Statute of limitations in Arizona

Arizona sets a clear headline rule for most personal injury claims: you generally have two years to file a lawsuit. That single figure sounds simple, and for many straightforward cases it is. The detail underneath it is where matters get more involved. The two-year period comes from Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542, which covers injuries to a person.

Underneath the headline sit questions about when the clock actually starts, whether anything pauses it, and which specific statute governs a given claim. A statute of limitations is the legal deadline for bringing a civil case to court. Miss it, and a defendant can ask the judge to dismiss the case on that basis alone, no matter how the underlying facts look.

This guide explains the general rules that apply to the claim type shown on this page. It is general legal information, not legal advice about your situation. Deadlines can turn on facts that are easy to overlook, so confirming the period that fits your matter with a licensed Arizona attorney is a sensible step.

Most Arizona deadlines run from the date a claim accrues. Accrual is the moment the law treats your claim as complete enough to sue on. For many injuries, that is the day the harm happens and you know, or reasonably should know, that you were hurt and who caused it.

The clock does not always start at the instant of the event. Arizona courts apply what is often called the discovery rule to certain claims. Under that approach, the period can begin when a reasonable person would have discovered the injury and its cause, rather than when the injury physically occurred. This matters when harm is hidden or its cause is not obvious at first.

Whether a discovery question applies, and how it is measured, depends on the claim and the facts. The general two-year period for personal injury still governs, but the starting point can shift. Because accrual can be argued in more than one way, a cautious approach is to treat the earliest plausible date as your reference point and confirm the details rather than assume the latest possible start.

Arizona law pauses, or tolls, some deadlines in defined situations. Tolling does not erase a deadline; it stops the clock for a time and then lets it resume. The rules are specific, and they do not apply to every claim.

Age and legal capacity are common examples. When the injured person is a minor or is under a recognized legal disability, the running of the period can be suspended until that condition ends. A defendant who leaves the state for a stretch may also, in some cases, have that absence excluded from the count, which effectively extends the window to sue that person.

Claims against government bodies follow a separate track. Arizona requires a written notice of claim to the public entity or employee before a lawsuit, and both that notice step and the suit itself carry their own deadlines set by statute. These government timelines are shorter and stricter than many people expect, and the specific periods are set out in the Arizona Revised Statutes. Check the official code or ask a licensed Arizona attorney before relying on any exception.

This page currently lists one claim type, and the guide keeps the numeric deadline limited to what the table shows.

Personal injury carries a two-year deadline under Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542. This category covers civil claims for physical harm to a person, such as injuries from a vehicle collision, a fall on someone else's property, or another person's careless or wrongful conduct. The statute speaks to injuries to the person, and it is the provision most often cited when someone is hurt and wants to bring a claim in Arizona. The two-year count runs from accrual, subject to the accrual and tolling questions described above.

Other claim types are not deadlines you should read off this page. Written contracts, oral agreements, professional malpractice, defamation, property damage, and fraud each run on their own statutes, and the periods differ from the personal injury figure. Some are longer and some are shorter. If your matter falls outside personal injury, look to the specific section of the Arizona Revised Statutes that governs it, or ask a licensed Arizona attorney which period applies.

A few practical steps help you keep your options open while a deadline is still ahead. Start by preserving records. Photographs, medical bills, repair estimates, correspondence, and the names of any witnesses tend to get harder to gather as time passes, and they support whatever claim you may bring.

Next, confirm the period that actually applies to your situation. The two-year figure on this page is the general rule for personal injury, but accrual dates, tolling, and any government-entity involvement can change the practical deadline. Writing down the earliest date your claim might have accrued gives you a conservative reference point to work from.

It helps to act well before the final days. Investigating facts, obtaining records, and preparing a filing all take time, and courts do not extend a missed statutory deadline simply because preparation ran late. Speaking with a licensed Arizona attorney early lets you verify the correct statute, the correct start date, and any exception before the window closes. This guide is general information and cannot substitute for advice about your specific claim.