Before Filing a Complaint

Before you get started: Please take a moment to look at the Jurisdiction and Confidentiality links in the sidebar. They’ll help you understand what kinds of issues we can help with. AZOCA may be able to assist you if a state administrator has treated you unfairly, you disagree with an administrative act of a state agency, department, board, or commission, or if you have disputes with local government agencies regarding public access laws. If the agency is not in our authority, or you have come to us prematurely in the administrative complaint process, then we cannot investigate the matter. However, we may discuss your options with you and guide you to the right place to file your complaint. Please be thorough in completing the form.

Question, Concern, or Complaint

Please fill out as much as you can and press Send below.

    Name:

    Email:

    Phone:

    Address:

    City/St/Zip:

    Agency name(s) that your issue is about:

    Question, Concern or Complaint:

    What resolution are you seeking from our agency?

    What steps have you taken to resolve the problem with the agency?

    *Note: Arizona law requires an individual (you) to “exhaust all reasonable alternatives to resolve a complaint within an agency” before our office will review/investigate. Therefore, select and describe the actions below that you have already taken. Please include the names or titles of individuals you have already contacted/worked with, and/or other offices where you tried to resolve your issue.

    Wrote a complaint and sent it to the agency's email, fax, mail.

    Called the agency at telephone #.

    Spoke to agency member or management staff.

    Spoke to the agency's internal ombudsman office on (date).

    Appealed on (date).

    Please explain further resolution attempts or details if you wish:

    Please note the agency case number, license number, or another identifier with this agency if the agency has informed you of one. However, do not send us tax identification or social security numbers.

    Examples: VIN, ATLAS, EIN, Driver License #, DCE Person ID, AHCCCS number, court case #, etc. For DCS cases, if you know, please include the mother and children's names and birth dates.

    Confidentiality with the agency

    In most situation you are already known to the agency, and/or we must identify you as the complaintant to investigate the dispute with the agency. However, sometimes this is not the case. IF you need this complaint to be anonymous to the agency, then you must inform us of that request upfront. If you do require confidentiality, we may not be able to help resolve your complaint, but we may discuss it with you.

    Information Release Forms May Be Required for Certain State Agencies

    If your complaint concerns one of the agencies or programs listed below, you may need to formally give our office permission to inquire about your issue by signing a Release Form. A signed Release Form will authorize the agency to share details with our office. Our office will determine if a Release Form is required and send it to you if necessary.

    • AHCCCS (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System)

    • ADOR (Arizona Department of Revenue)

    • DCSS (Division of Child Support Services within the Arizona Department of Economic Security)

    • Nutrition Assistance (formerly SNAP Benefits within the Arizona Department of Economic Security)

    • DDD (Division of Developmental Disabilities within the Arizona Department of Economic Security)

    • VR (Vocational Rehabilitation within the Arizona Department of Economic Security)