A statute of limitations is the legal deadline for filing a lawsuit. Miss it and you lose the right to sue, regardless of the merits of your case. Arizona has different deadlines for different types of cases — from one year for defamation to no limit at all for certain violent crimes. Here's the complete reference, organized by case type, with the Arizona statutes that govern each.
Personal injury and wrongful death
| Case type | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury (general) | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Car accident injury | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Slip and fall / premises liability | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Dog bite | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Wrongful death | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Medical malpractice | 2 years from discovery (max 7 years generally) | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Product liability | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Child injury | 2 years from 18th birthday (tolled during minority) | A.R.S. § 12-502 |
| Claims against government (notice) | 180 days notice; 1 year to file | A.R.S. § 12-821.01, 12-821 |
The clock typically starts on the date of injury. For injuries discovered later (such as delayed-onset medical conditions from an accident), the "discovery rule" may delay the start — but Arizona applies this narrowly, and the safest assumption is the date of the incident.
Contracts and business disputes
| Case type | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Written contract | 6 years | A.R.S. § 12-548 |
| Oral contract | 3 years | A.R.S. § 12-543 |
| Breach of warranty (UCC) | 4 years | A.R.S. § 47-2725 |
| Account (open account, stated account) | 3 years (open); 6 years (stated) | A.R.S. § 12-543, 12-544 |
| Promissory note | 6 years | A.R.S. § 12-548 |
| Credit card debt | 6 years (treated as written contract) | A.R.S. § 12-548 |
| Breach of fiduciary duty | 3–4 years depending on claim | A.R.S. § 12-543 |
Fraud, misrepresentation, and property
| Case type | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Fraud | 3 years from discovery | A.R.S. § 12-543 |
| Conversion / theft of property | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Trespass to property | 2 years | A.R.S. § 12-542 |
| Real estate actions (recovery of property) | 10 years | A.R.S. § 12-526 |
| Quiet title | 10 years | A.R.S. § 12-526 |
| Adverse possession | 10 years (color of title); 2 or 3 years in special cases | A.R.S. § 12-524 to 12-526 |
| Judgment enforcement | 10 years (renewable) | A.R.S. § 12-1551 |
Employment
| Case type | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Wage claims (unpaid wages) | 1 year | A.R.S. § 23-355 |
| Wrongful termination (public policy) | 1 year | A.R.S. § 12-541 |
| Discrimination (state law ACRA) | 180 days charge; 90 days from right-to-sue | A.R.S. § 41-1481 |
| Discrimination (federal Title VII) | 300 days EEOC charge; 90 days from right-to-sue | 42 USC § 2000e-5 |
| Retaliation | Generally 1 year under state law | A.R.S. § 12-541 |
| FLSA wage violations (federal) | 2 years (3 for willful) | 29 USC § 255 |
| Non-compete enforcement | Typically 1 year (contract-based) | Varies |
Employment cases have short deadlines and often require an administrative charge before a lawsuit can even be filed. Missing the administrative charge deadline is the most common way employment claims die.
Consumer protection
| Case type | Deadline | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Consumer Fraud Act | 1 year from discovery | A.R.S. § 44-1521 et seq. |
| Debt collection violations (FDCPA) | 1 year | 15 USC § 1692k |
| Credit reporting violations (FCRA) | 2 years from discovery (max 5) | 15 USC § 1681p |
| Truth in Lending violations | 1 year (damages); 3 years (rescission) | 15 USC § 1640 |
Family law
Family law matters generally don't have statutes of limitations in the traditional sense, because they're ongoing jurisdictional matters rather than lawsuit-like actions. But there are key deadlines:
| Action | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Response to divorce petition (served in-state) | 20 days from service |
| Response to divorce petition (served out-of-state) | 30 days from service |
| Objection to proposed child relocation | 30 days from receipt of notice |
| Motion to modify custody/parenting time | Generally 1 year after last substantive order (narrow exceptions) |
| Challenge to paternity | 2 years from discovery of facts; narrow grounds after |
| Collecting unpaid child support | No limitation (indefinite) |
Estate and probate
| Action | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Contest a will | Generally 120 days from admission to probate; 4 months for informal probate |
| Creditor claims against estate | 4 months from publication of notice |
| Probate of will | Generally no deadline, but practical deadlines for tax and distribution purposes |
| Challenge to trust | 2 years from trustor's death or beneficiary's actual notice |
Criminal statutes of limitations
Criminal cases have their own limitations structure under A.R.S. § 13-107:
| Offense level | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Class 1 felony (homicide, first-degree murder, certain violent felonies) | No limit — may be prosecuted at any time |
| Class 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 felonies | 7 years |
| Misdemeanor | 1 year |
| Petty offense | 6 months |
| Sex crimes against minors | No limit in most cases |
| Fraud, theft, forgery (certain financial crimes against the state) | 7 years from discovery |
The criminal clock typically starts on the date of the offense and stops (is "tolled") while the defendant is absent from the state or in hiding.
