US state guide
This guide is general information about the law in Arizona, checked against the sources listed below on November 1, 2026. It is not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different: for advice on your situation, speak to a licensed attorney in Arizona.
01Defamation law in Arizona
Where the law comes from
Defamation in Arizona comes from the common law, as shaped by court decisions and limited by the First Amendment. A statement is defamatory when it is false and brings a person into disrepute, contempt or ridicule, or attacks their honesty, integrity, virtue or reputation. A handful of statutes in Title 12 add rules on deadlines, single publication and corrections.
Sources1Rogers v. Mroz, 252 Ariz. 335 (2022), ¶¶ 2, 12, 152Digital Media Law Project, Arizona Defamation Law
Is defamation a crime?
Arizona's current criminal code (Title 13 of the Arizona Revised Statutes) contains no criminal libel or slander offense, so defamation is pursued as a civil lawsuit. Related conduct, such as threats, harassment or stalking, can still be a crime under separate statutes.
Sources3Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 13 (Criminal Code), table of sections1Rogers v. Mroz, 252 Ariz. 335 (2022), ¶ 12
Statute of limitations
A lawsuit for libel or slander must be filed within one year after the claim accrues. Under Arizona's version of the Uniform Single Publication Act, one publication, such as a single edition or broadcast, supports only one claim for damages. The Arizona Court of Appeals has said the clock may start on discovery, rather than publication, when a statement is published in a way likely to stay hidden from the person, such as a confidential memo or credit report.
Sources4A.R.S. § 12-541(1)5A.R.S. § 12-651 (Uniform Single Publication Act)2Digital Media Law Project, Arizona Defamation Law (citing Clark v. Airesearch Mfg. Co., 138 Ariz. 240 (App. 1983))
Defamation per se
Arizona recognizes libel per se for written statements that are defamatory on their face. Slander per se covers spoken statements that accuse someone of a crime involving moral turpitude, harm them in their business or profession, or claim they have a contagious or sexually transmitted disease. In per se cases, damages may be presumed only in limited situations, such as a private person suing over a purely private matter or a plaintiff who proves actual malice.
Anti-SLAPP protection
Arizona's anti-SLAPP law, A.R.S. § 12-751, was broadened by amendments that took effect on September 24, 2022; before that it protected only petitioning activity. It now lets a person sued over the lawful exercise of speech, press, petition, association or assembly rights file a motion to dismiss, generally within 60 days of service, but the defendant must first show the lawsuit was substantially motivated by a desire to deter, retaliate against or prevent that activity. A private plaintiff can defeat the motion by showing the case is justified by existing law or a reasonable argument to change it, and an award of attorney fees to a winning defendant is up to the court.
Sources6A.R.S. § 12-7517Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Anti-SLAPP Legal Guide: Arizona
Retraction and correction
For libel in a newspaper or magazine, or slander on radio or television, the plaintiff must serve a written correction demand within 20 days of learning of the statement; without a demand that goes unanswered, the statute limits recovery to special (economic) damages unless actual malice is proven. The Arizona Supreme Court held in Boswell v. Phoenix Newspapers (1986) that this limit is unconstitutional to the extent it bars general damages for harm to reputation and emotional harm. The statute does not apply to election-related publications in the 30 days before an election, and at least one federal court has said it does not cover comments on an online forum.
Sources8A.R.S. § 12-653.029A.R.S. § 12-653.0310A.R.S. § 12-653.0511Digital Media Law Project, Retraction Law in Arizona (citing Boswell v. Phoenix Newspapers, 152 Ariz. 9 (1986))
Defenses and public figures
Substantial truth is a defense. Statements on matters of public concern must be provable as false, so opinion and rhetorical hyperbole are generally protected, and public officials and public figures must prove actual malice, meaning the speaker knew the statement was false or recklessly disregarded whether it was. Arizona courts also recognize a fair comment privilege and a fair report privilege for fair and accurate accounts of public records.
