Arizona Debt Collection Laws | Debt Collector Map

Arizona guides by topic

Statute of limitations in Arizona

Time limits to sue, payments that restart the clock and the checker.

Wage garnishment in Arizona

Wage and bank account limits, exemptions and how to claim them.

Sued by a debt collector in Arizona

Your answer deadline, default, defenses and steps.

Debt collector laws in Arizona

State act, extra protections, licensing and complaints.

Your federal rights

These federal rules apply in Arizona and every other state. Arizona's own law, below, can add more.

Who the federal law covers. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) covers debt collectors who collect for someone else and companies that buy debts, not usually the original creditor collecting its own debt (15 U.S.C. 1692a(6)). Some state laws also cover original creditors.
A validation notice. A collector must give you a validation notice, in its first message or within 5 days after it, with the amount, the creditor and how to dispute (15 U.S.C. 1692g(a); 12 CFR 1006.34).
Your right to dispute. If you dispute the debt in writing within the validation period (30 days after you get the notice), the collector must stop collecting until it mails you verification (15 U.S.C. 1692g(b); 12 CFR 1006.38).
When collectors can contact you. No calls before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your time, or at work if your employer doesn't allow it (15 U.S.C. 1692c(a)). More than 7 calls in 7 days about one debt is presumed to break the law (12 CFR 1006.14(b)(2)).
Telling a collector to stop. If you tell a collector in writing to stop contacting you, it must stop, except to tell you it is ending collection or will take a specific step such as a lawsuit (15 U.S.C. 1692c(c)).
What collectors can't do. No threats, obscene language, false statements (for example pretending to be a lawyer or the government, or threatening arrest) and no unfair practices such as collecting fees your contract doesn't allow (15 U.S.C. 1692d, 1692e, 1692f). A collector generally can't discuss your debt with your family, neighbors or employer (15 U.S.C. 1692c(b)).

Read how to dispute a debt or stop collector calls.

Arizona law and extra protections

Arizona has no general debt collection act; the federal rules above still apply.

Law: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 32-1001 et seq. (duties of licensees: § 32-1051)
Extra protections: A licensed collection agency may not use unfair, misleading, oppressive or vindictive collection methods, and may not add fees or costs that you do not legally owe (A.R.S. § 32-1051(3)).
A collection agency's letters may not look like court papers, misstate what you owe, threaten to sell your debt, or use a lawyer's name when no lawyer is involved (A.R.S. § 32-1051(4)).
Even people who do not need a collection license, such as a creditor's own in-house credit staff, banks and attorneys, must follow the rules in § 32-1051, paragraphs 2 through 6 (A.R.S. § 32-1004(A)). (Attorneys are excused from some of them.)
Interest on medical debt, including medical debt judgments, is capped at 3% a year or the 1-year Treasury rate, whichever is lower (A.R.S. § 44-1201(A)(1)).
Can you sue under it?: The licensing law does not spell out a right for you to sue. You can sue under the federal FDCPA. The Arizona Attorney General says a private person may also sue under the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act (A.R.S. § 44-1521 et seq.) within one year.
Official text: Read the law

Debt collector laws in Arizona: the full guide

Old debts in Arizona

Written contracts: 6 years
Open accounts and unwritten agreements: 3 years
Does a payment restart the clock?: Once the deadline has passed, an acknowledgment of the debt only counts if it is in writing and signed by you (A.R.S. § 12-508).
Law: A.R.S. § 12-548(A) (6 years: debt based on a written contract made in Arizona, or on a credit card; shown as the written-contract limit); § 12-543 (3 years: debt not based on a written contract, and stated or open accounts; shown as the open-account limit); § 12-508
Official text: Read the law

The time limit is the statute of limitations. Once it runs out, the debt is “time-barred”: a collector must not sue or threaten to sue you, but the debt still exists. Read more about time-barred debt.

