Arizona Statutes of Limitations by Claim Type: How Long You Have to Sue
Arizona gives most injury claims two years, most consumer fraud claims one year, and claims against a city, county, school district, or the state a 180-day notice deadline that runs before the lawsuit deadline does. The table below lists the limitation period for each common claim type as the statute states it, with the section cited, then explains the rules that move the start date: when a claim accrues, the discovery rule, and tolling for minors and incapacity. Nothing here is advice about a specific case. The deadline that applies to yours depends on facts, and the only safe reading of any of these numbers is: act well before it.
Reach out to usInjury, death, and property damage
| Claim | Deadline | Statute | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal injury (negligence: car crash, slip and fall, dog bite negligence) | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 | From the date of injury, or from discovery in limited cases |
| Wrongful death | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 | Runs from the date of death |
| Medical malpractice | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 | From when the patient knew or should have known of the injury and its cause |
| Legal malpractice | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 | Generally from when the harm is sustained and discovered |
| Product liability (defective product injury) | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 | A separate repose rule can bar claims over twelve years after first sale (A.R.S. § 12-551), with exceptions |
| Dog bite under the strict-liability statute | 1 year | A.R.S. § 12-541 (liability created by statute, A.R.S. § 11-1025) | A negligence claim for the same bite has 2 years |
| Assault and battery | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 | Injuries to the person |
| False imprisonment, malicious prosecution | 1 year | A.R.S. § 12-541 | |
| Defamation (libel, slander) | 1 year | A.R.S. § 12-541 | From publication |
| Property damage, trespass, conversion | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 | |
| Nursing home or care facility neglect (Adult Protective Services Act) | 2 years from actual discovery | A.R.S. § 46-455 | A negligence claim for the same conduct runs 2 years under § 12-542 |
| Workers' compensation claim | 1 year to file the claim | A.R.S. § 23-1061 | Filed with the Industrial Commission, not a court; report the injury to the employer at once |
Claims against the government: the notice deadline comes first
A claim against the State of Arizona, a county, a city or town, a school district, a public hospital district, or a public employee acting within the job has two deadlines, and the first one is the one people miss. A written notice of claim must be served on the entity within 180 days after the claim accrues (A.R.S. § 12-821.01). The notice must state the facts that support the claim and a specific dollar amount for which it can be settled, with the facts supporting that amount. A notice that omits the amount, or is served on the wrong office, is treated as no notice. If the notice is not accepted within sixty days it is deemed denied, and the lawsuit must then be filed within one year of accrual (A.R.S. § 12-821).
| Step | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Serve the notice of claim | 180 days from accrual | A.R.S. § 12-821.01 |
| File the lawsuit | 1 year from accrual | A.R.S. § 12-821 |
| Minors and people under a legal disability | Both periods tolled until the disability ends | A.R.S. § 12-821.01(D) |
Employment
| Claim | Deadline | Statute or rule | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrongful termination under the Arizona Employment Protection Act | 1 year | A.R.S. § 12-541(4); A.R.S. § 23-1501 | Includes termination for refusing to break the law or for whistleblowing |
| Treble damages for wrongfully withheld wages | 1 year | A.R.S. § 12-541(5); A.R.S. § 23-355 | Arizona courts apply the one-year period for liabilities created by statute |
| Arizona Minimum Wage Act (unpaid minimum wage, paid sick time) | 2 years after the last violation; 3 years if willful | A.R.S. § 23-364 | Tolled during a Commission investigation |
| Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (overtime, minimum wage) | 2 years; 3 years if willful | 29 U.S.C. § 255 | |
| Discrimination charge with the Arizona Civil Rights Division | 180 days from the act | A.R.S. § 41-1481 | Required before an ACRA lawsuit |
| Discrimination charge with the EEOC | 300 days from the act | 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e) | Arizona is a deferral state, so the longer federal window applies |
| Lawsuit under the Arizona Civil Rights Act | 1 year from filing the charge | A.R.S. § 41-1481(D) | |
| Lawsuit under Title VII, the ADA, or the ADEA | 90 days from the right-to-sue notice | 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f) | |
| Wage claim with the Industrial Commission's Labor Department (up to $12,000) | 1 year | A.R.S. § 23-356 | An administrative alternative to court for smaller amounts |
| Breach of an employment contract | 1 year | A.R.S. § 12-541(3) | Shorter than the general contract periods below |
Consumer, fraud, and debt
| Claim | Deadline | Statute | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private claim under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act | 1 year | A.R.S. § 12-541(5); A.R.S. § 44-1522 | From discovery of the fraud; the short period is the trap |
| Common-law fraud | 3 years | A.R.S. § 12-543 | From discovery |
| Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act | 1 year | 15 U.S.C. § 1692k(d) | From the violation |
| Fair Credit Reporting Act | 2 years from discovery; 5 years from the violation at most | 15 U.S.C. § 1681p | |
| Collection of a credit card or other written debt | 6 years | A.R.S. § 12-548 | Runs against the creditor; a time-barred debt can still be reported for its own reporting period |
| Debt on an open account or oral agreement | 3 years | A.R.S. § 12-543 | |
| Breach of warranty on goods | 4 years | A.R.S. § 47-2725 | Arizona's Uniform Commercial Code |
Contracts, property, and home
| Claim | Deadline | Statute | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breach of a written contract | 6 years | A.R.S. § 12-548 | Employment contracts are the exception: 1 year |
| Breach of an oral contract | 3 years | A.R.S. § 12-543 | |
| Construction defects against a builder or contractor | Repose: 8 years after substantial completion; 9 if the defect appears in year eight | A.R.S. § 12-552 | The Purchaser Dwelling Act notice process (A.R.S. § 12-1361 and following) must be followed first |
| Security deposit wrongfully withheld | Landlord must itemize and return within 14 business days of move-out | A.R.S. § 33-1321 | Statutory double-damages claims fall under the one-year period; bring it promptly |
| Insurance bad faith | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 | Policy suits may also carry a contractual deadline; read the policy |
| Enforcing a court judgment | 10 years, renewable | A.R.S. § 12-1551 |
When the clock starts, and what stops it
A limitation period runs from accrual, which for most claims is the date of the injury or breach. Arizona applies a discovery rule to many claims: the period starts when the person knew, or with reasonable diligence should have known, both that they were injured and what caused it. The rule helps with a surgical sponge found years later; it does not help a crash victim who waited, because the injury and its cause were known on the day.
Tolling pauses the clock. A claim belonging to a minor or to a person of unsound mind is tolled until the disability ends (A.R.S. § 12-502), so a child injured at nine generally has until two years after turning eighteen for a negligence claim, though the government notice deadline has its own tolling rule and medical malpractice claims for minors have been litigated. A defendant's absence from Arizona can also toll the period (A.R.S. § 12-501). Contractual deadlines, such as the one-year suit clause common in property insurance policies, are separate from these statutes and can be shorter.
Federal claims carry their own periods, listed above where they commonly arise. Claims in tribal court, claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act (an administrative claim within two years, then suit within six months of denial), and claims involving an estate or a bankruptcy have further rules not covered here.
What to do with a deadline
Treat the shortest plausible period as the real one. If a government entity might be involved, count 180 days from the event and serve the notice before you do anything else. If a consumer transaction is involved, count one year. If the claim is for an injury, count two years and remember that an insurer has no reason to settle on the last day. A licensed Arizona attorney can review your dates and tell you which period applies; asking is free, and the answer usually takes a few minutes.