Santa Cruz County, Arizona: Small Claims for a Security Deposit

Limits: $5,000 (statewide). Court: Santa Cruz County Justice Court, Precinct No. 1 - Small Claims.

Filing facts

State small claims limits	$5,000 (statewide)
Statewide filing fee	Set by the court; call the clerk or check the court page. Official court website
E-filing	Not verified
Time limit to sue in Arizona	3 years.
State deposit return deadline	14 business days after Termination of tenancy, delivery of possession, AND demand by the tenant.
Penalty formula	2x the amount wrongfully withheld, plus recovery of the property/money due, if the landlord fails to comply with the subsection D itemization/return duty (no separate statutory "bad faith" element required - the penalty attaches to noncompliance with the 14-day itemized-list duty itself). Bad faith required: No.
Deposit statute	Arizona Revised Statutes § 33-1321 (Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act)

Where to file

Santa Cruz County Justice Court, Precinct No. 1 - Small Claims

Courthouse city: Nogales

Some counties have more than one small claims court, and venue rules differ by state; check which court hears your claim on the court's official page or with the clerk.

Official court website

Court page check not recorded

See how to file in Arizona for the state filing procedure.

Rent and deposits in Santa Cruz County

County median gross rent: $781 per month.

County median gross rent by bedroom count
Bedrooms	Monthly rent
Studio	$460
1 bedroom	$531
2 bedrooms	$808
3 bedrooms	$978
4 bedrooms	$1,047

Illustrative deposit example computed from the county median rent: one month of the Census two-bedroom median is $808; two months is $1,616. This is an example computed from the county median, not a legal cap or a survey of deposits. The calculations below use the one-month deposit of $808.

State legal maximum deposit in Arizona: 1.5 months' rent ($1,212 at the example rent) (statute does not distinguish furnished/unfurnished - cap applies to all security deposits, however denominated, including prepaid rent).

Total households in Santa Cruz County: 16,816.

Renter households: 5,318 (31.6% of all households).

Renters spending more than half their household income on rent: 12.1%. A delayed deposit refund can leave these households with less money for their next rent payment.

County rent and household source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates, tables B25064, B25031, B25003, B25070. Accessed 2026-09-21.

Will my deposit claim fit the limit?

Using the county Census figure: two-bedroom median gross rent for Santa Cruz County, $808 per month.

The deposit range does not include penalties, interest, or other amounts you may claim.

Compared with $5,000 (statewide), the whole deposit range fits.

A claim above the applicable limit must either be reduced to that limit or go to a different court.

Towns this court serves

A deposit claim is usually filed where the property sits or where the landlord is.

Nogales
Patagonia

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census place-to-county relationship file.

Courthouse details

Address: 2160 N Congress Dr, Ste 2200, Nogales, Arizona 85621

Phone: (520) 375-7700

Statewide e-filing portal

Statewide self-help centre

Address and phone checked against the court's own page on 2026-09-21

Court contact source

Free help in Santa Cruz County

Southern Arizona Legal Aid
free help for tenants with evictions from subsidized or private housing, substandard housing conditions, lockouts, and utility shut offs
Phone: 520-623-9461

Statewide help

DNA-People's Legal Services
free civil legal assistance, advice, and representation, including help to protect and secure adequate housing, for people living on the Navajo, Hopi and Jicarilla Apache Reservations and in parts of Northern Arizona, Northwest New Mexico, and Southern Utah
Phone: 1-833-362-1102

These are independent organisations, not DemandLetterLab.

From letter to filing

Send an Arizona security deposit demand letter stating the deposit amount supported by your records.
Before you file: review the deposit return deadlines above and allow the typical response window of 14 days after your letter.
Time limit to sue in Arizona: 3 years.
Check the court's filing instructions. Keep your lease, payment records, photos, letter, and proof of delivery ready.

This template uses Arizona law. Your county decides where you file, not which law applies.

Choose how to send your letter

We mail it, or you mail it.

$49, done for you.

We write the letter from the facts you send, mail it by USPS Certified Mail with tracking, and send you the tracking number and a PDF record of what was sent.

Mailed within 2 business days of your completed form, or a full refund.

Document preparation and mailing, not legal advice. We do not assess your claim, choose a strategy, or promise a recovery.

Write and mail my letter for $49

$29, you send it.

A print-ready PDF of the Arizona letter template, ready to download after payment.

Certified-mail instructions: what to ask for at the counter and what it costs.
Arizona small-claims details: the limit, the deadline to sue, and where to file.

You fill in the template, print it, and pay postage. The same letter template is also available free by email below. The kit adds the print-ready PDF, mailing guide, and local details in one place.

If you cannot access or use the kit files, contact us for a replacement or a full refund.

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Free Arizona template, built from verified state data

Methodology: every statute verified against primary sources. See how verification works.

I rented [rental property address] from [lease start date] to [move-out date]. I paid a security deposit of $[amount]. I returned the keys on [date] and gave you my forwarding address in writing on [date]. Under Arizona law (Arizona Revised Statutes § 33-1321), a landlord must return the deposit or send a written, itemized list of deductions within 14 business days after termination of tenancy, delivery of possession, and demand by the tenant.

FAQ

How much does it cost to file in Santa Cruz County?

Statewide filing fee: Set by the court; call the clerk or check the court page. Official court website

How long do I have to sue?

Time limit to sue in Arizona: 3 years.

Where do I file?

Santa Cruz County Justice Court, Precinct No. 1 - Small Claims. Courthouse city: Nogales. Check the court's instructions for the right filing location.