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Arizona criminal charge

Money laundering in Arizona

Current through 2026 Arizona legislative session

Money laundering is a criminal offense under Arizona law, defined by A.R.S. § 13-2317. Its classification is not fixed: Arizona assigns a different penalty class depending on the circumstances of the offense. The class that applies — and the sentencing range that follows from it — depends on which statutory variant fits the facts.

Defined by A.R.S. § 13-2317.

What is the penalty for money laundering in Arizona?

Penalties for Money laundering
PenaltyRangeBasisAuthority
Jail / prison4 years to 10 years (Money laundering in the first degree — Applies when a person is guilty of money laundering in the first degree under subsection A, including organizing/directing money laundering operations or committing money laundering for terrorism or murder.; presumptive 5 years; mitigated 3 / aggravated 12.5 years available only on at least two mitigating/aggravating circumstances (13-701, 13-702(B)-(D)); repetitive (13-703) or dangerous (13-704) offenses use different ranges)presumptiveA.R.S. § 13-702
Fineup to $150,000 (Money laundering in the first degree — Applies when a person is guilty of money laundering in the first degree under subsection A, including organizing/directing money laundering operations or committing money laundering for terrorism or murder.; fine cap for an individual (13-801); drug and other offenses may set higher statute-specific amounts)discretionaryA.R.S. § 13-702
Jail / prison2.5 years to 7 years (Money laundering in the second degree — Applies when a person is guilty of money laundering in the second degree under subsection B, including handling racketeering proceeds, facilitating racketeering, or violating reporting/identification requirements.; presumptive 3.5 years; mitigated 2 / aggravated 8.75 years on required findings (13-701, 13-702(B)-(D)); repetitive (13-703) or dangerous (13-704) offenses use different ranges)presumptiveA.R.S. § 13-702
Fineup to $150,000 (Money laundering in the second degree — Applies when a person is guilty of money laundering in the second degree under subsection B, including handling racketeering proceeds, facilitating racketeering, or violating reporting/identification requirements.; fine cap for an individual (13-801); statute-specific amounts may exceed)discretionaryA.R.S. § 13-702
Jail / prison6 months to 18 months (Money laundering in the third degree — Applies when a person is guilty of money laundering in the third degree under subsection C, involving conferring or receiving value to induce noncompliance with money transmission requirements.; presumptive 1 year; mitigated .33 years / aggravated 2 years on required findings (13-701, 13-702(B)-(D)); repetitive (13-703) or dangerous (13-704) offenses use different ranges; a class 6 felony may be designated a class 1 misdemeanor under 13-604)presumptiveA.R.S. § 13-702
Fineup to $150,000 (Money laundering in the third degree — Applies when a person is guilty of money laundering in the third degree under subsection C, involving conferring or receiving value to induce noncompliance with money transmission requirements.; fine cap for an individual (13-801); statute-specific amounts may exceed)discretionaryA.R.S. § 13-702

Applies to first felony offense, non-dangerous; presumptive term 5 years.

How is money laundering classified in Arizona?

The classification depends on the circumstances:

Classification variants for Money laundering
VariantClassificationWhen it appliesStatute
Money laundering in the first degreeClass 2 FelonyApplies when a person is guilty of money laundering in the first degree under subsection A, including organizing/directing money laundering operations or committing money laundering for terrorism or murder.A.R.S. § 13-2317E
Money laundering in the second degreeClass 3 FelonyApplies when a person is guilty of money laundering in the second degree under subsection B, including handling racketeering proceeds, facilitating racketeering, or violating reporting/identification requirements.A.R.S. § 13-2317E
Money laundering in the third degreeClass 6 FelonyApplies when a person is guilty of money laundering in the third degree under subsection C, involving conferring or receiving value to induce noncompliance with money transmission requirements.A.R.S. § 13-2317E

Common questions about money laundering in Arizona

Is money laundering a felony or a misdemeanor in Arizona?

It depends on the circumstances: money laundering ranges from a Class 6 Felony to a Class 2 Felony in Arizona under A.R.S. § 13-2317.

Money laundering in the first degree: Class 2 Felony (A.R.S. § 13-2317E) · Money laundering in the second degree: Class 3 Felony (A.R.S. § 13-2317E) · Money laundering in the third degree: Class 6 Felony (A.R.S. § 13-2317E)

What are the penalties for money laundering in Arizona?

Penalties for money laundering in Arizona depend on how it is classified — from a Class 6 Felony up to a Class 2 Felony — with the ranges set by A.R.S. § 13-702; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.

Which Arizona statute covers money laundering?

Money laundering is governed by A.R.S. § 13-2317 (Money laundering; classification; definitions).

Legal terms used in this law

This reference is informational and is not legal advice. Penalty ranges are the statutory classification ranges; sentencing in a specific case depends on its facts and history.