ARS 13-3505: Obscene prints and articles
The complete text of A.R.S. § 13-3505 on obscene prints and articles, and how this section is used in Arizona criminal cases. It defines terms and procedure rather than creating an offense.
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Full Text of A.R.S. § 13-3505
A.R.S. § 13-3505 is the Arizona statute on obscene prints and articles. It sets out procedure and rules rather than defining an offense, so no offense class or sentence attaches to this section on its own.
A. The superior court has jurisdiction to enjoin the sale or distribution of obscene prints and articles, as described in subsection B of this section.
B. The county attorney of any county or the city attorney of any city in which a person, firm, association or corporation publishes, sells or distributes or is about to sell or distribute or has in his possession with intent to sell or distribute or is about to acquire possession with intent to sell or distribute any book, magazine, pamphlet, comic book, story paper, writing, paper, picture, drawing, photograph, figure, image or any written or printed matter of an indecent character, which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, indecent or disgusting, or which contains an article or instrument of indecent or immoral use or purports to be for indecent or immoral use or purpose, or in any other respect defined in section 13-3501, may maintain an action on behalf of such county or city for an injunction against such person, firm, association or corporation in the superior court to prevent the sale or further sale or the distribution or further distribution of the acquisition, publication or possession within the state of any book, magazine, pamphlet, comic book, story paper, writing, paper, picture, drawing, photographed figure or image or any written or printed matter of an indecent character, described in this subsection or in section 13-3501.
C. The person, firm, association or corporation sought to be enjoined shall be entitled to a trial of the issues within ten days after joinder of issue and a decision shall be rendered by the court within ten days of the conclusion of the trial.
D. If a final order or judgment of injunction is entered against the person, firm, association or corporation sought to be enjoined, such final order of judgment shall contain a provision directing the person, firm, association or corporation to surrender to the sheriff of the county in which the action was brought any of the matter described in subsection B of this section and such sheriff shall be directed to seize and destroy such obscene prints and articles.
E. In any action brought as provided in this section, such county attorney or city attorney bringing the action shall not be required to file any undertaking before the issuance of an injunction order provided for in subsection C of this section.
F. The sheriff directed to seize and destroy such obscene prints and articles shall not be liable for damages sustained by reason of the injunction order in cases where judgment is rendered in favor of the person, firm, association or corporation sought to be enjoined.
G. Every person, firm, association or corporation who sells, distributes, or acquires possession with intent to sell or distribute any of the matter described in subsection B of this section, after the service upon him of a summons and complaint in an action brought pursuant to this section is chargeable with knowledge of the contents thereof.
Source: Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-3505, Arizona Legislative Council revision of 09/19/25. Read the official text on azleg.gov. Statutes change; verify the current version before relying on it.
Related Statutes in Chapter 35 — Obscenity
- A.R.S. § 13-3504 — Coercing acceptance of obscene articles or publications
- A.R.S. § 13-3506 — Furnishing harmful items to minors
- A.R.S. § 13-3506.01 — Furnishing harmful items to minors
- A.R.S. § 13-3507 — Public display of explicit sexual materials
- A.R.S. § 13-3502 — Production, publication, sale, possession and presentation of obscene items
- A.R.S. § 13-3509 — Duty to report
- A.R.S. § 13-3512 — Obscene or indecent telephone communications to minors for commercial purposes
- A.R.S. § 13-3513 — Sale or distribution of material harmful to minors through vending machines
How § 13-3505 Affects an Arizona Case
§ 13-3505 usually matters because of how it interacts with the charge someone is actually facing. We read it alongside the charging statute, because a definition or a procedural rule frequently decides what the State must prove, what a judge may impose, or what relief is available afterward.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is A.R.S. § 13-3505?
A.R.S. § 13-3505 is the Arizona statute on obscene prints and articles. It sets out rules that apply across Arizona criminal cases rather than defining a single offense.
Where can I read the official text of § 13-3505?
The Arizona Legislature publishes it at azleg.gov, in the revision dated 09/19/25. The complete text is reproduced on this page, and every Arizona criminal statute is searchable on our Arizona Criminal Code index.
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