A child can’t file a lawsuit, sign a settlement, or fully understand what happened to them. So Arizona doesn’t run the ordinary clock against them. The statute of limitations for a child’s injury claim in Arizona pauses entirely until they turn 18. One major exception catches families off guard, though.
How the pause actually works
Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 12-502, the standard two-year injury deadline doesn’t start running while the injured person is a minor. Once they turn 18, the clock starts fresh. They have until their 20th birthday to file. A child injured at age 5 and a teenager injured at 17 both get the same two years after turning 18. The underlying statute of limitations just waits for them to reach that age.
Parents can file sooner, if it makes sense to
Nothing stops a parent or guardian from pursuing a child’s claim well before the child turns 18. For claims tied to ongoing medical treatment, waiting isn’t usually the right move anyway. The tolling rule exists as a backstop, not a requirement to wait. A family can settle a minor’s claim earlier. Many settlements involving a minor do require court approval, to make sure the terms genuinely protect the child’s interests.
The exception that doesn’t get tolled
If the claim involves a government entity — a school district, a city vehicle, a public road defect — the 180-day notice-of-claim deadline is not paused by the child’s age. That notice has to go out within 180 days of the injury, no matter how young the child is. The two-year lawsuit deadline that follows a timely notice does still benefit from minority tolling. Missing that 180-day window can end a claim before the child ever turns 18. Our guide to suing the government in Arizona covers that deadline in full.
Why this matters even when nobody’s in a hurry
Because the ordinary clock is paused, families sometimes assume there’s no urgency at all. Evidence doesn’t wait the way the statute does. Witnesses move, video gets overwritten, and injuries that seem minor at first can take years to fully resolve. Treating the tolling rule as permission to wait, rather than a safety net, is where families lose ground they didn’t have to.
The bottom line
The statute of limitations for a child’s injury claim in Arizona generally waits until the child turns 18, then allows two more years. That protection doesn’t extend to the 180-day notice required for a claim against a government entity. Treat that one deadline as running immediately, regardless of the child’s age.
Frequently asked questions
It doesn’t start at all while the child is under 18. The clock begins on their 18th birthday, giving them until age 20 to file.
Yes, and for claims tied to ongoing medical treatment, filing sooner is often the better approach rather than waiting for the tolling period to end.
No. The 180-day notice-of-claim deadline still runs from the date of injury regardless of the child’s age, even though the later two-year lawsuit deadline does benefit from tolling.
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This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. Deadlines vary by claim type, especially against government entities — review your child’s specific situation with a licensed Arizona attorney as soon as possible.