The Arizona domestic violence hotline operated by the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (ACESDV) is 602-279-2900 locally or 1-800-782-6400 toll-free, with access through Arizona Relay at 711 for callers who are deaf or hard of hearing.1Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. Connect If that line is busy or you need help outside Arizona, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 runs 24/7, with live chat at thehotline.org and a text option (text “START” to 88788).2The National Domestic Violence Hotline. Domestic Violence Support If someone is in immediate physical danger, call 911 first.
Which Number to Call
The ACESDV helpline is the statewide starting point. Trained advocates can locate resources anywhere in Arizona: open shelter beds, legal help, safety planning, and referrals tailored to your county.1Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. Connect
Depending on where you live, a regional line may reach a local advocate faster:
- Maricopa and Pinal Counties: La Frontera EMPACT runs a 24-hour crisis hotline at 480-784-1500. It is a behavioral health crisis center rather than a domestic violence-specific organization, but its counselors handle safety situations and can route callers to Phoenix-area domestic violence resources.3La Frontera Empact. La Frontera Empact
- Pima County: Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse operates a multilingual 24-hour line at 520-795-4266 or 888-428-0101 for survivors in the Tucson area.
- National backup: 1-800-799-7233, plus chat at thehotline.org and text (“START” to 88788). This line can also help locate an Arizona provider if local numbers are busy.2The National Domestic Violence Hotline. Domestic Violence Support
You do not need to be married to the person harming you, and you do not need to have been physically assaulted. Arizona’s definition of domestic violence covers assault, threats, harassment, stalking, criminal damage, and other offenses between spouses, former spouses, co-parents, current or former romantic or sexual partners (even if you never lived together), household members, and blood or in-law relatives.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3601 – Domestic Violence; Definition; Classification; Sentencing If you are unsure whether your situation counts, call anyway. Sorting that out is part of what advocates do.
What Happens When You Call
The advocate’s first job is figuring out whether you are safe right now. Expect direct questions: Where are you? Is the person who hurt you nearby? Are there children with you? Those questions are about triage, not paperwork.
You do not need your story organized. A short account of the most recent incident is enough to gauge urgency. If children are involved, the advocate will ask their ages so shelter matching works. Interpreter services are available on both the ACESDV and national hotlines for callers who speak languages other than English.
Conversations with advocates are confidential, with one legal limit worth knowing before you dial. Arizona law requires domestic violence victim advocates to report suspected child abuse or neglect if they form a reasonable belief that a child has been physically harmed or is at risk.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3620 – Duty to Report Abuse, Physical Injury, Neglect and Denial or Deprivation of Medical or Surgical Care or Nourishment of Minors That reporting duty exists whether or not you call; it is not a reason to avoid the hotline, but it is a reason to know what you are choosing to share.
Calling Safely If You’re Being Monitored
If you think your abuser watches your phone, your browser, or your location, treat the call itself as part of your safety plan. A prepaid phone bought with cash, a trusted friend’s device, or a computer at a public library are all harder to monitor than a shared family plan.
A few practical steps:
- Clear browsing history after visiting resource sites. On desktop, Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac) opens the history-clearing tool. On mobile, the same option lives under your browser’s privacy settings.
- Turn off location sharing in your phone’s system settings and in individual apps: Google Maps, Find My iPhone, and any social platforms you use. Look for unfamiliar apps that could be tracking you.
- The Safety Net Project at techsafety.org publishes free guides on detecting stalkerware, managing smart home devices, and securing connected cars.
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline’s website has a quick-exit button that redirects your browser instantly if someone walks in.
Ask the advocate directly about a technology safety plan. It is one of the most useful parts of the call and one of the most underused.
What an Advocate Can Help You Get
The hotline is a gateway, not just a listening line. Once the advocate understands your situation, they can connect you to concrete help.
Emergency Shelter
Advocates contact local shelters in real time to find available beds and can coordinate safe transportation. Shelters typically provide food, clothing, hygiene supplies, and medical referrals in addition to housing.6Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. ACESDV Helpline If you have pets, say so. Arizona law allows a judge to include animals in an Order of Protection, prohibiting the abuser from taking, hiding, harming, or neglecting any animal owned by you, the abuser, or a child in either household.7Arizona Judicial Branch. Protective Order Animals Some shelters house pets on-site; others work with animal welfare partners or veterinary clinics for temporary foster care.
Protective Orders
Arizona offers two civil protective tools, both free to file. An Order of Protection applies when the other person is in one of the qualifying domestic relationships (spouse, former spouse, co-parent, romantic partner, household member, or family member); you can file with any magistrate, justice of the peace, or superior court judge in the state, and your home address is kept off the public record.8Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-3602 – Order of Protection; Procedure; Contents; Arrest for Violation; Penalty If the person threatening you is not a domestic partner or relative, an Injunction Against Harassment covers that situation, requiring a pattern of conduct that would seriously alarm a reasonable person.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 12-1809 – Injunction Against Harassment
You do not have to walk into a courthouse to start. Arizona’s AZPOINT portal (Arizona Protective Order Initiation and Notification Tool) walks you through a guided interview to fill out either petition and saves your information for 90 days while you decide when to file.10Arizona Judicial Branch. AZPOINT Information Advocates can walk through it with you.
Getting Out of a Lease
Arizona lets domestic violence survivors terminate a lease early without penalty. Give your landlord written notice with either a copy of an Order of Protection or a police report documenting the abuse. The incident must have occurred within 30 days before your notice, and the landlord must release you within 30 days after receiving it. You owe rent through the termination date only, and the landlord cannot keep your security deposit as a penalty for leaving early, though normal damage deductions still apply.11Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 33-1318 – Early Termination by Tenant; Domestic Violence
If you live in federally subsidized housing, the Violence Against Women Act adds protections: you cannot be evicted because of the abuse, you can request an emergency transfer, and Section 8 voucher holders can move and keep their assistance. Housing providers must accept HUD Form 5382 as self-certification of survivor status.12U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
Keeping Your New Address Private
The Arizona Secretary of State’s Address Confidentiality Program gives enrolled survivors a substitute address to use with state and local government agencies. The Secretary of State’s office receives your first-class and certified mail and forwards it to your real address at no cost.13Arizona Secretary of State. Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) An advocate can walk you through enrollment.
Financial Help
Arizona’s Crime Victim Compensation Program, run through the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, reimburses survivors for expenses tied directly to the crime: medical care, mental health treatment, and other direct economic losses. Arrest or conviction is not required to apply, but the program pays only what insurance and other sources do not. Claims are processed at the county level, and applications can be submitted through the ACJC’s online portal.14Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. Victim Compensation Program
Immigration Options
Immigration status should not keep anyone from calling. The Violence Against Women Act allows non-citizen survivors to self-petition for lawful permanent residence by filing Form I-360, without the abuser’s knowledge or cooperation, if the abuser is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse, former spouse, parent, or adult child.15USCIS. Green Card for VAWA Self-Petitioner The process carries real risk: a denied petition can trigger removal proceedings if the government was not previously aware of your status. Talk to an immigration attorney first; many Arizona legal aid organizations offer that consultation free, and an advocate can point you to one.