Arizona adopts emergency family-court address-confidentiality procedure

The Arizona Supreme Court adopted a new family-law procedure for participants in the state’s Address Confidentiality Program. Order R-26-0046, dated August 25 and filed August 27, 2026, adopted Rule 7.1 on an emergency basis and amended Rule 3(h), effective September 12, 2026.

Under the new rule, notice from the secretary of state or a party informs the court that a party participates in the program. If the clerk can determine participation from the notice, the clerk must update the party’s contact information to the substitute address and update the court record to reflect that the residence address is sealed. If participation cannot be determined, the clerk must refer the notice to the assigned judge for a determination and, if participation is established, a sealing and update order.

The rule says a party should provide a current, valid program authorization card, while allowing an acceptable alternative if necessary. It prohibits use of the residence address in future filings and directs the parties and court to use the substitute address for further filings, notices and communications relating to the case. The notice of participation is itself confidential: the court may disclose it to the submitting party but not to another person.

The accompanying amendment to Rule 3(h) defines sealing to include action by the clerk or court under Rule 7.1 or Rule 17. The order also scheduled consideration of permanent adoption for the court’s December 2026 Rules Agenda. That future review is separate from the emergency rule’s September effective date; this report does not state a later permanent-adoption outcome.