Sources1Rogers v. Mroz, 252 Ariz. 335 (2022), ¶¶ 17-202Digital Media Law Project, Arizona Defamation Law
02Online harassment, cyberstalking and doxxing in Arizona
Cyberstalking
Arizona's stalking law covers a course of conduct that includes, without authorization, using an electronic or GPS device to surveil a person or their internet or wireless activity (for 12 hours or more, or on two or more occasions), or sending electronic messages aimed at a specific person on more than one occasion without a legitimate purpose. Stalking is a class 5 felony when it causes emotional distress or a reasonable fear of injury or property damage, and a class 3 felony when it causes a reasonable fear of death.
Source12A.R.S. § 13-2923
Online harassment
It is a class 1 misdemeanor to knowingly terrify, intimidate, threaten or harass a specific person through electronic communications, including social media posts, texts and email, for example with obscene messages, threats of harm or repeated anonymous or unwanted messages. Arizona's general harassment law also covers harassing contact by electronic or written means, and that offense is likewise a class 1 misdemeanor.
Doxxing
Posting or sharing someone's personal identifying information, such as a home or work address, phone number or photo, without consent and in order to cause unwanted contact, injury or harassment by others is a class 1 misdemeanor when it actually leads to that result. A separate class 5 felony applies to posting the home address or similar details of certain officials, such as judges, police officers, prosecutors and election officers, when it poses a serious and imminent threat to their safety.
Intimate images shared without consent
It is a felony to intentionally share a nude or sexual image of an identifiable person who had a reasonable expectation of privacy, with intent to harm, harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce them; sharing it electronically, including on a website, is a class 4 felony. Sharing a realistic fake (created or altered) image of this kind, or threatening to share a real one, is a class 1 misdemeanor.
Source16A.R.S. § 13-1425
03How to remove defamatory content in Arizona
How to remove defamatory content in Arizona
A lawsuit is one route, but it is slow, costly and public. Much harmful content can come down sooner through the platform’s own reporting process, a legal notice to the site owner or host, or a removal request to search engines. The right route depends on where the content lives and on the law that applies to it.
Media Removal reviews each case and recommends the fastest route that fits it. Removal always depends on each platform and, where relevant, the courts.
04Frequently asked questions about defamation in Arizona
How long do you have to sue for defamation in Arizona?
Generally one year. Arizona law requires libel and slander lawsuits to be filed within one year after the claim accrues, and in limited cases involving hidden publications the clock may start when the statement is discovered.
Is defamation a crime in Arizona?
No. Arizona's criminal code has no criminal libel or slander offense, so defamation is handled through civil lawsuits. Related conduct, such as electronic harassment or stalking, can be prosecuted under other laws.
Does Arizona have an anti-SLAPP law?
Yes. Since amendments took effect in September 2022, a defendant sued over protected speech or press activity can ask for early dismissal, but must first show the lawsuit was substantially motivated by a desire to deter, retaliate against or prevent that activity.
Do I have to ask a newspaper for a correction before suing for libel in Arizona?
For libel in a newspaper or magazine, or slander on radio or TV, Arizona law calls for a written correction demand within 20 days of learning of the statement, or damages may be limited. The Arizona Supreme Court has held that this limit cannot bar general damages for reputational and emotional harm, so the rules for a specific case are best reviewed with a licensed Arizona attorney.
Is it illegal to share someone's intimate images online in Arizona?
Yes. Sharing a nude or sexual image of someone without consent and with intent to harm or harass them is a felony, and a class 4 felony when shared electronically. Sharing a realistic fake image of this kind is a misdemeanor.
05Defamation laws in nearby states
06Sources
- Rogers v. Mroz, 252 Ariz. 335 (2022), ¶¶ 2, 12, 15
- Digital Media Law Project, Arizona Defamation Law
- Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 13 (Criminal Code), table of sections
- A.R.S. § 12-541(1)
- A.R.S. § 12-651 (Uniform Single Publication Act)
- A.R.S. § 12-751
- Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Anti-SLAPP Legal Guide: Arizona
- A.R.S. § 12-653.02
- A.R.S. § 12-653.03
- A.R.S. § 12-653.05
- Digital Media Law Project, Retraction Law in Arizona (citing Boswell v. Phoenix Newspapers, 152 Ariz. 9 (1986))
- A.R.S. § 13-2923
- A.R.S. § 13-2916
- A.R.S. § 13-2921
- A.R.S. § 13-2401
- A.R.S. § 13-1425