Restraint and Seclusion Laws in Arizona
What are the restraint and seclusion rules in Arizona?
Arizona has a dedicated restraint and seclusion statute, A.R.S. § 15-105, which applies to all pupils in public and private schools including students with disabilities. 'Restraint' is defined as any method that immobilizes a pupil's movement of the torso, arms, legs, or head, including physical force or mechanical means. 'Seclusion' is defined as the involuntary confinement of a pupil alone in a room or space from which egress is prevented or restricted. Schools may use restraint or seclusion only when: (1) the pupil's behavior creates an imminent danger of bodily harm to the pupil or others; and (2) less restrictive approaches appear inadequate to address the danger (A.R.S. § 15-105(B)). Restraints that impede or interrupt normal breathing or cardiac function are explicitly prohibited (A.R.S. § 15-105(B)(3)) — this prohibition effectively bans prone (face-down) restraint in Arizona. Restraints must not be disproportionate to the pupil's age or physical condition (A.R.S. § 15-105(B)(4)). Only trained school personnel may apply restraint or seclusion techniques, with limited emergency exceptions (A.R.S. § 15-105(C)). Schools must notify parents on the same day of any restraint or seclusion incident; if same-day notice is not possible, within 24 hours (A.R.S. § 15-105(D)). After repeated incidents, the school must review whether a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is needed (A.R.S. § 15-105(F)). Voluntary timeout or behavior management techniques that are part of an approved educational plan are not classified as seclusion under the statute (A.R.S. § 15-105(A)(4)).
What Arizona Requires
Restraint or seclusion may only be used when the pupil's behavior creates an imminent danger of bodily harm to the pupil or others AND less restrictive alternatives appear inadequate (A.R.S. § 15-105(B)).
Restraints that impede or interrupt normal breathing or cardiac function are explicitly prohibited (A.R.S. § 15-105(B)(3)) — this prohibition effectively bans prone restraint in Arizona.
Restraint must not be disproportionate to the pupil's age or physical condition (A.R.S. § 15-105(B)(4)).
Only trained school personnel may apply restraint or seclusion techniques, except in genuine emergencies (A.R.S. § 15-105(C)).
Parents must be notified of any restraint or seclusion incident on the same day it occurs; if same-day notice is not possible, within 24 hours (A.R.S. § 15-105(D)).
After repeated incidents, the school must review prevention strategies and determine whether a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is needed (A.R.S. § 15-105(F)).
Voluntary timeout and behavior management techniques used as part of an approved educational plan are not classified as seclusion (A.R.S. § 15-105(A)(4)).
Key Timelines
Same-day or within-24-hour parent notification is required for every restraint or seclusion incident (A.R.S. § 15-105(D)).
Written documentation of the incident must be completed within a reasonable time after the incident (A.R.S. § 15-105(D)).
FBA review is triggered by repeated incidents; the statute does not specify a fixed number of incidents — the school determines when a pattern warrants review (A.R.S. § 15-105(F)).