Clear Money Guide
What this state guide covers
A quick view of the questions, practical details and source notes below.
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Updated August 19, 2026. Quick answer: Arizona publishes no percentage schedule for probate compensation — the personal representative and the attorney are each paid what the court finds reasonable (A.R.S. §14-3719), so the bill tracks hours worked rather than the size of the estate. The second number is the small-estate threshold, at or under which an estate skips most of probate: $200,000 of personal property and $300,000 of real property, both net of liens. Whether any of that reaches a solely owned house is answered below — it is where most published guidance goes wrong.
How much does probate cost in Arizona?
| Item | Arizona |
|---|---|
| Fee model | reasonable-fee |
| What the fee is calculated on | UPC state: reasonable compensation for PR and attorneys (A.R.S. §14-3719); no percentage schedule. |
| Court filing fee | ~$306 initial probate filing (Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court); varies modestly by county |
| Small-estate threshold | A.R.S. §14-3971 as amended by HB 2116 (signed March 31, 2025): personal property up to $200,000 and real property up to $300,000 (both net of liens/encumbrances) — up from $75,000/$100,000. Sources conflict on exact 2025 effective date (June 30 vs Sept 26, 2025), but new limits are fully in effect as of mid-2026. Waits: 30 days (personal property), 6 months (real property). |
Why Arizona has no single answer
Arizona does not publish a percentage schedule that produces one number, so any source quoting you a firm figure is estimating. What the statute actually fixes is the standard: UPC state: reasonable compensation for PR and attorneys (A.R.S. §14-3719); no percentage schedule. That makes three things decide the bill — how many billable hours the administration takes, whether any beneficiary contests, and whether the estate qualifies for the small-estate route below and skips most of it. Get the fee basis in writing before engaging anyone.
For states that DO publish a schedule, and to compare, use the probate cost calculator.
What is the small estate limit in Arizona?
A.R.S. §14-3971 as amended by HB 2116 (signed March 31, 2025): personal property up to $200,000 and real property up to $300,000 (both net of liens/encumbrances) — up from $75,000/$100,000. Sources conflict on exact 2025 effective date (June 30 vs Sept 26, 2025), but new limits are fully in effect as of mid-2026. Waits: 30 days (personal property), 6 months (real property).
This state’s small-estate route can reach real property, subject to the statutory cap shown above. Confirm the cap covers the property’s value before assuming the house passes without full administration.
Full thresholds for every state: small-estate limits by state.
If the estate is still being planned rather than settled, the usual way to keep a house out of probate entirely is a living trust, which carries its own upfront cost: whether a living trust is worth it in Arizona.
Skipping probate entirely
The usual way to keep a house out of probate entirely is a living trust, which carries its own upfront cost: LawDepot builds a state-specific revocable living trust if that fits how you want to leave things to your heirs.
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Build a living trust for Arizona at LawDepot
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Does a house have to go through probate in Arizona?
Only if the estate is over the cap. Arizona is one of the minority of jurisdictions whose small-estate route can reach real property at all, which makes the cap the number that decides everything. An estate just over it takes a completely different path from one just under, and property values move. A fiduciary advisor can price the exposure alongside the rest of the estate picture. talk to someone about the whole estate picture. You can also run the numbers yourself first with the probate cost calculator — no email required.
How Arizona compares to the other 50
Arizona’s small-estate threshold of $200,000 ranks 3 of 49 jurisdictions with a stated figure, and sits well above the national median of $75,000. The range runs from $15,000 at the bottom to $400,000 at the top, so where an estate falls relative to the line matters far more than any national “average probate cost” figure. On fee model, Arizona is one of 30 of 51 jurisdictions using the reasonable-fee approach.
Death taxes in Arizona, separately
Arizona levies neither an estate tax nor an inheritance tax, which is true of 34 jurisdictions. That is a different question from probate cost and is decided by different statutes, but families routinely conflate the two.
What this does not include
The figures above are the probate cost — the court and compensation side of settling an estate. They are separate from any state estate tax or inheritance tax, which are taxes on the transfer itself and are owed whether or not the estate goes through probate. Appraisal, bond premium, publication, and real-estate commissions if property is sold are additional and are not set by the fee statute.
Before you hire anyone
- Ask which statute the fee is charged under, and get the citation. In Arizona the governing provisions are below.
- Ask whether the quoted fee is calculated on gross value or net of debts. Gross-value states charge on the full house value even if a mortgage covers most of it.
- Ask whether the personal representative is also claiming compensation, and on what basis.
- Ask in writing whether the estate qualifies for the small-estate route, and if a solely owned house is involved, whether that route reaches it.
Primary sources
- Ariz. Rev. Stat. §14-3719
- Ariz. Rev. Stat. §14-3971 (HB 2116, 2025)
Arizona in the rest of the picture
Probate cost is one of four things Arizona decides for a retiree and their heirs. The other three — income tax on withdrawals, estate tax, and inheritance tax — are priced separately:
- Every tax Arizona charges a retiree: Arizona retirement taxes
- What arriving here is worth: retiring to Arizona
- Corridor comparison: California To Arizona
- Corridor comparison: Colorado To Arizona
- Corridor comparison: Illinois To Arizona
- Corridor comparison: Minnesota To Arizona
Compare and calculate
Probate cost by state compares all 51 jurisdictions side by side. The probate cost calculator prices a specific estate. If a move is on the table, retirement tax relocation prices probate alongside the three other taxes that change with residency.
Cite or share this guide: “Arizona Probate Cost (2026),” statute-cited; clearmoneyguide.com/arizona-probate-cost/. Free to cite with attribution.
What the whole settlement costs here. There is no statutory percentage here, so the fee is whatever is reasonable — which is why no honest national figure exists. No state estate tax and no inheritance tax reaches an estate this size here. The small-estate route stops at $200,000 and it reaches real property, which is unusual — most jurisdictions’ small-estate routes do not. No state charges estate tax at any of these estate sizes. All three lines computed for every state: the cost of dying index.
A related question: when is probate required in Arizona at all, and what the small-estate shortcut covers.