Defamation and related
| Case type | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Defamation (libel, slander) | 1 year |
| Invasion of privacy | 2 years |
| False imprisonment | 1 year |
| Malicious prosecution | 1 year |
Defamation cases have the shortest civil statute of limitations in Arizona at one year under A.R.S. § 12-541. Missing this deadline is permanent — no discovery rule extensions.
Special situations that affect deadlines
Tolling during minority (under 18)
If the injured party is a minor, the statute of limitations generally doesn't start running until their 18th birthday. So a 10-year-old injured in a car accident has until age 20 to file (18 + 2 years). This is codified in A.R.S. § 12-502.
Tolling during mental incapacity
Similarly tolled for those determined to be of unsound mind, though this requires medical evidence and narrow circumstances.
Discovery rule
For certain causes of action — most notably fraud and medical malpractice — the clock starts when the plaintiff discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury. Arizona applies this narrowly, particularly outside fraud and medical malpractice. Courts often start the clock earlier than plaintiffs expect.
Government defendants (Notice of Claim)
Claims against Arizona state, county, or city governments require a Notice of Claim filed within 180 days of the event, plus filing suit within one year. These are absolute deadlines. Missing the 180-day notice deadline generally ends the claim regardless of merit. Special care is required for accidents involving municipal buses, state vehicles, police officers, or school districts.
Continuing torts and repeated injuries
For ongoing wrongful conduct (continuing trespass, continuing nuisance, certain employment discrimination patterns), each incident may trigger its own limitations period rather than running from the first event. The law here is complex and fact-specific.
Why deadlines are shorter than you think
Three common reasons people miss limitations deadlines:
- They confused the criminal and civil deadlines. A criminal investigation has no effect on the civil statute of limitations. You can't wait for a criminal case to finish before filing the civil case.
- They assumed the clock started at the end of an event. It usually starts at the beginning — date of injury, not date of final medical release. Date of contract breach, not date you gave up trying to resolve it.
- They assumed negotiation pauses the clock. It doesn't. You can negotiate with an insurance company for 18 months, miss the 2-year deadline while "about to settle," and lose your claim.
What to do if you think your deadline is close
- Don't assume — check. Confirm the exact date of the underlying event. Count forward from that date.
- Talk to a lawyer this week, not next month. Even if you haven't hired one for your case, a consultation clarifies the deadline immediately.
- Don't settle for "we'll figure it out." Get a clear answer about your specific deadline.
- File first, litigate later. If a deadline is truly imminent, filing a complaint preserves the claim. You can still negotiate afterward.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I miss the statute of limitations?
The defendant can file a motion to dismiss on limitations grounds, and the court will grant it. Your claim is permanently barred. In rare cases, equitable tolling or estoppel may apply — but these are narrow exceptions, not reliable planning tools.
Can the statute of limitations be paused?
In limited circumstances: minority (under 18), mental incapacity, defendant's absence from Arizona, fraudulent concealment. Each has strict requirements. Don't assume a pause applies without specific legal advice.
Does writing a demand letter toll the statute of limitations?
No. Neither does informal negotiation. The only things that reliably stop the clock are filing a lawsuit or a tolling agreement signed by the defendant.
What if the defendant lives out of state?
Time the defendant is outside Arizona may not count toward the limitations period, depending on the claim. This is fact-specific and shouldn't be relied on as extra time without legal advice.
What's the shortest Arizona civil statute of limitations?
Defamation at 1 year (A.R.S. § 12-541). Wage claims and some consumer-protection claims are also 1 year. These are easy to miss because they're so much shorter than most civil deadlines.