What is victim restitution?

Restitution is a court-ordered payment from a person convicted of a crime to a victim of that crime. Restitution is a payment for losses that occured because of a crime. It may include repaying money that was stolen, paying to repair or replace damaged property, or paying medical bills for injuries that happened during the crime.

What is a restitution lien?

There are 2 types of restitution liens in Arizona:

• A Criminal Restitution Order (CRO) is entered when a defendant's probation or criminal sentence ends and money to the victim is still owed. To see if a CRO is already entered in your case, either contact the Victim Service Unit of the prosecutor's office or the County Recorder's office. 
• A Restitution Lien takes place when there is no CRO. The lien can be put on a defendant's property or vehicle. They are filed with the Secretary of State, County Recorder, or Motor Vehicle Department.

The information offered on this site is made available as a public service and is not intended to take the place of legal advice. If you do not understand something, have trouble filling out any of the forms, or are not sure these forms and instructions apply to your situation, see an attorney for help. Consult a state Law Library or the Legal Aid Resources page for information on free or reduced cost legal aid for more information.

Not all forms may be accepted in all Arizona courts – you should contact the clerk of the court in which you will be filing to confirm the use of a particular form, determine whether any additional forms are required and verify the filing fees. The Arizona Bar Foundation assumes no responsibility and accepts no liability for actions taken by users of these documents, including reliance on their contents.