On the record—Every fact sourced to a primary record·The standard—Advisors never pay for placement·Independent—A publication of AdvisorWorld.com Inc·Verification—Credentials checked with the issuing body·Sourcing—The IRS, state departments of revenue, and the courts·Corrections—When we're wrong, we fix the record and say so·On the record—Every fact sourced to a primary record·The standard—Advisors never pay for placement·Independent—A publication of AdvisorWorld.com Inc·Verification—Credentials checked with the issuing body·Sourcing—The IRS, state departments of revenue, and the courts·Corrections—When we're wrong, we fix the record and say so·
Est. MMXXVI · Advertiser-freeAdvisors never pay for placement
T
The Trusted Advisor
Retirement & estate planning, on the record❦Every fact sourced · Every advisor verified
Small Estate Procedures · Arizona

Arizona small-estate affidavits: separate personal and real-property tracks

Arizona uses two affidavit tracks: qualifying personal property up to $200,000 after 30 days and qualifying real-property equity up to $300,000 after six months. Each has its own conditions and paperwork.

Editorial review draft · Not certified for publication

Do not combine the tracks into one gross-estate ceiling. The personal-property affidavit uses the statutory personal-property measure; the real-property affidavit uses the assessed value less liens and encumbrances for the Arizona land claimed.

Check eligibility before signing

  • Use the personal-property affidavit only after 30 days.
  • Use the real-property affidavit only after six months.
  • Apply the $200,000 personal or $300,000 real-equity ceiling separately.
  • No personal representative is pending or appointed, subject to the statute's discharge condition.

Gather the required documents

  • Personal Property Affidavit or county Real Property Affidavit
  • Certified death certificate
  • Original will or certified probate information, if any
  • Itemized asset values and lien balances
  • Legal description and assessed value for real property
  • Heir, devisee, and successor signatures required by the selected form

Follow the state procedure

Present the personal-property affidavit directly to holders. File the real-property affidavit in the superior court of the county where the land lies, obtain the certified order or affidavit record, and record it with the county recorder as required.

Know which property the shortcut reaches

The personal track handles accounts and other personal assets. The real track can transfer qualifying Arizona land, but the equity calculation, county filing, legal description, and recording steps make it a distinct title procedure.

Understand the recipient's responsibility

Each affiant swears to entitlement, value, administration status, and distribution facts and is answerable for a false claim. A later representative or superior successor can recover property or value from an improper recipient.

Use another route when these facts apply

  • The applicable ceiling is exceeded.
  • The required 30-day or six-month period has not elapsed.
  • A probate appointment or title dispute is pending.
  • Multiple successors cannot truthfully establish the shares claimed.

Sources & methodology

Sources and current rules
Current rule$200,000 personal property after 30 days; $300,000 real-property equity after six monthsA.R.S. § 14-3971 · eff. Sep 26, 2025 (HB2116)

Methodology & sources

A.R.S. § 14-3971 supplies the headline rule and its stated conditions.

Editorial review draft. The source record supporting the ceiling is listed above when one is available. The procedural questions identified in the article are not yet certified.

This page is educational and is not legal advice. Whether the affidavit procedure is right for a particular estate — and what liability the signer takes on — turns on facts a general page cannot resolve, including debts that have not surfaced yet. Confirm your own situation with an attorney licensed in Arizona.

Sources reviewed August 23, 2026.