Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: In Arizona, you have the later of 12 months from informal probate or 2 years from the date of death to contest a will that has already been admitted to probate, running from whichever of those two events is later.
How long do you have to contest a will in Arizona?
| Deadline to contest an admitted will | the later of 12 months from informal probate or 2 years from the date of death |
| What starts the clock | whichever of those two events is later |
| Dedicated will-contest statute? | Yes |
“A proceeding to contest an informally probated will and to secure appointment of the person with legal priority for appointment in the event the contest is successful may be commenced within the later of twelve months from the informal probate or two years from the decedent’s death.”
Source: Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-3108(3)
What makes Arizona different
Arizona uses the same ‘later of’ formula as its Uniform Probate Code neighbors but with the shortest death-based backstop, 2 years, of any state in this survey. The controlling authority is Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-3108(3), and the window runs from whichever of those two events is later.
What happens once this deadline passes?
Once the window above closes, Arizona’s probate of the will generally becomes final and binding on everyone who had the chance to object, subject only to the tolling or discovery exceptions described above; a separate objection Arizona allowed at the original probate hearing does not reopen or extend it.
Sources
| Statute / rule | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 14-3108(3) |
| Arizona courts (general reference) | Arizona judicial branch |
| Confidence | High |
Every statute or rule quoted on this Arizona page was read directly from the state’s own legislature/court/code site this session, or, where that site blocked automated access, from a reputable legal-citation mirror quoting the same official text with its official citation (disclosed below). General information, not legal advice; whether a specific contest is still timely can turn on facts (exactly when notice was given, how the will was probated, whether a disability applies) that only your own Arizona probate court file can confirm.