Your Own Medical Records
A.R.S. 12-2293 — copies on written request, with a written reason for any denial
In Arizona, on the written request of a patient or the patient's health care decision maker, the health care provider holding the medical records or payment records provides access to or copies of them promptly and within not more than seven business days, except where the section allows a denial.
| The request | The section's response time |
|---|---|
| The requestFor upcoming medical treatment, records under twelve months old in the current electronic system | The section's response timeTen business days |
| The requestFor upcoming medical treatment, records twelve months old or more in the current electronic system | The section's response timeFifteen business days |
| The requestFor any other purpose, including litigation, personal copies, insurance, schools, or a deceased patient's records | The section's response timeThirty calendar days |
A denial comes with a written reason. A provider may deny access in the cases the section lists, such as where a health professional finds access reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the patient or another person. The provider notes the determination in the record, gives the patient or decision maker a written explanation of the reason, and releases the records for which there is no basis to deny.
A provider may charge a reasonable fee for copies, and may require it in advance except as needed for continuity of care. No charge is made for the pertinent information sent to another provider for continuing care, to the patient or decision maker for the demonstrated purpose of obtaining health care, or to the patient or a representative appealing a denial of social security benefits.
The two time provisions in the section are quoted as written; which one governs a given request is a question for a court and for a licensed Arizona attorney. The section does not require a provider to create records that do not exist.
Sources for this section (2)
- A.R.S. 12-2293 — Release of medical records and payment records to patients and health care decision makers; definitions
- A.R.S. 12-2295 — Charges
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Arizona attorney.