Arizona Assault Laws: Simple vs Aggravated Assault and Penalties

Arizona does not have a separate battery crime. A.R.S. 13-1203 defines a single offense called assault that covers causing physical injury, intentionally placing someone in reasonable apprehension of imminent physical injury, and knowingly touching someone with the intent to injure, insult or provoke, and every form of simple assault is a misdemeanor. Assault usually becomes a felony as aggravated assault under A.R.S. 13-1204, where the class turns on the injury, a weapon, strangulation in a domestic setting or the victim's job. For other states, see our guide to assault and battery laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-13. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Arizona's assault statutes (A.R.S. 13-1203 and 13-1204, with the other chapter 12 offenses summarized), the definitions in A.R.S. 13-105, the sentencing sections in A.R.S. 13-702, 13-704, 13-705, 13-707, 13-801 and 13-802, the domestic violence provisions in A.R.S. 13-3601 and 13-3601.02, and the civil filing period in A.R.S. 12-542. It does not cover self-defense and justification (see Arizona self-defense laws), orders of protection (see Arizona restraining order laws), sexual offenses, federal assault crimes (see the hub), tribal law or city ordinances.

Assault vs. battery in Arizona

Arizona folds what other states call battery into its assault statute. A.R.S. 13-1203(A) reads:

"A person commits assault by: 1. Intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing any physical injury to another person; or 2. Intentionally placing another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent physical injury; or 3. Knowingly touching another person with the intent to injure, insult or provoke such person."

Paragraph 1 is the injury form, paragraph 2 is the threat form (no contact is needed) and paragraph 3 is the offensive-touching form. All three are prosecuted as assault under 13-1203, and the paragraph and the mental state set the class.

Is assault a felony in Arizona?

Simple assault under 13-1203 is a misdemeanor. A.R.S. 13-1203(B) provides that intentional or knowing injury "is a class 1 misdemeanor," reckless injury "is a class 2 misdemeanor," and the threat and touching forms are "a class 3 misdemeanor."

Assault becomes a felony when one of the circumstances in A.R.S. 13-1204 applies, which makes it aggravated assault. A separate felony, aggravated domestic violence under A.R.S. 13-3601.02, can rest on repeated domestic violence offenses, including misdemeanor assaults (see below), and the assault chapter contains other felonies listed under "Other assault offenses" below. The lowest felony tier is a class 6 felony, which covers, among others, an adult assaulting a child under 15, an assault on a victim who is bound or whose capacity to resist is substantially impaired, an assault after entering another person's private home with the intent to assault, an injury or touching assault in violation of an order of protection, and an assault on one of the workers listed in 13-1204(A)(8).

Arizona assault offenses and penalties

Where the numbers come from. A.R.S. 13-707(A) caps misdemeanor jail at "six months" for class 1, "four months" for class 2 and "thirty days" for class 3, and A.R.S. 13-802 caps the fines at $2,500, $750 and $500. Felony fines are capped by A.R.S. 13-801(A) at "not more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars." The felony ranges above are the full mitigated-to-aggravated span in the A.R.S. 13-702(D) table for first-time offenders, whose presumptive terms are 5 years (class 2), 3.5 years (class 3), 2.5 years (class 4), 1.5 years (class 5) and 1 year (class 6). A person who is at least 18 (or tried as an adult) and is convicted of a misdemeanor, other than a traffic offense, after a conviction for the same misdemeanor within the preceding two years is sentenced for the next higher class under 13-707(B). These are statutory limits, not a prediction of the sentence in any case.

These are the ranges for the offense itself; A.R.S. 13-703 and 13-704 set higher ranges for repeat felony offenders, and A.R.S. 13-706 requires life imprisonment for some repeat convictions, described below.

Dangerous offenses and the definitions that decide the grade

Arizona sentences a felony that is a "dangerous offense" under its own, higher table. A.R.S. 13-105(13) defines a dangerous offense as "an offense involving the discharge, use or threatening exhibition of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument or the intentional or knowing infliction of serious physical injury on another person." For a person at least 18 years old (or tried as an adult) convicted of a dangerous felony, A.R.S. 13-704(A) sets ranges of 7 to 21 years for class 2 (presumptive 10.5), 5 to 15 years for class 3 (presumptive 7.5) and 4 to 8 years for class 4 (presumptive 6), among others.

