Homestead Exemption Amounts in Arizona
At a glance
| Governing law | A.R.S. §§ 33-1101–33-1105 govern the Arizona homestead exemption. |
|---|---|
| Exemption amount | $437,600 in 2026, computed from the $400,000 base using annual August CPI-U changes and upward $100 rounding (A.R.S. § 33-1101(A), (D)). |
| Size or acreage limit | No separate acreage cap; a house must sit on one compact body of land. Condos, cooperatives, and listed movable shelters also qualify (A.R.S. § 33-1101(A)). |
| Automatic, or do you have to file something? | Automatic. If a creditor demands designation for multiple possible homes, respond within 30 days by recording a claim or sending a certified letter; late assertion requires recording (A.R.S. § 33-1102(A)). |
| Who qualifies, and can spouses double it? | Arizona residents age 18 or older; one exemption for a married couple or single person, without spousal doubling (A.R.S. § 33-1101(A)–(B)). |
| What it actually protects you from | Protects the exempt interest from attachment, execution, and forced sale; a judicial sale can proceed when the debtor’s interest exceeds the exemption plus higher-priority consensual liens (A.R.S. §§ 33-1101(A), 33-1105). |
| Debts that can still reach your home | Consensual liens; specified labor/material liens; qualifying support-arrearage liens; and recorded civil judgments or other nonconsensual liens when equity exceeds the exemption (A.R.S. § 33-1103(A)). |
| Protection for sale proceeds | Identifiable cash sale proceeds remain exempt up to the cap for 18 months or until a new homestead is established, whichever is sooner; refinancing cash is excluded (A.R.S. § 33-1101(C)). |
Requirements one by one
Exemption amount
Arizona prints a $400,000 base in § 33-1101(A), then § 33-1101(D) increases it each January using the August CPI-U for all items, U.S. city average, rounded up to the nearest $100. Applying the official August index levels successively gives $414,700 for 2024, $425,200 for 2025, and $437,600 for 2026. This is a calculation from the statutory formula and published federal index data, not a separately announced Arizona amount.
Size or acreage limit
A house must be on “one compact body” of real property. § 33-1101(A) also covers a condominium, cooperative, or listed shelter, including a manufactured home or houseboat, together with its land. The section supplies no separate acreage number.
Automatic, or do you have to file something?
The exemption arises “by operation of law” under § 33-1102(A). If more than one property could reasonably qualify, a creditor may demand a designation by certified mail. Within 30 days after receiving that demand, the owner can record a claim with the county recorder or reply to the creditor by certified mail. If the owner fails to respond as prescribed, the exemption may then be asserted only by recording a claim.
Who qualifies, and can spouses double it?
Under § 33-1101(A)–(B), a resident who is at least 18 may claim one qualifying homestead. A married couple shares one exemption; after divorce, the total allowed for the former shared residence cannot exceed the statutory cap.
What it actually protects you from
The protected interest is exempt from attachment, execution, and forced sale. § 33-1105 permits an ordinary judgment creditor to elect a judicial sale only if the debtor's interest in the property exceeds the homestead amount plus consensual liens that have priority over the judgment. The statute also requires a sufficient bid to cover the exemption, prior consensual liens, and sale costs. If the sale succeeds, the officer pays the debtor's homestead amount and the prior liens from the proceeds before applying the balance under the judgment-sale rules. Equity already reflects liens, so do not add those liens a second time to an equity figure.
Debts that can still reach your home
§ 33-1103(A) identifies consensual liens; labor or materials liens claimed under § 33-981; qualifying child-support or spousal-maintenance arrearage liens; and recorded civil judgments or other nonconsensual liens if the debtor's equity exceeds the exemption. A sale outside the listed exceptions is invalid under § 33-1103(B).
Protection for sale proceeds
Under § 33-1101(C), the exemption automatically reaches identifiable cash from a voluntary or involuntary sale for up to 18 months. It ends sooner if the person establishes a new homestead with the proceeds. Cash from refinancing does not receive this proceeds protection.
What trips people up
Leaving a home temporarily does not necessarily abandon the exemption: § 33-1104(A) permits removal for up to two years without abandonment or waiver. Permanent removal can abandon it.
Common questions
Can I protect two Arizona homes? No. The law permits one homestead exemption for a married couple or a single person, and a creditor can require a designation when multiple properties may qualify.
Can a regular judgment creditor always force a sale above the cap? The recorded-judgment exception refers to equity above the cap, but § 33-1105 also imposes a judicial-sale threshold and minimum-bid rules for an ordinary judgment creditor. Both provisions matter.
Statutes and sources
- A.R.S. § 33-1101 — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01101.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
- A.R.S. § 33-1102 — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01102.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
- A.R.S. § 33-1103 — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01103.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
- A.R.S. § 33-1104 — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01104.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
- A.R.S. § 33-1105 — https://www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01105.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2023 CPI release — https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi_09132023.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2025 CPI release — https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi_09112025.htm (accessed 2026-10-07)
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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