To get rid of squatters in Arizona, you need a court order. The lawful route is the forcible detainer process: serve a written notice to vacate, file an eviction complaint in Justice Court, win a judgment, and have a constable or sheriff execute a Writ of Restitution. In a clean case, that runs about two to three weeks from the day you post the notice to the day the squatter is out. Changing the locks, cutting utilities, or moving their belongings yourself is not a shortcut. It’s a liability.
Why Calling the Police Usually Isn’t Enough
Most owners try the police first. Sometimes it works. Usually it doesn’t. If officers arrive and the occupant claims to live at the property, most departments will treat the situation as a civil dispute and tell you to go to court.
The exception is a clear criminal trespass with no colorable claim of residency. Knowingly entering or remaining on property after a reasonable request to leave from the owner or law enforcement is criminal trespass in the third degree, a class 3 misdemeanor.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-1502 – Criminal Trespass in the Third Degree, Classification If someone broke into a residential structure and is caught before they can claim they’ve been living there, the charge is criminal trespass in the first degree, a class 6 felony.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-1504 – Criminal Trespass in the First Degree, Classification
Once someone has moved belongings in and set up a living space, though, expect police to hand it back to you as a civil matter. That is where the formal eviction process starts.
Step 1: Serve a Written Notice to Vacate
Before you can file anything in court, the squatter needs written notice. For unauthorized occupants, the Arizona Judicial Branch recommends giving at least five days to leave.3Arizona Judicial Branch. Evicting Guests, Roommates, Family Members, and Other Unwanted Occupants From Your Home You can’t file the eviction lawsuit until the business day after the notice period expires.4Arizona Judicial Branch. Eviction Actions in Justice Court
There’s no mandatory template, but the notice should include the property address, the name of the occupant (or “all occupants” if you don’t know it), a clear demand that they vacate, and the date by which they must be out. Keep the wording simple. Hand it to the squatter directly if you can. If personal delivery isn’t possible, post it in a conspicuous spot on the property and send a copy by certified mail. Save proof of service: a signed receipt, a process server affidavit, or a timestamped photo of the posted notice. Judges want to see that fair warning was given.
Step 2: File a Forcible Detainer Action
If the squatter is still there after the notice period, file a forcible detainer complaint in Arizona Justice Court. Arizona’s forcible detainer statute reaches anyone who enters property without legal authority or stays after their right to be there ends and refuses a written demand to leave, so squatters fall squarely under it.5Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 12-1171 – Acts Which Constitute Forcible Entry or Detainer
The complaint identifies the property, names the occupant, describes how they’re there without authority, and references the notice you served. The filing fee for an eviction complaint is $41.6New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Justice Court Fees
Once you file, the court issues a summons. The trial date is set no more than five judicial days after filing, which is unusually fast for civil litigation. A constable, sheriff, or licensed process server must serve the summons and complaint on the squatter at least two days before trial. Personal service is preferred; if the squatter dodges, the server can post the documents on the property and send them by certified mail.4Arizona Judicial Branch. Eviction Actions in Justice Court
Step 3: The Eviction Hearing
Forcible detainer hearings are short and narrow. The judge is deciding two things: whether you own the property and whether the occupant is there without legal authority. Bring your deed or title documentation, a copy of the notice with proof of service, and any evidence that the squatter has no lease or permission. Photos of the property’s condition and any police reports from earlier encounters can help.
The squatter can show up and contest. If they claim a lease or some agreement giving them the right to stay, they’ll need to produce it. Judges keep these hearings focused on possession and rarely let the case wander. If the court rules in your favor, it enters a judgment for restitution of the premises.7Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 12-1178 – Judgment, Writ of Restitution, Limitation on Issuance, Criminal Violation, Notice
Step 4: The Writ of Restitution
A judgment alone doesn’t remove anyone. You need a Writ of Restitution, the court order that authorizes law enforcement to physically put the squatter out. The writ cannot issue until five calendar days after the judgment, and a squatter’s motion to set aside the judgment doesn’t pause that clock unless a judge specifically finds good cause.7Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 12-1178 – Judgment, Writ of Restitution, Limitation on Issuance, Criminal Violation, Notice
After the five days, request the writ from the court. A county constable or sheriff serves it and, if the squatter refuses to leave, removes them. Once the writ is served, a squatter who stays or later returns has committed criminal trespass in the third degree.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 13-1502 – Criminal Trespass in the Third Degree, Classification At that point police have clear authority to arrest, because the court has formally established the person has no right to be there.
