Last verified 2026-11-05; facts checked against the primary sources below
How long does probate take in Arizona?
Reviewed by Adam Nathan, founder of The Estate Desk
Last verified: November 5, 2026
The short answer: A simple Arizona estate can close about 4 months after the personal representative is appointed at the earliest: that is the first day a closing statement may be filed, and the creditor window is 4 months after the notice is first published (A.R.S. 14-3933, 14-3801)). Most estates take longer, because each step waits on the one before it. Small estates can skip probate for personal property 30 days after the death, and for real property 6 months after it (A.R.S. 14-3971).
What are the deadlines, step by step?
These are the time limits in Title 14 of the Arizona Revised Statutes. Each one runs from a different starting point.
| Step | Deadline or wait | Counted from | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| A creditor can apply for appointment | After 45 days | The death | A.R.S. 14-3301(A)(7) |
| Tell heirs and devisees of the appointment | Not later than 30 days | Appointment | A.R.S. 14-3705 |
| Publish notice to creditors, once a week for three successive weeks | At the time of appointment | Appointment | A.R.S. 14-3801(A) |
| Mail notice to known creditors | At the time of appointment, to all known creditors | Appointment | A.R.S. 14-3801(B) |
| Prepare the inventory | Within 90 days | Appointment | A.R.S. 14-3706(A) |
| Creditors present claims | Within 4 months | The first publication of the notice | A.R.S. 14-3801(A) |
| Earliest verified closing statement | No earlier than 4 months | The original appointment | A.R.S. 14-3933(A) |
| Appointment ends if nothing is pending | 1 year | The closing statement being filed | A.R.S. 14-3933(B) |
| Last day to start an informal or formal probate | 2 years, with exceptions | The death | A.R.S. 14-3108 |
When can creditors still make a claim?
Arizona's creditor clock starts with the published notice, not the death. A claim that arose before the death is barred unless it is presented in time (A.R.S. 14-3803(A)):
| Situation | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notice was published | 4 months after the first publication | A.R.S. 14-3801(A) |
| A creditor the personal representative knew about and wrote to | The later of 4 months after the published notice or 60 days after the notice was mailed or delivered | A.R.S. 14-3801(B) |
| No notice was given | 2 years after the death | A.R.S. 14-3803(A)(1) |
| Claim that arises at or after the death | 4 months after performance is due (a contract with the personal representative) or the later of 4 months after it arises or the period above | A.R.S. 14-3803(C) |
The personal representative is not liable to a creditor for giving or failing to give this notice (A.R.S. 14-3801(C)).
What does closing by sworn statement require?
The closing statement is the usual way an unsupervised Arizona estate ends. The personal representative swears that they did all of these (A.R.S. 14-3933(A)):
| Requirement | Source |
|---|---|
| The time limit for creditors' claims has expired | A.R.S. 14-3933(A)(1) |
| Paid or settled all presented claims, expenses and death taxes, and distributed the assets | A.R.S. 14-3933(A)(2) |
| Sent a copy to every distributee and every unpaid, unbarred claimant they know of, and gave the affected distributees a full written account | A.R.S. 14-3933(A)(3) |
This route is not available in a supervised administration or when a court order prohibits it (A.R.S. 14-3933(A)).
Does it take longer without a will?
The deadlines after appointment are the same. The Maricopa County Superior Court describes informal probate as the route for estates with an original will that no one is contesting, and formal probate as the route when that is not met and a judge or commissioner has to resolve a dispute (Maricopa County Superior Court). A dispute, not the lack of a will, is what adds time.
Is there a faster route for a small estate?
Yes. Arizona uses sworn affidavits instead of a court case, and the limits are in the statute.
| Route | Who can use it | Limit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affidavit for personal property | A successor, 30 days after the death, when no personal representative is pending or appointed and the funeral and last illness expenses are paid | Personal property of $200,000 or less after liens, valued at the date of death | A.R.S. 14-3971(B) |
| Affidavit of succession to real property | The people entitled to it, filed with the court 6 months after the death | Real property of $300,000 or less after liens, from the assessed full cash value | A.R.S. 14-3971(E) |
| Final wages | The surviving spouse, at any time after the death | Up to $5,000 owed by an employer | A.R.S. 14-3971(A) |
The real property route also requires that funeral expenses, last illness expenses and all unsecured debts are paid, and that no federal estate tax is due (A.R.S. 14-3971(E)). The normal court filing fee applies unless the court waives it (A.R.S. 14-3971(F)). The Maricopa County Superior Court lists small estate transfer affidavit forms on its probate forms page (Maricopa County Superior Court).
How long does probate take in Maricopa County?
Maricopa County follows the same Title 14 deadlines. The court does not publish an average time to close an estate.
| Detail | What the court states | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who hears estates | The Probate and Mental Health Department, which handles decedents' estates | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Court address listed on the department page | Central Court Building, 201 W. Jefferson Street | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Information center phone | 602-506-3204 | Maricopa County Superior Court |
| Free help if you file without a lawyer | Probate Lawyers Assistance Program: a 30-minute phone consultation on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., by appointment at 602-732-2834; a $40.00 cash fee if you do not meet the eligibility rules | Maricopa County Superior Court |
If the person lived in another state, the timeline is set by that state's law. See how long probate takes in Texas, in Florida, in New York, in Pennsylvania, in Georgia, in Illinois, in Ohio, in Michigan, in California or in North Carolina.
This is general information about Arizona law, not legal advice. An Arizona estate lawyer or the probate court in the county where the person lived can tell you which steps apply to a particular estate.
The Estate Desk helps families settle estates. theestatedesk.com
Primary sources
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/03108.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/03301.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/03705.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/03706.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/03801.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/03803.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/03933.htm
- https://www.azleg.gov/ars/14/03971.htm
- https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/departments/superior-court/probate/
- https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/departments/superior-court/probate/formal-and-informal-probate/