Statute of limitations on debt in Arizona: the full guide

Is my debt too old? Check Arizona's time limit

Every state limits how long a creditor or collector has to sue you over a debt. This is the statute of limitations. Choose your state, the type of debt and the date of your last payment to see the limit and an estimated end date. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Wage garnishment and bank accounts in Arizona

Wage limit: Stricter than federal: no more than 10% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 60 times the highest applicable (federal, state or local) minimum hourly wage per week, whichever is less. Support orders and tax debts are different.
Bank account: $5,000 in one account at one financial institution, adjusted each January 1 for inflation since 2024.
Law: A.R.S. § 33-1131(B); § 33-1126(A)(9)

Federal benefits such as Social Security, SSI and VA benefits that were directly deposited are protected in your bank account up to two months' worth (31 CFR 212.6). A creditor usually needs a court judgment before it can garnish your wages or bank account.

Wage garnishment in Arizona: the full guide

Property you can keep in Arizona

Your home equity is protected up to $400,000, and equity in one vehicle up to $15,000 ($25,000 if you or a dependent has a physical disability). Both amounts, and the bank-account amount, rise with inflation each January 1 since 2024 (A.R.S. §§ 33-1101, 33-1125(8), 33-1126(A)(9)).

Collector licensing in Arizona

License required: Yes
Who licenses: Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI)
Check a license: Official license lookup

Medical debt in Arizona

Interest on medical debt is capped at 3% a year or the 1-year Treasury rate, whichever is lower, and the same cap applies to medical debt judgments (A.R.S. § 44-1201(A)(1)). This came from Proposition 209 (2022).

If you are sued in Arizona

Time to answer: 20 days after you are served (30 days if you were served outside Arizona), in justice court and superior court (Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure, per Pima County Justice Courts).
If you don't answer: If you do not file a written answer in time, the collector can ask the court for a default judgment. That judgment can then be used to garnish your wages or bank account.
Court self-help: Arizona court self-help (official)

Don't ignore court papers. Read what to do if a debt collector sues you.

Sued by a debt collector in Arizona: the full guide

Where to complain in Arizona

Arizona: Arizona Attorney General, Consumer Information and Complaints Unit (DIFI also oversees licensed collection agencies) · (602) 542-5763
Federal: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau takes complaints about debt collectors at consumerfinance.gov/complaint · (855) 411-2372.
You can also report a collector to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Free help in Arizona

Good to know in Arizona

Arizona's 6-year limit for written contracts and credit cards applies even if another state's law says otherwise (A.R.S. § 12-548(B)).
Arizona caps wage garnishment for ordinary debts at 10% of disposable earnings, well below the federal 25% (A.R.S. § 33-1131(B)).
In Arizona, credit card debt has the 6-year limit (A.R.S. § 12-548(A)(2)), not the 3-year limit for stated or open accounts and for debts not based on a written contract (A.R.S. § 12-543).

Changes in 2024–2026

Since January 1, 2024, the homestead, vehicle and bank-account exemptions set by Proposition 209 (2022) are adjusted for inflation every year (A.R.S. §§ 33-1101(D), 33-1125(8), 33-1126(A)(9)).

Free letters to send a collector

Dispute a debt and ask for proof (validation letter)

Within 30 days of the collector's validation notice.

Tell a collector to stop or limit contact

Stop all contact, writing only, or no calls at work.

Questions about debt collection in Arizona

What is the statute of limitations on debt in Arizona?

6 years for written contracts and 3 years for open accounts and unwritten agreements (A.R.S. § 12-548(A) (6 years: debt based on a written contract made in Arizona, or on a credit card; shown as the written-contract limit); § 12-543 (3 years: debt not based on a written contract, and stated or open accounts; shown as the open-account limit); § 12-508).

Does paying on an old debt restart the clock in Arizona?

Once the deadline has passed, an acknowledgment of the debt only counts if it is in writing and signed by you (A.R.S. § 12-508).

How much of my paycheck can be garnished in Arizona?

Stricter than federal: no more than 10% of your disposable earnings, or the amount above 60 times the highest applicable (federal, state or local) minimum hourly wage per week, whichever is less. Support orders and tax debts are different.

How much money in a bank account is protected in Arizona?

$5,000 in one account at one financial institution, adjusted each January 1 for inflation since 2024.

Do debt collectors need a license in Arizona?

Yes. Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI)

How long do I have to answer a debt lawsuit in Arizona?

20 days after you are served (30 days if you were served outside Arizona), in justice court and superior court (Arizona Rules of Civil Procedure, per Pima County Justice Courts).

Does Arizona protect people with medical debt?