Statute of Limitations for Tolling for Mental Incapacity in Arizona

Overview

Arizona’s general criminal statute of limitations is 2 years under A.R.S. § 13-107(A). No claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified for this reference page, so the default period is the starting point unless another statute or exception changes the analysis.

In practical terms, that means you usually look at the offense date, the filing date, and any tolling or exception that might pause or extend the deadline. If mental incapacity is being considered as a tolling issue, the key question is whether that condition affects the running of the limitations period under the applicable law.

DocketMath’s statute of limitations calculator helps you test those dates quickly and see how a different start date, pause period, or exception changes the result.

Limitation period

Arizona’s general criminal limitation period is 2 years. As a default rule, the clock usually runs from the date the offense was committed and expires 2 years later unless a statutory exception extends, pauses, or replaces that deadline.

Here is the basic way to read the rule:

If you are using a calculator, the most important inputs are usually:

• Offense date
• Filing date
• Any pause or tolling period
• Any exception that changes the ordinary start or end date

A simple date change can move the expiration date by months or years. For example, if an offense occurred on March 1, 2022, the default 2-year period would generally run to March 1, 2024, unless a statutory exception applies.

Key exceptions

Arizona’s general rule is straightforward, but exceptions matter because they can change whether the 2-year period applies the way you expect. This reference page does not identify a claim-type-specific sub-rule, so the default period remains 2 years unless another statute or tolling rule controls.

The most common exception-related questions are:

• Was the offense covered by a different statute of limitations?
• Did a tolling event pause the clock?
• Did the relevant statute provide a different start date?
• Was the filing delayed because the law treats the defendant or offense differently?

For users checking a deadline, the practical effect of an exception usually falls into one of three categories:

1. No change
   The 2-year period runs normally from the offense date.

2. Pausing the clock
   The deadline is extended by the amount of time the tolling event lasted.

3. Replacing the default rule
   A different statute sets another deadline entirely.

A mental-incapacity tolling question usually asks whether a person’s condition stopped the clock from running or delayed the time for filing. In a calculator workflow, that typically means adding a period of incapacity and recalculating the expiration date. The result changes when the tool counts the paused days before adding them back to the end date.

How tolling changes the output

If the base period is 2 years, the calculator output changes in a few predictable ways:

• No tolling entered: the expiration date is exactly 2 years from the start date.
• Tolling days entered: the expiration date moves forward by the same number of days.
• Different trigger date selected: the countdown starts later, which can make the deadline later even without tolling.
• A separate exception selected: the 2-year rule may no longer be the controlling period.

Checklist for users

Statute citation

Arizona’s general criminal statute of limitations is A.R.S. § 13-107(A), with a 2-year period listed in the provided jurisdiction data.

For reference-page use, this is the core citation to anchor the default deadline. If you are building a deadline analysis, this citation is the starting point before checking any separate exception or tolling authority.

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute of limitations calculator lets you test an Arizona deadline by entering the relevant dates and seeing how the output changes when tolling is added.

Use it when you want to answer questions like:

• Is the filing still inside Arizona’s 2-year period?
• How much time remains before expiration?
• What happens if a tolling period is added?
• Does shifting the start date change the result?

Typical calculator inputs

What the output means

• Timely means the filing date falls within the 2-year period, after any valid tolling is applied.
• Expired means the deadline passed before filing.
• Adjusted deadline shows the new end date after accounting for the dates and tolling entered.

Practical workflow

1. Enter the offense date.
2. Add the filing date.
3. Add any tolling period you can document.
4. Review the recalculated expiration date.
5. Compare that date to the filing date.

If the result changes after you add an incapacity period, the difference is coming from the tolling days the calculator counted. That makes it easier to test multiple scenarios without manually counting calendar time.

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 — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator