duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The City Attorney’s Prosecution Division states that it prosecutes misdemeanors in Scottsdale, including DUI.
- A person held after arrest goes before the jail court, which the police department says sits 9am to noon.
- The police crime laboratory analyzes blood for alcohol by headspace gas chromatography, and the city publishes its method manuals.
- The city’s certificates show the lab accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, with a certificate valid through February 2027.
- Felony DUI in Scottsdale is prosecuted by the Maricopa County Attorney or the Arizona Attorney General, not the city.
- 30 days to request the license hearing from MVD.
from the date you were served with the notice to demand a hearing from Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division. The request goes to MVD, not to the court, and no judge in Maricopa County will make it for you. A.R.S. § 28-1321(F), (G).
In Scottsdale the misdemeanor DUI is a city case: the City Attorney’s Prosecution Division lists DUI among the misdemeanors it prosecutes in the City of Scottsdale. The state law behind it — the jail floors set by the reading, the assessments, the interlock — is on the Arizona DUI law page.
This page is built around two Scottsdale facts. The court, the city jail and the jail court share one address. And blood-test evidence comes from a city police laboratory whose methods the City Attorney’s office puts online.
The same diagram as a table
| Step | Criminal case — decided by a court | License case — decided by a state agency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrest and booking, hour 0 | Notice of suspension served, day 0 |
| 2 | Charge filed by the prosecutor | Deadline to demand a hearing: 7 to 30 days in the eight states on this site that use an agency hearing |
| 3 | First court setting, on a date the court picks | Hearing held if the request was filed — whether the suspension waits for the ruling is set by each state's statute |
| 4 | One or more pretrial settings | Suspension takes effect automatically with no hearing |
| 5 | Trial, plea or dismissal | — |
| Clock | Weeks to months. No filing deadline runs against the driver. | Counted in days from the notice, and fixed by statute. |
Where a Scottsdale DUI is heard
The Scottsdale City Court and the city jail share the address 3700 N. 75th Street — the jail inside the Downtown Scottsdale Police Station, District 2. A person cited and released comes to the court on the date on the citation. For people held after arrest, the police department describes a jail court whose hours vary with the number of initial appearances.
Scottsdale City Court
- Hears
- Criminal misdemeanors cited in Scottsdale — the City Prosecutor lists DUI among them
- Building
- Scottsdale City Court
- Address
- 3700 N. 75th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251
- Detail
- The court states that criminal violations cannot be paid in advance; a person cited for a criminal misdemeanor must appear on the assigned date
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (8:30am on the first and third Wednesday); criminal courtrooms 8:30 to 11:30am and 1:30 to 4:30pm
- Phone
- 480-312-2442
- Why it matters
- Food, drink and all weapons are prohibited, and the court will not store prohibited items in the lobby.
Scottsdale City Jail and jail court
- Hears
- Custody after arrest, and the first appearance for those held
- Building
- Downtown Scottsdale Police Station (District 2)
- Address
- 3700 N. 75th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251
- Detail
- The police department states that jail court hours are 9am to noon and can vary with the number of initial appearances
- Hours
- Jail court 9am to noon
- Why it matters
- Reached from the second floor of the Civic Center Library parking garage. After hours, city bonds are posted at the Jail Release Area behind the court building.
The court states that criminal violations cannot be paid in advance. Anyone cited for a criminal misdemeanor must appear at the Scottsdale City Court on the assigned date, and failing to appear may result in a warrant.
The court describes the path. At the arraignment you are told the charges and your rights and enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest. A not-guilty plea sets the case for a pre-trial conference, where you meet a City Prosecutor to discuss a possible plea agreement — and the court warns that the prosecutor is not your attorney. Discovery, including the police report, citation and witness list, comes from the prosecutor. If there is no agreement the case is set for trial, and the court notes that only certain charges are eligible for a jury.
After a sentence, the court’s compliance review staff check that court-ordered requirements are met: screenings, treatment programs, ignition interlock monitoring, confinement and community restitution. They verify that each program document names an Arizona-licensed provider, the defendant and the case.
Before you go to the court
The court states that food, drink and all weapons are strictly prohibited from the building, that it will not store prohibited items in the lobby for pick-up, and that they should be left at home or in the car.
Not sure which court your case is in?
Enter the ZIP code where the arrest happened and the full form opens with it filled in.
The jail court, bond and the thirty days
The police department states that jail court hours are 9am to noon and can vary with the number of initial appearances. The jail is reached from the second floor of the Civic Center Library parking garage, and that garage, at 3737 N. Drinkwater Boulevard, is the primary parking; the secondary lot is the City Court’s, at 3703 N. 75th Street.
Scottsdale city bonds can be posted at the City Court during working hours, and after hours or on holidays at the Jail Release Area behind the court building. The department states that a bond must be the exact cash amount stated on the warrant, that paper bonds are accepted through a bail bondsman, and that the city jail will not accept bonds on felony warrants.
The license case runs beside all of this. After a failed or refused test, the notice of suspension gives you 30 days to request a hearing from MVD. Nothing done at the jail court or the City Court counts as that request.