Repeat offenders. A.R.S. 13-703 sentences an adult with one or more historical prior felony convictions as a repetitive offender under higher ranges, and 13-704 does the same for repeat dangerous offenses. Under A.R.S. 13-706(A), a person at least 18 (or tried as an adult) who is convicted of a serious offense (other than a dangerous crime against children under 13-705, which has its own repeat-offender terms), which 13-706(F) defines to include aggravated assault resulting in serious physical injury or involving the discharge, use or threatening exhibition of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, and who has two or more prior serious-offense convictions not committed on the same occasion, must be sentenced to life imprisonment with no release on any basis until at least 25 years are served, except as section 31-233(A) or (B) authorizes or the sentence is commuted. Under 13-706(B), a person convicted of a violent or aggravated felony, which 13-706(F)(2) defines to include that same form of aggravated assault and dangerous or deadly assault by a prisoner (13-1206), who has two or more prior violent or aggravated felony convictions not committed on the same occasion, entered within the time limits and in the sequence 13-706(C) sets, must be sentenced to life imprisonment with no release on any basis, though commutation is possible after 35 years.

The other definitions in A.R.S. 13-105 apply across Title 13:

• Physical injury: "the impairment of physical condition."
• Serious physical injury: "includes physical injury that creates a reasonable risk of death, or that causes serious and permanent disfigurement, serious impairment of health or loss or protracted impairment of the function of any bodily organ or limb."
• Deadly weapon: "anything designed for lethal use, including a firearm."
• Dangerous instrument: "anything that under the circumstances in which it is used, attempted to be used or threatened to be used is readily capable of causing death or serious physical injury."

Child victims. When aggravated assault under paragraph 1 or 2 is committed on a victim under 15, 13-1204(F) makes it "a class 2 felony punishable pursuant to section 13-705," the dangerous crimes against children statute. For a dangerous crime against children in the first degree involving aggravated assault, A.R.S. 13-705(F) sets a term of 10 to 24 years, presumptive 17, for a defendant at least 18 years old or tried as an adult; whether a particular conviction falls within that subsection depends on the definitions in 13-705.

Assaulting a police officer, nurse, teacher or other protected worker

A.R.S. 13-1204(A)(8) makes an assault aggravated when the person commits it "knowing or having reason to know that the victim is any of the following":

• (a) a first responder or a person summoned and directed by the first responder;
• (b) a constable or a person summoned and directed by the constable, while engaged in official duties or if the assault results from those duties;
• (c) a teacher or other person employed by any school while on school grounds or adjacent grounds or in a building or vehicle used for school purposes, a teacher or school nurse visiting a private home in the course of professional duties, or a teacher in an authorized and organized classroom activity held off school grounds;
• (d) a health care worker while engaged in work duties, or a health care practitioner certified or licensed under Title 32, chapter 13, 14, 15, 17 or 25, or a person summoned and directed by that practitioner;
• (e) a prosecutor, (f) a code enforcement officer, (g) a state or municipal park ranger, (h) a public defender or (i) a judicial officer, each while engaged in official duties or if the assault results from those duties;
• (j) an employee of a law enforcement agency, other than a peace officer, while engaged in official duties;
• (k) a public transit employee who performs duties on and off a vehicle while transferring members of the community in a bus, van or shuttle;
• (l) an airport employee who interacts with the public while engaged in work duties;
• (m) a railway worker operating a train, light rail or passenger rail or performing track maintenance;
• (n) an employee of a public utility under section 44-1376, a licensed telecommunications provider, a licensed video service provider or a utility as defined in section 40-491, while engaged in work duties.

The health care provision carries its own exception: it "does not apply if the person who commits the assault does not have the ability to form the culpable mental state because of a mental disability, developmental disability or cognitive disability or because the person is seriously mentally ill, as defined in section 36-550."

