What Personal Property Is Protected
This statute lists eleven categories of personal items that creditors cannot touch, each with its own dollar cap. The protections cover the things most families rely on every day.
The following property of a debtor used primarily for personal, family or household purposes is exempt from process: 1. All wearing apparel of not more than a fair market value of five hundred dollars. 4. All engagement and wedding rings of not more than an aggregate fair market value of two thousand dollars. 8. Equity in one motor vehicle of not more than $15,000.
A.R.S. § 33-1125(1), (4), (8)The list includes clothing ($500), musical instruments ($400), horses and poultry ($1,000), wedding and engagement rings ($2,000), books and personal documents ($250), one watch ($250), a computer or bicycle ($2,000), one motor vehicle (up to $15,000 in equity, or $25,000 if the debtor or a dependent has a physical disability), prescribed prostheses, firearms ($2,000), and all domestic animals or household pets with no dollar limit.
The Vehicle Exemption Adjusts for Inflation
Starting January 1, 2024, the motor vehicle exemption adjusts annually based on the Consumer Price Index. This means the $15,000 and $25,000 figures increase each year to keep pace with the cost of living. The adjustment rounds up to the nearest $100.
The vehicle exemption protects equity, not the full value. If a car is worth $30,000 but the loan balance is $20,000, the equity is $10,000, well within the exemption. This distinction matters when evaluating whether a vehicle is at risk in a creditor action.
Pets and domestic animals have no dollar cap. Arizona treats household pets as fully exempt, reflecting the reality that companion animals are family members, not assets to be liquidated.