Arizona statute of limitations by claim
In Arizona you generally have 2 years to sue for personal injury, 2 years for property damage, 6 years on a written contract and 3 years on an oral one, but only 1 year for defamation.[1][4] The table lists every common civil claim with the statute and the notes that change it.
| Claim | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542(1)Claims against a public entity or public employee need a notice of claim within 180 days and suit within 1 year (§§ 12-821.01, 12-821). |
| Medical malpractice | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542(1)§ 12-542(1) expressly covers medical malpractice as defined in § 12-561. No statute of repose for medical malpractice. Minors get general minority tolling under § 12-502. |
| Wrongful death | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542(2)Action is brought by the surviving spouse, child, parent or guardian, or personal representative (§ 12-612). |
| Property damage | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542(3)-(5)Covers trespass for injury to property, taking goods, and detaining or converting personal property. |
| Written contract | 6 years | A.R.S. § 12-548(A)(1)Applies to debt evidenced by or founded on a written contract executed in Arizona. Written contracts executed elsewhere may fall under the 4-year catch-all (§ 12-550) or § 12-544. Employment contract claims are 1 year (§ 12-541(3)). |
| Oral contract | 3 years | A.R.S. § 12-543(1)For debt not evidenced by a contract in writing. Oral employment contract claims are 1 year (§ 12-541(3)). |
| Credit card / account debt | 6 years6 years (credit card debt); 3 years (open or stated account) | A.R.S. §§ 12-548(A)(2), 12-543(2)Credit card debt is expressly 6 years, and § 12-548(B) applies Arizona's period even if another state's law conflicts. An acknowledgment of a barred debt counts only if in writing and signed (§ 12-508). |
| Fraud | 3 years | A.R.S. § 12-543(3) |
| Defamation | 1 year | A.R.S. § 12-541(1)Same 1-year period for libel and slander. |
| Product liability | 2 years | A.R.S. §§ 12-551, 12-542Repose: Text of § 12-551 bars strict-liability claims accruing more than 12 years after first sale (not negligence or express-warranty claims), but the Arizona Supreme Court held this repose unconstitutional in Hazine v. Montgomery Elevator Co. (1993) § 12-551 adopts the 2-year period of § 12-542. |
What is different in Arizona
Arizona’s notice of claim must include a specific settlement amount and the facts supporting it; a notice without them is invalid even if it arrives on time. Arizona also gives credit card debt its own 6-year period and applies it even when the card agreement selects another state’s law, and employment-contract and wrongful-termination claims have just 1 year.
- Claims against any public entity or public employee are barred unless a notice of claim with a specific settlement amount is filed within 180 days, and suit must follow within 1 year. (A.R.S. §§ 12-821.01, 12-821)[10]
- Credit card debt has its own 6-year period, and Arizona's period applies even when the card agreement points to another state's law. (A.R.S. § 12-548)[11]
- Breach of an oral or written employment contract and wrongful termination claims must be filed within 1 year. (A.R.S. § 12-541(3)-(4))[12]
- Civil claims for sexual abuse suffered as a minor may be filed until 12 years after turning 18 (age 30), under HB 2466 (2019). (A.R.S. § 12-514)[13]
When the clock starts and stops
Arizona courts apply a common-law discovery rule: a claim accrues when the plaintiff knows or reasonably should know of the injury and its cause. Fraud and mistake claims accrue on discovery by statute. (A.R.S. § 12-543(3); Gust, Rosenfeld & Henderson v. Prudential Ins. Co., 182 Ariz. 586 (1995))
Minors. Arizona pauses the clock while the injured person is a minor: the period starts at age 18. The period of minority is not counted; the minor gets the full period after turning 18. No separate cap for medical malpractice in the current text. Notice of claim against a public entity: 180 days after the disability ends (§ 12-821.01(D)). Child sexual abuse claims: until age 30 (§ 12-514).[6]
Other tolling. Unsound mind tolls like minority (§ 12-502); time a defendant is absent from Arizona is not counted (§ 12-501), though courts limit this when the defendant can be served.
