Your claim is gone. Under Arizona law, anyone injured by a public entity, public school, or public employee must file a written notice of claim within 180 days, and a claim that isn't filed in time "is barred and no action may be maintained thereon." That's true even if your injuries are serious and the government was clearly at fault. The notice also has to include specific facts, an exact settlement amount, and the facts supporting that amount, and it has to reach the right official. Get any of those wrong and the result is usually the same as missing the deadline.
This is the deadline most likely to end an Arizona injury claim before it starts, because most people have never heard of it. Here's who counts as a public entity, when the 180-day clock starts, and what you lose if it runs out.
What Is Arizona's 180-Day Notice of Claim?
It's a written claim you must deliver to the government before you can sue it. Under A.R.S. § 12-821.01, anyone with a claim against a public entity, public school, or public employee must file it within 180 days after the cause of action accrues, with the person authorized to accept service for that entity. The notice has four requirements:
| Requirement | What It Means | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Filed within 180 days | Counted from when the claim accrues, usually the day of the injury | Waiting until treatment ends to "know the full cost" |
| Facts supporting liability | Enough detail for the entity to understand why it's responsible | A vague letter that just says "your employee caused my injuries" |
| A specific settlement amount | One amount that, if paid, settles the claim | Ranges, "no less than," or "whichever is greater" language |
| Facts supporting that amount | Medical bills, lost wages, and other damages behind the number | A number with nothing to back it up |
The purpose, as Arizona courts describe it, is to let the government investigate, try to settle before a lawsuit, and plan its budget. The practical effect is a trap for anyone who doesn't know it's there.
What Happens If You Miss the 180-Day Deadline?
In most cases, you lose the right to recover anything from the public entity. That can include medical bills, lost income, future care, and pain and suffering. The statute's language is absolute, and Arizona courts have enforced it that way.
Knowing about your injury isn't enough to save a claim either. In Falcon v. Maricopa County (2006), a family sued the county after their mother died following care at a county-owned hospital. They mailed their notice to one member of the Board of Supervisors. The Arizona Supreme Court held that wasn't enough, because notice to a county has to go to the board as a whole, and the county's claim was barred.
Can a late notice of claim ever be excused?
Only in narrow situations the statute spells out:
- Minors and incapacitated people can file within 180 days after the disability ends, such as a child's 18th birthday.
- Required administrative processes delay accrual until that process is finished.
- Discovery of the cause can delay accrual if you didn't know, and couldn't reasonably have known, what caused your injury.
Outside those exceptions, "I didn't know about the rule" doesn't work.
Can you still sue anyone else?
Often, yes. The notice of claim rule only protects public entities and public employees. If a private company or private driver also shares responsibility, such as a private contractor running a transit route or another driver in the same crash, those parts of a personal injury claim generally follow Arizona's ordinary two-year statute of limitations under A.R.S. § 12-542. That can keep part of a case alive, though you may lose the defendant with the most responsibility.
Who Counts as a Public Entity in Arizona?
Arizona law defines a public entity as the state and any political subdivision of the state. In practice, that covers far more than people expect:
| Situation | Likely Public Entity | Where the Notice Usually Goes |
|---|---|---|
| Hit by a city vehicle (police car, garbage truck, city crew) | City of Phoenix or the city involved | City Clerk |
| Crash with a state road crew or state vehicle, or a hazard on a state highway | State of Arizona | Office of the Attorney General |
| Dangerous condition on a county road, or a county vehicle | Maricopa County or the county involved | Clerk of the Board of Supervisors |
| Injured at a public hospital | Maricopa County Special Health Care District (Valleywise Health) | The district, per its claim form |
| School bus crash or fall at a public school | The school district | The district's governing board |
| Fall on a city sidewalk or in a city building | The city | City Clerk |
The City of Phoenix's Risk Management page states that claims must be filed with the City Clerk's Office within 180 days. For the state, the Arizona Risk Management Division directs claimants to deliver a notice of claim to the Office of the Attorney General. Maricopa County's notice of claim form sends county claims to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and includes a road condition supplement for road hazard claims. Valleywise Health publishes its own notice of claim form for claims against the Special Health Care District.
If a Phoenix crash involved a city or state vehicle, a Phoenix car accident lawyer can identify which entity is responsible. For falls on public property, the same notice rules apply as for any Phoenix slip and fall case against a government owner.
