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A.R.S. § 14-3971 · checked 2026-10-20
Arizona small estate affidavit limit
In Arizona the affidavit for collection of personal property is available when the value of all personal property in the estate, less liens and encumbrances is $200,000 or less, and it can be used 30 days after the death. It works through an affidavit handed to the bank or other holder, with no court filing.
- 1Dollar limit $200,000
- 2Waiting period 30 days
- 3Filed with Asset holder
- 4Statute A.R.S. § 14-3971
What A.R.S. § 14-3971 says
The operative words of the statute, as read on 2026-10-20:
“does not exceed $200,000 as valued as of the date of death”
That test is applied to the value of all personal property in the estate, less liens and encumbrances. A separate real-property affidavit (subsection E) covers Arizona real estate worth up to $300,000, filed not sooner than six months after death.
Source: A.R.S. § 14-3971. Last checked 2026-10-20.
Worked examples against the $200,000 limit
| Estate value | Result under A.R.S. § 14-3971 |
|---|---|
| $120,000 | Within the limit |
| $200,000 | Within the limit |
| $201,000 | Over the limit by $1,000: the small-estate route is closed |
Values are the estate as the statute measures it — value of all personal property in the estate, less liens and encumbrances — not everything the person owned. Arizona's figure is $137,500 above the $62,500 median of the 48 jurisdictions with a dollar limit on this site, ranking 3rd from the top, level with Louisiana.
When the route opens
The statute requires 30 days to pass after the death. For a death on January 15, 2026, the earliest date is February 14, 2026. 7 of the 31 jurisdictions with a written wait make people wait longer and 3 wait less; the median is 30 days.
If the estate goes through full probate instead, creditors have 4 months counted from first publication of the notice to creditors (A.R.S. § 14-3801(A)). The Arizona probate timeline works those dates through.
Filing and fees
This is a no-court procedure: the person entitled to the property signs the affidavit and presents it to whoever holds the asset — a bank, a transfer agent, a motor-vehicle office. Opening full administration for an estate of $201,000 would cost $149 under A.R.S. § 12-284(A) — see probate court fees in Arizona.
The free route is the probate court itself: the clerk or register in the county where the person lived can say which form the court uses for the affidavit for collection of personal property and what it charges. This site does not supply forms or refer anyone to a lawyer.
Nearby Mountain jurisdictions
Colorado: $88,000 after 10 days; Idaho: $100,000 after 30 days; Montana: $100,000 after 30 days; Nevada: $25,000 after 40 days; New Mexico: $50,000 after 30 days; Utah: $100,000 after 30 days; Wyoming: $400,000 after 30 days.
Related: small estate limits compared · assets that skip probate · all 51 jurisdictions.
General information from the statute as written on 2026-10-20; not legal advice. Statutes change, courts add local rules, and the facts of an estate decide which route applies. Confirm with the Arizona probate court or its self-help center before filing.