Hurt, wronged, or owed money
THINKING ABOUT SUING
What Arizona law says about the time to bring a claim, by the kind of claim, and about the court that hears small ones. Every period here is one the guide already states, with the section it comes from and the law that section cites.
A period runs from the event its statute names. When that event happened, and whether anything paused the count, are facts a lawyer applies; whether a claim is worth bringing is a question for one too. Nothing here answers either.
THE TIME TO SUE
An injury to a person
Hurt in a fall, a crash, a dog bite, or by somebody's carelessness.
2 years
Suing for personal injury, wrongful death or property damage
- From
- The claim accruing
Personal injury, wrongful death, injury to property, conversion, and forcible entry or detainer are sued on within two years.
Damage to property
A car, a phone, a fence, or anything else damaged or taken.
2 years
Suing for personal injury, wrongful death or property damage
- From
- The claim accruing
Personal injury, wrongful death, injury to property, conversion, and forcible entry or detainer are sued on within two years.
A written contract
A signed agreement, a lease, a written estimate or invoice.
6 years
Suing on a written contract or credit card debt
- From
- The claim accruing
A debt on a written contract executed in Arizona, or on a credit card, is sued on within six years.
A contract not in writing
A deal made in words or a handshake, or an account with no signed paper.
3 years
Suing on an unwritten debt or open account
- From
- The claim accruing
A debt not evidenced by a written contract, a stated or open account, or relief for fraud or mistake is sued on within three years.
A CLAIM AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT
A claim against a public body often has a step of its own before a lawsuit, and a shorter period for it. These are the ones the Arizona guide carries, in the order they come. A body none of them names is not covered here yet.
Step 1
180 days
A claim against a public entity or employee
- From
- The cause of action accruing
The claim is filed with the person authorized to accept service for the public entity, public school or public employee within 180 days after the cause of action accrues, stating the facts and a specific amount for settlement. A claim not filed in time is barred.
Step 2
1 year
Suing a public entity or employee
- From
- The cause of action accruing
All actions against a public entity or public employee are brought within one year after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward.
SMALL CLAIMS COURT
The limit in Arizona
Up to $5,000
A.R.S. 22-503 — claims up to $5,000, without lawyers unless both sides agree in writing
WHAT TO HAVE TOGETHER
Whoever looks at a claim, a lawyer, a legal aid office or a small claims clerk, works from the same handful of facts. These are the ones people are most often asked for, gathered in one place.
When and where it happened
The date, the time if you know it, and the place, as exactly as you can say it.
Who was involved
The person or business on the other side, and the name it uses on its papers or its sign.
What happened, in order
Written down while it is fresh, in your own words, with what was said.
What it cost
Bills, receipts, estimates, repair quotes, and days of work missed, each with its amount.
Photos and papers
Pictures of the place, the damage or the injury, and every letter, contract, receipt or email.
Witnesses
Who saw it, and a phone number or address for each.
Reports already made
A police or incident report, a claim number with an insurer, or a complaint to an agency.
Insurance
Your own policy, and any insurer for the other side that you have been told about.
Keep it in one place
A case keeps all of it together in your account: what happened and when, what it cost, the people involved, every photo and paper kept privately, and one folder ready to download or send to a lawyer.
MyRightz is legal education, not legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney client relationship. Applying the law to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Arizona attorney.