Where to file bankruptcy in Arizona

Where to file in Arizona, what it costs and what comes next.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before filing.

Federal bankruptcy courts: 1
Courts: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona

Arizona bankruptcy courts and divisions

You file in the federal bankruptcy district where you lived (your domicile) for most of the 180 days before filing. Arizona is one district. The court has offices in Phoenix and Tucson and also hears cases in Yuma, Flagstaff and Bullhead City: https://www.azb.uscourts.gov/court-info/court-locations.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1408

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona

Divisions: Phoenix, Tucson (offices); Yuma, Flagstaff, Bullhead City (hearing locations)

Clerk's phone: 602-682-4000 or 800-556-9230

Court's self-help page

In nearby states

New Mexico: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico
Utah: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Utah
Nevada: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada

Your next steps in Arizona

Pick the right court
You file where you lived for most of the last 180 days.
Visit the court's website
Court websites: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona.
Take credit counseling
Take it before you file and keep the certificate. U.S. Trustee list of approved credit counseling agencies.
Fill in the forms
Download the official bankruptcy forms.
Get help
Legal aid can help for free: Community Legal Services (central and western Arizona) and Southern Arizona Legal Aid.

Free legal help in Arizona

Questions about filing in Arizona

How do I find my bankruptcy court in Arizona?

What income passes the means test in Arizona?

For cases filed on or after April 1, 2026: 1 person: $73,935; 2 people: $89,027; 3 people: $104,965; 4 people: $121,174; Each extra person: +$11,100.

Who helps with bankruptcy for free in Arizona?

Community Legal Services (central and western Arizona), Southern Arizona Legal Aid and AZLawHelp.org.

Related Arizona pages

Court fees

Chapter 7 filing fee. To file Chapter 7 you pay $338 to the court: a $245 filing fee, a $78 administrative fee and a $15 trustee fee. A married couple filing one joint case pays one set of fees.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(A); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, items 8 and 9 (effective December 1, 2023)

Chapter 13 filing fee. To file Chapter 13 you pay $313 to the court: a $235 filing fee and a $78 administrative fee.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(a)(1)(B); Bankruptcy Court Miscellaneous Fee Schedule, item 8 (effective December 1, 2023)

Paying in installments. If you cannot pay the whole fee at once, you can ask to pay it in installments. File Official Form 103A with your petition. The court decides the plan: no more than 4 payments, all paid within 120 days after you file. For a good reason the court can give you more time, but the last payment must be made within 180 days. Until the fee is paid in full, you may not pay your lawyer or petition preparer.

Law: Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(b) (as amended Dec. 1, 2024)

Fee waiver. In Chapter 7 only, the court may waive the fee. You must have income below 150% of the official poverty line for your family size, and you must be unable to pay the fee even in installments. Ask by filing Official Form 103B with your petition. The judge decides.

Law: 28 U.S.C. 1930(f)(1); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1006(c)

The 341 meeting

About a month after you file, you must attend the 'meeting of creditors' (341 meeting). The trustee asks you questions under oath about your property and debts. Creditors may come and ask questions. No judge attends. Chapter 7: 21 to 40 days after filing. Chapter 13: 21 to 50 days after filing. Bring photo ID and proof of your Social Security number. If you file jointly, both spouses must attend.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 341, 343; Fed. R. Bankr. P. 2003(a), 4002(b)(1)

Credit counseling and debtor education

Credit counseling before you file. Before you file, you must take a credit counseling course (a 'briefing') from an agency approved by the U.S. Trustee Program. You must take it within 180 days before you file. It can be in person, by phone or online, alone or in a group. Keep the certificate: you file it with your case. If you skip it, your case can be dismissed.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 109(h), 111

Debtor education after you file. After you file, you must take a second, separate course on personal financial management (debtor education) from an approved provider. In most cases you get no discharge without it. Chapter 7: file the certificate within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors. Chapter 13: by the date of your last plan payment. Some providers send the certificate to the court for you.

Law: 11 U.S.C. 727(a)(11), 1328(g); Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(b)(7), 1007(c)(4)

Where to file bankruptcy in Arizona

Short answer

Arizona bankruptcy courts and divisions

In nearby states

Your next steps in Arizona

Pick the right court

Visit the court's website

Take credit counseling

Fill in the forms

Get help

Free legal help in Arizona

Questions about filing in Arizona

Related Arizona pages