An assault under paragraph 8 is a class 6 felony unless a higher tier applies to the victim:

• First responders. A.R.S. 13-1204(J)(3) defines a first responder as a peace officer; a firefighter, fire marshal, fire inspector, emergency medical care technician or paramedic "who is engaged in the execution of any official duties"; or a tribal police officer. Under 13-1204(G), a paragraph 8 assault on a first responder "is a class 4 felony unless the assault results in any physical injury to the first responder, in which case it is a class 3 felony." Aggravated assault on a first responder by serious physical injury or a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument is a class 2 felony, and a fracture or temporary substantial injury is a class 3 felony.
• Mandatory prison for first responders. Under 13-1204(C), a person convicted of intentionally or knowingly committing aggravated assault on a first responder under paragraph 1 or 2 "shall be sentenced to imprisonment for not less than the presumptive sentence authorized under chapter 7 of this title and is not eligible for suspension of sentence, commutation or release on any basis until the sentence imposed is served."
• Peace officers off duty or ambushed. Under 13-1204(E), it is not a defense or a mitigating circumstance that a peace officer was not on duty or engaged in official duties. Under 13-1204(D), when the trier of fact finds that an aggravated assault on a peace officer involved lying in wait for or ambushing the victim (13-701(D)(17)), the sentence is two years more than would otherwise be imposed.
• Law enforcement agency employees. Under 13-1204(H), a paragraph 8(j) assault is a class 5 felony, or a class 4 felony if it results in any physical injury; paragraph 1 or 2 is a class 2 felony and paragraph 3 a class 3 felony.
• Prosecutors. Under 13-1204(I), paragraph 1 or 2 is a class 2 felony and paragraph 3 a class 3 felony when committed on a prosecutor, and a paragraph 8(e) assault is a class 5 felony "if the assault results in physical injury to a prosecutor."

A.R.S. 13-1204(J) also defines "judicial officer" (a justice of the supreme court, judge, justice of the peace or magistrate, or a commissioner or hearing officer of a state, county or municipal court) and "health care worker" (including a person employed by or contracted to work at a health care institution licensed under Title 36, and certain fieldwork settings such as home health care and emergency services and transport).

Domestic violence assault in Arizona

Arizona handles domestic assault through a designation. A.R.S. 13-3601(A) designates an assault under 13-1203 or 13-1204 (along with other listed offenses) as "domestic violence" when a listed relationship applies, including when "the relationship between the victim and the defendant is one of marriage or former marriage or of persons residing or having resided in the same household," when the two "have a child in common," or when either "is pregnant by the other party."

Two rules raise the stakes. First, strangulation during an assault is aggravated assault under 13-1204(B), a class 4 felony, when "any of the circumstances exists that are set forth in section 13-3601, subsection A, paragraph 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6." Second, under A.R.S. 13-3601.02(A) a person who "within a period of eighty-four months commits a third or subsequent violation of a domestic violence offense," or is convicted of one with qualifying prior convictions, is guilty of aggravated domestic violence, "a class 5 felony."

Under federal law, 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(9) bars a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing firearms or ammunition; see the assault and battery laws hub for the federal rules. Orders of protection are covered on our Arizona restraining order laws page.

Other assault offenses

Chapter 12 of Title 13 contains other assault-type felonies beyond aggravated assault. Under A.R.S. 13-1206, an assault by a person in the custody of the state department of corrections, the department of juvenile corrections, a law enforcement agency or a county or city jail that involves a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or that intentionally or knowingly inflicts serious physical injury, is a class 2 felony, and the sentence runs consecutively to any sentence being served. A.R.S. 13-1212 makes a prisoner's throwing or projecting bodily fluids at a correctional facility employee or private prison security officer a class 6 felony with a consecutive sentence. A.R.S. 13-1213 makes intentionally or knowingly aiming a laser pointer at a peace officer a class 5 felony (a class 1 misdemeanor if reckless). Threatening or intimidating under A.R.S. 13-1202 is a class 1 misdemeanor, but a class 6 felony when committed in retaliation for reporting criminal activity or by a criminal street gang member, and a class 3 felony in its gang, syndicate or racketeering form.

Recent changes

The current text of A.R.S. 13-1204 reflects Laws 2026, chapter 177 (Senate Bill 1448, titled "aggravated assault; utility workers"), approved by the governor on June 19, 2026, and Laws 2025, chapter 172 (House Bill 2611, cited as "Preston's Law"), approved on May 12, 2025.

The section as now in force opens with the words "Until January 1, 2033." The legislature has enacted a different version of 13-1204 that applies after December 31, 2032, so the victim list and class tiers described here should be checked again before that date.

