What Is the Estate's Personal Property Worth for Probate in Arizona?
Estimate the fair market value of household items for the Arizona estate inventory — what furniture, electronics, and appliances would sell for today, not what was paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Personal property in Arizona is valued at fair market value — what the item would sell for on the open market, not the original purchase price.A.R.S. §§ 14-3719 (PR compensation — "reasonable compensation"; no statutory percentage), 14-3721 (court review of compensation of agents/attorneys employed by PR), 14-3971 (small estate affidavit; HB 2116 / Ch. 24, Laws 2025, 57th Leg. 1st Reg. Sess., eff. Sept. 26, 2025: personal property $200K per subsec. B, real property $300K per subsec. E; 30-day wait personal property, 6-month wait real property), 14-3603 (bond required by default; 4 exceptions: will waiver, all-heir/devisee written waiver, institutional-PR, surviving-spouse small estate; court may impose bond even after waiver per subsec. B), 14-3801 (notice to creditors: publish once/week 3 successive weeks; 4-month claim bar from first publication; mailed-notice creditors: later of 4 months or 60 days from mailing), 14-3803 (nonclaim deadlines), 14-3301 (informal probate — who may apply), 14-3715 (independent administration — PR powers without court order); azleg.gov announcements (57th Leg. 1st Reg. Sess. adjourned June 27, 2025; General Effective Date Sept. 26, 2025)Verified Jul 15, 2026 Most household items (furniture, electronics, clothing) lose 50-90% of their value. Professional appraisals are used for art, collectibles, jewelry, and other high-value items.
No. Executors in Arizona can typically group low-value household goods into a single line on the inventory — for example, "household furnishings and personal effects" — while valuable items such as jewelry, art, and collectibles are listed individually. Each value reflects fair market value as of the date of death.
In Arizona, the executor must file the estate inventory within 3 months of appointment. If assets are discovered later, Arizona requires a supplemental inventory.A.R.S. §§ 14-3706, 14-3707, 14-3708Verified Jul 13, 2026
Estates with personal property under $200,000 in Arizona may qualify for simplified probate, which avoids full probate.A.R.S. §§ 14-3719 (PR compensation — "reasonable compensation"; no statutory percentage), 14-3721 (court review of compensation of agents/attorneys employed by PR), 14-3971 (small estate affidavit; HB 2116 / Ch. 24, Laws 2025, 57th Leg. 1st Reg. Sess., eff. Sept. 26, 2025: personal property $200K per subsec. B, real property $300K per subsec. E; 30-day wait personal property, 6-month wait real property), 14-3603 (bond required by default; 4 exceptions: will waiver, all-heir/devisee written waiver, institutional-PR, surviving-spouse small estate; court may impose bond even after waiver per subsec. B), 14-3801 (notice to creditors: publish once/week 3 successive weeks; 4-month claim bar from first publication; mailed-notice creditors: later of 4 months or 60 days from mailing), 14-3803 (nonclaim deadlines), 14-3301 (informal probate — who may apply), 14-3715 (independent administration — PR powers without court order); azleg.gov announcements (57th Leg. 1st Reg. Sess. adjourned June 27, 2025; General Effective Date Sept. 26, 2025)Verified Jul 15, 2026 Accurate valuation at fair market value can determine whether the estate falls below this threshold. Check eligibility with the Arizona probate need checker.
High-value items such as art, antiques, jewelry, and collectibles typically require professional appraisals, while typical household items — furniture, electronics, appliances, clothing — can be valued using comparable sales data. Arizona requires a formal appraisal of estate property.A.R.S. §§ 14-3706, 14-3707, 14-3708Verified Jul 13, 2026
Once the inventory is filed, tangible personal property in Arizona passes under any specific gifts in the will, then under the will's residuary clause. Without a will, it passes under Arizona intestate succession. See who receives it with the Arizona inheritance calculator.
Not necessarily. Items with named beneficiaries (life insurance, retirement accounts), jointly held property, and assets in a trust bypass probate. Only personal property owned solely by the deceased passes through probate in Arizona. The Arizona probate need checker determines which assets require probate.
Arizona Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Arizona probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.