Suing the government in Arizona
Claims against a public body follow their own rules, and a missed notice can end the claim even when the ordinary limitation period is still open.[7][8]
| Defendant | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| State agencies | Written notice of claim, with facts and a specific settlement amount, within 180 days after the cause of action accruesSuit within 1 year after the cause of action accrues (§ 12-821); claim is deemed denied after 60 days (§ 12-821.01(E)) | A.R.S. § 12-821.01(A) |
| Cities, counties and other local entities | Same rule: notice of claim within 180 days to the person authorized to accept service for the city, county, school or other public entitySuit within 1 year after accrual (§ 12-821) | A.R.S. § 12-821.01(A) |
Criminal statute of limitations in Arizona
Most felonies in Arizona: 7 years for class 2 through class 6 felonies. Misdemeanors: 1 year (misdemeanor); 6 months (petty offense).[9] Prosecutors must file charges within these periods; the victim’s civil deadline is separate.
| Offense | Time limit | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Felonies | 7 years for class 2 through class 6 feloniesThe period starts on actual discovery by the state, or when it should have discovered the offense with reasonable diligence, whichever is first. It does not run while the accused is absent from Arizona, or while the identity of a person who commits a serious offense is unknown (§ 13-107(D), (E)). | A.R.S. § 13-107(B)(1) |
| Misdemeanors | 1 year (misdemeanor); 6 months (petty offense) | A.R.S. § 13-107(B)(2)-(3) |
| No time limit | Homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide resulting in death, class 2 felony sexual offenses (chapters 14 and 35.1), violent sexual assault, certain terrorism/child sex trafficking offenses (§§ 13-2308.01, 13-2308.03, 13-3212), misuse of public monies, felony falsification of public records, and attempts to commit these | A.R.S. § 13-107(A) |
| Sexual assault | No time limit for sexual assault or other class 2 felony sexual offenses, whether the victim is an adult or a child; lower-class sexual felonies are 7 years from discovery. | A.R.S. § 13-107(A) |
| Theft | Theft under $1,000 is usually a class 1 misdemeanor (1 year); $1,000 or more is a felony (7 years); both run from discovery (§§ 13-1802(G), 13-107). |
Worked example
A pool-gate injury at a Phoenix apartment complex on February 28, 2025: under the personal injury deadline is February 28, 2027, which falls on a weekend or federal holiday, so the filing day is usually extended to March 1, 2027. If the injured person was a child born September 3, 2012, the clock would not start until September 3, 2030, making the deadline September 3, 2032.
For a claim of $5,000 or less, Arizona’s small claims (Small Claims Division of the Justice Court) is usually faster and cheaper; compare the small claims limit by state.[14] To value an injury claim, try the car accident settlement calculator; for medical cases, compare the medical malpractice statute of limitations in other states. All states are on the statute of limitations by state page.
Frequently asked questions
How long do you have to sue for personal injury in Arizona?
What is the statute of limitations on debt in Arizona?
Does the statute of limitations pause for minors in Arizona?
What crimes have no statute of limitations in Arizona?
What is the statute of limitations for wrongful termination in Arizona?
Sources
- A.R.S. § 12-542(1): personal injury limitation period
- A.R.S. § 12-542(1): medical malpractice limitation period
- A.R.S. § 12-542(2): wrongful death limitation period
- A.R.S. § 12-548(A)(1): written contract limitation period
- A.R.S. §§ 12-548(A)(2), 12-543(2): credit card / account debt limitation period
- A.R.S. § 12-502: tolling for minors
- A.R.S. § 12-821.01(A): claims against the state
- A.R.S. § 12-821.01(A): claims against local government
- A.R.S. § 13-107(B)(1): criminal limitation periods
- A.R.S. §§ 12-821.01, 12-821
- A.R.S. § 12-548
- A.R.S. § 12-541(3)-(4)
- A.R.S. § 12-514
- Arizona small claims (official court self-help)