State requirements / Arizona
Arizona parenting class requirement
Ordered in every divorce and paternity case with children
Arizona law directs the court to order both parties to complete a domestic relations education program in a dissolution, legal separation, or annulment involving a minor child of the parties, and in paternity cases where custody, parenting time, or support is at issue. County presiding judges administer it under Supreme Court standards, and online delivery is expressly allowed at their discretion.
The requirement at a glance
| Who must attend | Both parties, in a dissolution, legal separation, or annulment involving a minor child common to them, and in any paternity proceeding where custody, parenting time, or child support is at issue. It is discretionary in child support actions and in modification or enforcement proceedings. Three exceptions: attendance is not in the child's best interests, the party is already enrolled in a comparable program, or the party completed one before, though the court may still order it again. |
| Hours required | 2 to 6 by court rule |
| Deadline | Each party completes within the time the judge orders, and the judge may extend it. There is no statutory day count, so any figure you see is a county practice rather than state law. |
| Authority | A.R.S. 25-351 to 25-355; ACJA 3-202 |
| Fees and waivers | The fee is capped at $50 and may be deferred or waived under the general court fee-waiver statute. |
| Our price | $25 for one parent, $50 for both parents on the same case. Scholarship seats are funded by donors, so no parent is turned away for money. |
| Our registry status | On our active build and filing list. We will announce the day this state accepts us, and not a day before. |
What the law actually says
“the court shall order the parties to complete an educational program as prescribed by this article”
A.R.S. 25-352(A)Quoted from the official text. Read it yourself at the source below.The part nobody explains
Filing your certificate
The provider issues you a certificate of completion carrying at minimum the court case number, the date of attendance, your name, and the provider's name, address, and telephone number. The court may prescribe how proof reaches it, so the filing mechanics are set by your county. The fee is paid to the clerk of the superior court.
If the deadline passes
Unless the court excuses your participation, it may deny relief in your favor, hold you in contempt, or impose any other sanction reasonable in the circumstances.
Who approves providers in Arizona
Two tiers. The Arizona Supreme Court sets statewide minimum standards, and each county's presiding judge administers and approves the program, either providing it directly or contracting with public or private entities. Online delivery is expressly permitted: programs may be presented by alternative delivery method in whole or in part at the presiding judge's discretion, online programs must be hosted by the provider, and the court must ensure data and validation safeguards are in place.
What you get from us
- The full course, start to finish, on a phone or a laptop, with your progress saved. Lifetime access, no thirty-day expiry and no extension fees.
- Your certificate the moment you finish, by email, free. A mailed paper copy is optional.
- Free instant verification for your court. A clerk or judge confirms the certificate at our verification page with no account and no phone call.
- Our acceptance guarantee: if your specific court declines this certificate, you get a full refund, no processing fee and no deadline to claim it.
Check us on the law
Every fact on this page traces to an official source. Read them yourself.