Statute of Limitations for Class C / 3rd Degree Felony in Arizona

Overview

Arizona’s general statute of limitations (SOL) for filing criminal charges is 2 years under A.R.S. § 13-107(A)—and that default typically applies to a Class C / 3rd degree felony when no special exception or different charging rule applies.

So, if your goal is to understand “how long the State has” for this type of case, you usually start with the same baseline: the prosecution must be commenced within the limitations period set by Arizona’s criminal SOL statute. If the case is later amended or refiled, there may be additional procedural timing questions—but the anchor for the general deadline is A.R.S. § 13-107(A).

Limitation period

For Arizona, the general SOL period is 2 years.

Here’s the practical framing:

• What the SOL limits: the deadline to file a criminal charge (i.e., commence prosecution) within the limitations window.
• Baseline duration: 2 years under the general rule.
• How it applies to your “Class C / 3rd degree felony” question: use 2 years as the starting point unless an exception or tolling rule changes the timeline (see Key exceptions).

Start date vs. end date (how the deadline is estimated)

Because SOL timing can be date-sensitive, you generally need the relevant starting point. In many situations, people estimate using:

• Start date: the date of the alleged offense (or the date Arizona law treats as the relevant SOL trigger)
• End date: start date + 2 years

Disclaimer: This is an estimate framework for understanding the SOL window. SOL start/end rules and tolling can be fact-specific, so use this as a guide—not formal legal advice.

Key exceptions

Arizona’s SOL rules can include circumstances that pause, toll, or otherwise affect how long the limitations clock runs. The purpose of this section is to tell you what to look for, not to claim that every scenario applies.

What to check (even when the default is 2 years)

Even with a 2-year default, confirm whether any recognized timing change could apply, such as:

• Tolling due to legal or practical barriers

  • Periods when prosecution is delayed by statutorily recognized conditions may interrupt the running of the SOL clock.
• Discovery-related timing adjustments

  • Some jurisdictions include discovery concepts for certain offenses. Arizona’s SOL framework is not purely “discovery-based” across the board, so confirm whether your situation matches a recognized statutory pattern.
• Procedural events affecting timelines

  • Events like amendment, refiling, or other procedural steps may introduce timing considerations distinct from the original SOL computation.

What we found for this specific “Class C / 3rd degree felony” query

The provided jurisdiction data did not identify a claim-type-specific SOL sub-rule for this “Class C / 3rd degree felony” category beyond the general/default period. That means:

• Treat 2 years as the baseline.
• Then check whether Arizona’s SOL statute includes tolling or exception rules that apply to your case’s factual timeline.

Statute citation

A.R.S. § 13-107(A) provides Arizona’s general statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions, including the default 2-year period referenced in this article.

Data summary used here:

• General SOL Period: 2 years
• General Statute: **A.R.S. § 13-107(A)
• Jurisdiction: Arizona

Practical takeaway: Use A.R.S. § 13-107(A) as your “source of truth” for the general default rule, and then layer in any exception/tolling rules that may apply based on the facts and dates in your record.

Use the calculator

To estimate the SOL deadline with DocketMath:

1. Open the tool: ** /tools/statute-of-limitations
2. Enter the offense date (and any other inputs the tool requests).
3. Confirm the tool is applying Arizona’s general 2-year period consistent with A.R.S. § 13-107(A).
4. Review:

   • the computed expiration date
   • any deadline window outputs the tool provides (e.g., the last date the State must file by)

How the output changes when you adjust inputs

In general, you can expect:

• Later offense date → later expiration date

  • If the rule is effectively “start date + 2 years,” shifting the start date shifts the deadline accordingly.
• Exception/tolling inputs (if supported) → adjusted expiration date

  • If the tool allows selecting tolling/exception logic, the expiration date may extend to reflect paused/adjusted time.

Quick checklist before you rely on the result

Pitfall to avoid: People sometimes measure from the date they personally reported an incident rather than the alleged offense date, which can produce a deadline that doesn’t match the statutory calculation.

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Arizona and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

• A.R.S. § 12-541

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — Tool comparison
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — How-to guide
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — Tool comparison