-908, and the court shall grant
the application without receiving a response from the state or holding a
hearing.

C. This section does not apply to a person's right
to possess a firearm as defined in section 13-3101 if the person was
convicted of any of the following:

1. A dangerous offense under section 13-704 or
an offense committed outside the jurisdiction of this state that would be a
dangerous offense under section 13-704 if committed in this state.

2. A serious offense as defined in section 13-706
or an offense committed outside the jurisdiction of this state that would be a
serious offense as defined in section 13-706 if committed in this
state.

D. If the person is not entitled to the automatic
restoration of firearm rights pursuant to this section, the court may order the
restoration of the right to possess a firearm pursuant to section 13-910.

E. For the purposes of this section,
"final discharge" means the completion of probation or the receipt of
an absolute discharge from the state department of corrections, a prison in
another state or the federal bureau of prisons.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Section 13-908, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
13-908.

Restoration of civil rights; application; firearm rights;
definition

A. On final discharge, a person who has previously
been convicted of a felony or who has not paid all victim restitution that was
imposed may apply to the superior court to have the person's civil rights
restored
, except that the person's right to vote is
automatically restored on the person's final discharge
. The
restoration of civil rights is in the discretion of the judicial officer.

B. The person or the person's attorney or probation
officer may file the application for the restoration of civil
rights. The clerk of the court may not charge a filing fee for an
application. The clerk of the court shall forward a copy of the
application to the county attorney or attorney general.

C. A person whose civil rights were lost or
suspended as a result of a felony conviction in another state or a United
States district court and whose period of probation has been completed may file
the application for restoration of civil rights in the county in which the
person now resides
, except that the person's right to vote is
automatically restored on the person's discharge from probation
.�

D. A person whose civil rights were lost or
suspended as a result of a felony conviction in another state or a United
States district court and who has received an absolute discharge from
imprisonment in a prison in another state or a federal prison shall file the
application for the restoration of civil rights in the county in which the
person now resides
, except that the person's right to vote is
automatically restored on the person's absolute discharge from imprisonment
.�
The restoration of civil rights is in the discretion of the judicial officer.

E. This section does not apply to a person's right
to possess a firearm as defined in section 13-3101 if the person was
convicted of any of the following:

1. A dangerous offense under section 13-704 or
an offense committed outside the jurisdiction of this state that would be a
dangerous offense under section 13-704 if committed in this state.

2. A serious offense as defined in section 13-706
or an offense committed outside the jurisdiction of this state that would be a
serious offense as defined in section 13-706 if committed in this
state.

F. If the person is not entitled to the restoration
of firearm rights pursuant to this section, the court may order the restoration
of the right to possess a firearm pursuant to section 13-910.

G. For the purposes of this section, "final
discharge" means the completion of probation or the receipt of an absolute
discharge from the state department of corrections, a prison in another state
or the federal bureau of prisons.
END_STATUTE