Civil lawsuits for assault in Arizona

A criminal prosecution and a civil lawsuit are separate. A.R.S. 12-542 provides that, "except as provided in section 12-551," an action "for injuries done to the person of another" must be "commenced and prosecuted within two years after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward." The section does not name assault or battery separately. If the defendant is charged by a criminal complaint or indictment for conduct including assault or aggravated assault, A.R.S. 12-511 extends the period for the victim's civil action to one year after the final disposition of the criminal proceedings, "regardless of whether the defendant is convicted." Under A.R.S. 12-502, if the injured person was under 18 or of unsound mind when the claim arose, the period does not run until that disability ends. Other filing deadlines are collected in our guide to the Arizona statute of limitations.

Related legal issues

Self-defense and defense of others are justifications with their own rules; see Arizona self-defense laws rather than this page. For orders of protection, see Arizona restraining order laws. For clearing or sealing a past conviction, see Arizona expungement laws.

Related pages

• Assault and battery laws by state
• Arizona self-defense laws
• Arizona restraining order laws
• Arizona expungement laws
• Arizona statute of limitations
• New Mexico assault and battery laws
• Nevada assault and battery laws

This article provides general legal information about Arizona assault statutes as of 2026-10-13. It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Arizona.

Last updated: 2026-10-13.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between assault and battery in Arizona?

Arizona does not use the word battery for a separate crime. A.R.S. 13-1203 calls all three forms assault: causing physical injury, intentionally placing someone in reasonable apprehension of imminent physical injury, and knowingly touching someone with the intent to injure, insult or provoke.

Is assault a felony in Arizona?

Simple assault under A.R.S. 13-1203 is a class 1, 2 or 3 misdemeanor. It becomes a felony when one of the circumstances in A.R.S. 13-1204 applies, which makes it aggravated assault, a class 2 to class 6 felony; the assault chapter also has separate felonies, such as assault by a person in custody under A.R.S. 13-1206, and repeated domestic violence offenses can also support aggravated domestic violence, a class 5 felony under A.R.S. 13-3601.02.

What is the penalty for simple assault in Arizona?

Intentional or knowing physical injury is a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a fine up to $2,500. Reckless injury is a class 2 misdemeanor (up to 4 months and $750), and the threat and offensive-touching forms are class 3 misdemeanors (up to 30 days and $500) under A.R.S. 13-707 and 13-802.

What is the penalty for aggravated assault in Arizona?

It depends on the subsection. Serious physical injury or a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument is a class 3 felony (class 2 for a victim under 15, a first responder, a law enforcement agency employee or a prosecutor); a fracture or temporary but substantial disfigurement is a class 4 felony; and the listed-victim and other circumstances in 13-1204(A)(4)-(8) are class 6 felonies unless a higher tier in 13-1204(G)-(I) applies. For a first-time, non-dangerous offense, A.R.S. 13-702(D) sets ranges from 0.33 to 2 years for class 6 up to 3 to 12.5 years for class 2; a victim under 15 brings sentencing under 13-705 instead, and an intentional or knowing assault on a first responder requires at least the presumptive term (13-1204(C)).

What happens if you assault a police officer in Arizona?

A peace officer is a first responder under A.R.S. 13-1204(J). Assaulting a first responder, knowing or having reason to know the victim's status, is a class 4 felony, or class 3 if any physical injury results; serious physical injury or a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument makes it a class 2 felony, and an intentional or knowing offense of that kind requires at least the presumptive prison term under 13-1204(C).

Is assaulting a nurse or teacher a felony in Arizona?

Yes, under the conditions in A.R.S. 13-1204(A)(8). Assault on a health care worker engaged in work duties, or on a teacher or school employee on school grounds or in a school building or vehicle, is a class 6 felony when the accused knew or had reason to know the victim's status; the health care provision does not apply to a person who cannot form the culpable mental state because of a listed disability or serious mental illness.

Is strangulation a felony in Arizona?

Under A.R.S. 13-1204(B), an assault in which the person intentionally or knowingly impedes another person's normal breathing or blood circulation, by pressure to the throat or neck or by obstructing the nose and mouth, is a class 4 felony when one of the domestic violence circumstances in 13-3601(A)(1)-(6) exists, such as marriage or former marriage, living in the same household, or a child in common.

How long do you have to sue for assault in Arizona?

A.R.S. 12-542(1) requires an action for injuries done to the person of another to be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues, except as provided in section 12-551. If the defendant is criminally charged, A.R.S. 12-511 extends the period to one year after the criminal case ends, conviction or not, and A.R.S. 12-502 pauses it if the injured person was under 18 or of unsound mind when the claim arose, until that disability ends.