Statute of limitations in Arizona

The periods in Arizona

In Arizona, the time limit to sue is 6 years for a written contract, 3 years for an oral contract and 2 years for damage to property. Each period runs from the date the claim arises, which statutes usually call the date the cause of action accrues; in the ordinary case that is the day of the breach or the damage.

A written contract: A.R.S. § 12-548(A) reads “An action for debt shall be commenced and prosecuted within six years after the cause of action accrues. … A contract in writing that is executed in this state.”

An oral contract: A.R.S. § 12-543(1) reads “within three years after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward … For debt where the indebtedness is not evidenced by a contract in writing.”

Damage to property: A.R.S. § 12-542(3) reads “there shall be commenced and prosecuted within two years after the cause of action accrues … For trespass for injury done to the estate or the property of another.”

Putting the agreement in writing adds 3 years: 6 years for a written contract against 3 years for an oral one, a ratio of 2 to 1.

Worked dates for a claim that arose on March 15, 2026: a written contract reaches its 6 years on March 15, 2032, an oral contract reaches its 3 years on March 15, 2029 and damage to property reaches its 2 years on March 15, 2028. Tolling rules (for example while a defendant is out of state, or for a minor) can extend a period, and some claims run from when the harm was discovered; the dates show the plain count only.

Among the 34 jurisdictions verified here, 6 allow longer than 6 years on a written contract and 12 allow less (median 6 years). For property damage, 0 of 33 give less than Arizona's 2 years (median 3 years). No other verified state has the same combination of periods.

Neighbouring states with verified periods (written / oral / property): California 4 / 2 / 3 and Nevada 6 / 4 / 3. Which state's period applies to a dispute that crosses a border is itself a legal question.

The six-year written-contract period in § 12-548(A) is for a contract in writing executed in Arizona.

The time limit is the same whichever court hears the case. A claim of $5,000 or less can be filed in Arizona small claims (small claims limit), and it must still be filed inside the period above.

Sources: Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. § 12-548; Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. § 12-543; Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. § 12-542 · last checked October 21, 2026.

Before the deadline

A limitation period is a cut-off for filing, not a measure of whether a claim is good. The guide on how limitation periods work explains accrual, tolling and the difference between written and oral contracts, and the small claims filing guide covers the next step.