Statute of Limitations for Written Contract in Arizona

6 min read

Published April 8, 2026 • By DocketMath Team

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently — verify all citations with current official sources.

Overview

Arizona’s general statute of limitations for a written contract claim is 2 years under A.R.S. § 13-107(A). No claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified in the provided jurisdiction data, so this general/default period is the rule to use for this Arizona reference page.

For anyone tracking a deadline, the core question is simple: when did the claim accrue, and does a statutory rule shorten or extend the filing window? In Arizona, that date controls the limitations clock, and once the period expires, the claim is ordinarily time-barred.

Use this page as a quick reference for:

the default Arizona period,
common exceptions that can change the deadline,
the statute citation to check in your own records, and
how DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator can help you estimate the filing cutoff.

Warning: A deadline calculation can turn on the exact accrual date, later payments, tolling events, or a statutory exception. This reference summarizes the default rule and should be checked against the facts before filing.

Limitation period

Arizona uses a 2-year general limitations period for written contract claims under the provided jurisdiction data. That means a claimant generally has 2 years from accrual to file, unless a tolling rule or exception changes the result.

A useful way to think about the calculation is:

Input	What it means	Effect on the deadline
Accrual date	The date the claim legally begins	Starts the 2-year clock
Filing date	The date the complaint is filed in court	Must fall before the deadline
Tolling event	A legally recognized pause	Extends or pauses the clock
Revived obligation	A new promise or acknowledgment in some cases	Can affect the limitations analysis

What changes the output in practice?

The answer from a limitations calculator depends on the dates you enter.

Earlier accrual date = earlier deadline
Later accrual date = later deadline
Tolling period included = deadline moves out
No tolling = deadline stays fixed
Dismissed and refiled matter = filing date may still be untimely if the original period expired

For written contract disputes, users typically need to identify:

the contract date,
the breach date or first date of nonperformance,
any payment, acknowledgment, or amendment,
whether the claim was tolled, and
the intended filing date.

A calculator cannot replace the underlying legal rule, but it can quickly show whether a deadline is likely to have passed. That is especially useful when a complaint is close to the cutoff and timing errors could be costly.

Key exceptions

Arizona’s default 2-year period can change if a specific tolling rule or other statutory exception applies. The provided jurisdiction data notes that no claim-type-specific sub-rule was found, so the general/default period is the starting point.

Common issues that can alter the limitations analysis include:

Tolling based on legal disability or incapacity
Fraudulent concealment
Bankruptcy stay or other court-imposed pause
Later acknowledgment or partial performance tied to the obligation
Contractual dispute timelines that do not control the court filing deadline
Accrual disputes over when the breach became actionable

A practical checklist for exception review:

Pitfall: Parties often count from the contract signing date instead of the breach date. For limitations purposes, the deadline usually turns on when the claim accrued, not when the document was executed.

If you are organizing deadlines across multiple matters, DocketMath’s /tools/statute-of-limitations page can help you standardize the inputs and compare deadline outcomes side by side.

Statute citation

The provided general statute citation is A.R.S. § 13-107(A), with a 2-year default period. For Arizona reference purposes, cite that statute when you need the general limitations rule identified in the jurisdiction data.

Item	Citation / value
State	Arizona
General limitations period	2 years
General statute	A.R.S. § 13-107(A)
Jurisdiction code	US-AZ

How to use the citation

When you draft a deadline note, motion calendar entry, or internal case summary, a concise reference is usually enough:

Arizona general SOL: 2 years
Citation: A.R.S. § 13-107(A)

If your file involves more than one possible claim, separate the analysis by cause of action. That way, you can see whether the written-contract theory follows the 2-year general rule or whether another claim has a different statutory period.

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you test the Arizona deadline by entering the claim accrual date, the filing date, and any tolling events. The output changes when any of those inputs change, so the calculator is most useful when the timeline is documented carefully.

Best inputs to gather before you calculate

Contract effective date
Date of breach, default, or nonpayment
Any written modification or acknowledgment
Start and end dates of any pause or tolling event
Planned complaint filing date

How the output changes

If you change this input	The result usually does this
Accrual date moves earlier	Deadline moves earlier
Accrual date moves later	Deadline moves later
Tolling days are added	Deadline extends
Filing date is after the deadline	Claim may appear untimely
Filing date is before the deadline	Claim may appear timely

Quick workflow

Open the calculator at /tools/statute-of-limitations.
Enter the best-supported accrual date.
Add any tolling or pause dates.
Compare the calculated deadline to the intended filing date.
Save the result with your case notes for later review.

This is especially helpful when you need a fast, repeatable deadline check for intake, docketing, or pre-filing review. The calculator gives you a practical starting point, while the statute and case facts determine the final legal analysis.