Beginning September 1, 1996, Arizona's victims' rights statutes require law enforcement agencies to provide a multi-copy form to victims upon initial contact. The multi-copy form developed and distributed by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) is used by a majority of law enforcement agencies statewide. The Victims’ Rights Request/Waiver (R/W) form contains information that all victims of crime are entitled to by law, regardless of the status of their case. The AGO annually maintains and provides electronic updated versions of this form, at no cost to each agency, as long as victims' rights laws mandate the form and require that the AG provide statewide implementation assistance.
Updates
The AGO has historically provided printed R/W form booklets as a courtesy service to agencies responsible for distributing these forms to victims. Starting September 2025, the AGO will no longer be providing printed versions of the R/W form booklets. The increasing preference for digital solutions—evidenced by the successful adoption of PDF versions of the R/W forms and their integration into the Arizona Traffic and Criminal Software (AZ TraCS)—reinforces the benefits of electronic distribution. The digital formats being provided improve efficiency, legibility, and cost-effectiveness, addressing the challenges previously associated with the printed materials. Consequently, in alignment with technological progress and the desire to optimize resources effectively, the AGO has decided to discontinue the provision of printed R/W form booklets, thereby returning the responsibility to the agencies that are statutorily obligated to provide these forms. The AGO will continue to annually maintain the R/W form templates to ensure statutory compliance and updates to resource information.
The AGO hosted a statewide meeting in FY2024 to discuss and address these changes. If you were unable to attend these meetings or would like to learn more information, the meetings were recorded for reference and accessibility. To view the recording, please follow the link listed below.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MgwMiQrozEEygqZporC0WSI5mvySEn5p/view?usp=drive_link
FAQs
The document, FAQ Victims’ Rights Request Waiver Form, contains answers to possible questions a law enforcement agency may have in regards to the distribution of the R/W form, including when to give the form to victims.
The document, FAQ Flyer- Printing LE R/W Form, contains answers to possible questions a law enforcement agency may have in regards to electronic and printed versions of R/W form booklets, evidencing compliance with victims’ rights, and requesting training for personnel.
Custom RW Form Process:
While the law permits law enforcement agencies to develop their own procedures and forms, any customized forms must adhere to victims' rights statutes and gain approval from the AGO prior to implementation. (A.R.S. §§ 13-4405(E), 8-386(E); 13-4417(B), 8-398(B)). Any proposed customized R/W form, as well as future modifications to the form, must be submitted for review by contacting [email protected].
Some things you may be requested to provide for the review process are listed below.
- The proposed agency custom R/W form
- Applicable Policies and Procedures
- Blank Departmental Report (DR) (Crime Report- what your officers fill out when responding)
- Completed AGO R/W Approval form
- For Form Modifications only: updated/new version of the R/W form with changes highlighted or notated
- For Form Modifications only: a copy of your previous/old R/W form
Please contact the State Victims’ Rights Funding Administrator at (602) 542-8451 or [email protected] for questions about the form or to provide suggestions or updates.