What about city buses and light rail?
Public transit is where identifying the right defendant gets tricky. Regional transit systems are public, but some routes and services are operated by private contractors. A crash may involve both a public entity that needs a 180-day notice and a private operator that doesn't. When in doubt, the safe move is to treat the claim as a public entity claim and serve notice early.
Do you need to notify the individual employee too?
Often. The statute covers claims against public employees as well as the entity, and Maricopa County's form notes that a claim against an individual county employee must be served on that person or a designee. If you want to preserve a claim against the driver or worker personally, they may need their own notice.
When Does the 180-Day Clock Start?
When the claim "accrues." Under the statute, that's when you realize you've been damaged and know, or reasonably should know, what caused it. For most crashes and falls, that's the day it happens.
The clock does not wait for you to finish treatment, find out what your injuries will cost, or hire a lawyer. That's the most common way people lose these claims: they focus on recovering for a few months, and by the time they're ready to deal with the claim, the deadline has passed.
What Has to Be in an Arizona Notice of Claim?
Getting the deadline right isn't enough. The notice itself has to meet the statute's requirements, and courts read them strictly.
The specific amount rule has ended many claims. In Deer Valley Unified School District v. Houser (2007), the Arizona Supreme Court held the notice must include a particular and certain amount that would settle the claim. As the Arizona Law Review explains, that decision replaced a looser "reasonableness" standard with strict compliance. More recently, in City of Mesa v. Ryan (2024), the Court held that an offer to settle for "$1,000,000 or the applicable policy limits, whichever are greater" wasn't specific enough, and the claim was barred. The same opinion notes that the amount doesn't have to be reasonable. It just has to be certain.
What Happens After You File a Notice of Claim?
The public entity has 60 days to respond. If it doesn't deny the claim in writing before then, the claim is deemed denied at day 60. Then comes the second deadline: all lawsuits against a public entity or public employee must be filed within one year after the cause of action accrues. The Arizona Supreme Court's April 2026 news release confirms that A.R.S. § 12-821 sets that one-year limit for actions against public entities. (The same decision held it doesn't apply when a public entity is the one suing.)
That one year runs from the date of the injury, not from the denial. So the realistic window for a claim against an Arizona government entity is 180 days to serve notice and 12 months to file suit, compared with two years against a private party.
How Can Meesha Moulton Law Help With an Arizona Notice of Claim?
These claims are unforgiving about paperwork and timing, and the government's lawyers know it. Meesha Moulton personally reviews every case, and consultations are free for personal injury matters, so you can find out quickly whether a public entity is involved and what has to be filed, with whom, and by when.
Learn more about the firm's Phoenix office, or request a free consultation. If you were hurt in Arizona, it's worth calling well before day 180.
Frequently Asked Questions About Arizona's 180-Day Notice of Claim
How long do you have to file a notice of claim in Arizona?
You have 180 days after the claim accrues, which for most accidents is the day of the injury. The notice must be delivered to the person authorized to accept service for the public entity, such as a city clerk or, for the State of Arizona, the Office of the Attorney General. Minors can file within 180 days after turning 18.
What happens if you file a notice of claim late in Arizona?
A late notice of claim generally bars the claim, and the statute says no lawsuit may be maintained on it. Arizona courts apply the rule strictly. You may still have claims against private parties who share responsibility, which follow the regular two-year deadline.
Do I need a notice of claim for a car accident with a city vehicle?
Yes. If a city vehicle, such as a police car, garbage truck, or city work truck, was involved in your crash, the claim against the city requires a notice of claim within 180 days. The same applies to state and county vehicles and to school buses operated by public school districts.
What is the statute of limitations for suing the government in Arizona?
One year. Lawsuits against Arizona public entities and public employees must be filed within one year after the claim accrues, and that's in addition to the 180-day notice of claim requirement. Claims against private parties generally have two years.
Does the 180-day deadline apply to minors in Arizona?
Not in the same way. Arizona allows a minor to file a notice of claim within 180 days after the disability ends, which is generally the minor's 18th birthday. Adults with related claims, such as parents, generally don't get that extension, so it's best to act early.
Where do I file a notice of claim against the City of Phoenix?
The City of Phoenix states that claims must be filed with the City Clerk's Office within 180 days after the claim accrues. Claims against the State of Arizona go to the Office of the Attorney General, and claims against Maricopa County go to the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors.