Faster Removal for Dangerous Conduct
If the squatter’s behavior involves serious criminal activity, the timeline compresses. Arizona law lets a Writ of Restitution issue as quickly as 12 to 24 hours after judgment when the breach is both material and irreparable. Qualifying conduct includes illegal weapon discharge, drug manufacturing or dealing, assault, threatening or intimidating behavior, prostitution, gang activity, and conduct that jeopardizes the health or safety of others or causes serious property damage. That list is not exhaustive.8Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 33-1368 – Noncompliance With Rental Agreement by Tenant, Failure to Pay Rent, Utility Discontinuation, Liability for Guests, Definition
To use this path, present evidence of the dangerous conduct to the court. Police reports, neighbor statements, and photos of damage all help. The judge decides whether the situation is an irreparable breach.
What to Do With Belongings Left Behind
After the writ is executed and you retake possession, there’s a good chance the squatter left property behind. Arizona law requires you to hold personal property for 14 calendar days and use reasonable care in moving and storing it. Prepare an inventory and notify the squatter of where the property is stored and what the storage costs are. During those 14 days the squatter can reclaim their belongings by paying removal and storage costs, but clothing, work tools, and identification documents must be released regardless of payment.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 33-1370 – Abandonment, Notice, Remedies, Personal Property, Definition
You don’t have to store everything. Perishable items and plants can be disposed of immediately. Property that’s contaminated, poses a biohazard, or creates a health and safety risk can also be disposed of at your discretion. Items with such low value that moving and storing them would cost more than selling them can be destroyed. After 14 days with no attempt to retrieve the belongings, you may donate the items to charity or sell them and apply any proceeds toward outstanding costs.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 33-1370 – Abandonment, Notice, Remedies, Personal Property, Definition
Animals
Abandoned animals have their own rules. You aren’t required to store them, but you can’t turn them loose. If the squatter designated someone to retrieve the animal, notify that person. If no one picks the animal up within one calendar day, you may release it to a shelter or boarding facility and must keep a record of which one. If you keep the animal on the property instead, you must provide reasonable care for up to 14 days; if you can’t, contact the county animal enforcement agent or an animal control officer. Acting in good faith, you aren’t liable for any loss related to removing or rehoming the animal.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 33-1370 – Abandonment, Notice, Remedies, Personal Property, Definition
Don’t Try a Self-Help Eviction
Changing the locks, shutting off water, or dragging belongings to the curb is tempting. Don’t. Arizona’s landlord-tenant statute exposes an unlawful ouster to damages of up to two months’ rent or twice the occupant’s actual losses, whichever is greater, plus the return of any security deposit.10Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 33-1367 – Tenants Remedies for Landlords Unlawful Ouster, Exclusion or Diminution of Services A squatter technically isn’t a tenant, but if they can argue they established some form of tenancy, or if a court views your conduct as an unlawful ouster, you’ve handed them leverage they didn’t have.
The practical fallout is worse than the statute. A squatter who was locked out can call the police and potentially be let back in. They can file their own lawsuit. And any judge later hearing your forcible detainer case will view the earlier conduct unfavorably. The formal process takes a few weeks; shortcuts usually make it longer.
Should You Worry About Adverse Possession?
Owners often worry that a squatter will claim ownership through adverse possession. In almost every real situation, that fear is misplaced. Arizona’s adverse possession framework requires continuous, open, and hostile occupation for years, with the specific period depending on what documentation the possessor can produce. Someone claiming under a recorded deed who also pays all property taxes and actively exercises ownership might shorten the window to three or five years.11Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 12-526 – Real Property in Adverse Possession and Use by Possessor, Ten Year Limitation, Limit of Area, Fixing of Boundaries Under Duly Recorded Memorandum of Title Without a recorded deed, the general period is ten years of uninterrupted possession. A squatter who slipped into a vacant house last month is nowhere close. Still, the longer they stay, the more complicated removal becomes, which is one more reason to move quickly.
Timeline and Costs
A realistic breakdown of the process from start to finish:
- Notice period: at least 5 days after serving the written notice to vacate.
- Filing to trial: no more than 5 judicial days after filing the complaint.
- Service of summons: at least 2 days before trial.
- Post-judgment waiting period: 5 calendar days before the Writ of Restitution issues.
- Writ execution: the constable or sheriff enforces the writ as soon as scheduling allows.
In a best case with no continuances and prompt service, expect roughly two to three weeks from serving the initial notice to the constable removing the squatter. Contested cases or scheduling delays can stretch that to four or five weeks.
On costs, the court filing fee is $41. You’ll also pay for service of the summons by a constable or process server, and then the constable’s fee to execute the writ. Budget for lock rekeying after the squatter is out. If they left belongings, you may incur storage costs during the 14-day holding period, though those are recoverable from the squatter if they come back for their property.