One program people ask about is no longer taking bookings. Scottsdale’s jail dormitory program, for people convicted of a non-violent misdemeanor and sentenced to 48 hours or less in one consecutive period, had two eight-bed rooms; the department states that it is suspended until further notice and that the last date for reservations was February 26, 2026.
| What happened | First time | With a prior | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the test | at least 90 days | — | A.R.S. § 28-1385(H) |
| Refused the test | 12 months | 2 years | A.R.S. § 28-1321(B) |
The prosecutor, and the laboratory
Who prosecutes. The Prosecution Division states that it is responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor and certain civil offenses in the City of Scottsdale, including DUI and other traffic violations, and that state felony cases in the city are prosecuted by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office or the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. It takes calls about cases at 480-312-2710. The penalties themselves are statewide and are on the Arizona DUI law page.
The laboratory. The City Attorney’s office publishes a set of lab disclosures that it describes as a service to defense attorneys rather than something formatted for the public. They include the Blood Alcohol Analysis Procedures Manual, which the city says describes the analysis of ethanol in whole blood using headspace gas chromatography with dual capillary columns and flame ionization detectors — one column for quantification, the other for confirmation. The page lists editions of the manual going back to 2010. The same disclosures include chromatograms, criminalist permits and statements of qualifications, Intoxilyzer permits and maintenance records, phlebotomist records and quality-control documents.
The accreditation certificates state that the Scottsdale Police Forensic Services Crime Laboratory adheres to ISO/IEC 17025, accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board and other forensic accreditation bodies; the current certificate is listed as valid through February 2027.
DUI cases in and around Scottsdale
The City Prosecutor’s own statement draws the line: misdemeanors in the city are Scottsdale’s, felonies are not.
| Situation | County | Where the case goes |
|---|---|---|
| A misdemeanor DUI inside the City of Scottsdale | Maricopa | Scottsdale City Court, 3700 N. 75th St. |
| A first appearance for someone held after a Scottsdale arrest | Maricopa | Jail court at the city jail, 9am to noon |
| A felony DUI in Scottsdale | Maricopa | Maricopa County Attorney or Arizona Attorney General |
The court, the city jail and the jail court share one address on North 75th Street. A state felony in Scottsdale is prosecuted by a county or state office, not the city.
This page does not assign neighboring communities to courts. The citation names the court, and the other Arizona cities on this site show how that works elsewhere: Phoenix, where city limits decide the courthouse, and Gilbert, whose town court keeps a four-day week.
Common questions about Scottsdale DUI cases
Who prosecutes a DUI in Scottsdale?
For a misdemeanor, the City Attorney's Prosecution Division, which states that it prosecutes misdemeanor offenses in the City of Scottsdale including DUI. A state felony case in Scottsdale is prosecuted by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office or the Arizona Attorney General's Office.
Where is the Scottsdale City Court?
3700 N. 75th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251, open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (8:30am on the first and third Wednesday of the month), telephone 480-312-2442. The city jail and its jail court are at the same address.
When does the Scottsdale jail court sit?
The police department states that jail court hours are 9am to noon and can vary with the number of initial appearances.
Can I pay a Scottsdale DUI citation instead of going to court?
No. The court states that criminal violations cannot be paid in advance and that anyone cited for a criminal misdemeanor must appear on the assigned date.
How is a blood sample tested for alcohol in Scottsdale?
The city's published Blood Alcohol Analysis Procedures Manual describes headspace gas chromatography with dual capillary columns and flame ionization detectors, one column for quantification and one for confirmation. The police crime laboratory states it is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.
Is the Scottsdale jail dorm program available?
The police department states that the jail dormitory program is suspended until further notice and that the last date for reservations was February 26, 2026.
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More for Arizona
- Arizona DUI law — the full penalty matrix, the statutes, and the rules on priors and interlock
- Phoenix and Maricopa County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Gilbert and Maricopa County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Mesa and Maricopa County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Tempe and Maricopa County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Tucson and Pima County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Refusing a breathalyzer — what implied consent costs here against what it buys
- How long it stays on your record — three records, three clocks
- SR-22 insurance after an Arizona suspension — what the filing certifies and how long it runs
- Ignition interlock providers and costs in Arizona — what the device costs and who installs it
Sources
- City of Scottsdale, City Court — read September 23, 2026
- City of Scottsdale, City Court criminal cases and warrants — read September 23, 2026
- City of Scottsdale, City Court program and jail compliance — read September 23, 2026
- City of Scottsdale, City Court etiquette and security — read September 23, 2026
- City of Scottsdale Police, city jail and dorms — read September 23, 2026
- City of Scottsdale, City Attorney Prosecution Division — read September 23, 2026
- City of Scottsdale, City Attorney lab disclosures — read September 23, 2026
- City of Scottsdale, blood alcohol analysis procedures manuals — read September 23, 2026
- City of Scottsdale, crime laboratory certificates of accreditation — read September 23, 2026
- A.R.S. § 28-1381(A)(2) and the rest of the Arizona statutes cited on this page — read in force 2026
Court addresses, hours and phone numbers were read from each court’s or office’s own published page on September 23, 2026. Those change without notice; confirm before you rely on them. No judge is named anywhere on this page, because a roster is exactly the kind of detail that goes stale silently.