Arizona Guardianship Petition Requirements: Step-by-Step Filing Guide

Filing a minor guardianship petition in Arizona requires submitting a specific set of documents to the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the child lives. Missing a single required form means the Clerk may reject the filing or the judge will continue your hearing — and you start the waiting period over again. Here is exactly what you need, in the order courts expect to receive it.

The Core Document Packet

Every Title 14 minor guardianship petition in Arizona requires these documents:

1. Probate Information Cover Sheet. This is the intake form — identifying information for the petitioner, the minor child, and the proposed guardian. Every county uses one, though the form number varies.

2. Petition for Appointment of Guardian of a Minor. The central filing. This document states the statutory basis under A.R.S. § 14-5204 (parental consent, terminated parental rights, or minor aged 16+ with no willing/able parent), the child's residence history, and the status of each parent. Be specific: vague statements about parental unavailability are not statutory grounds.

3. Affidavit of Proposed Guardian (A.R.S. § 14-5106). A mandatory sworn disclosure covering felony convictions, prior fiduciary appointments and removals, fiduciary knowledge, elder-abuse registry status, relationship to the minor, and other specified financial and fiduciary matters. This is not optional and not a formality — the court reviews it before the hearing.

4. Statement Pursuant to A.R.S. § 14-5651, where required by the county's current packet. Some counties require a statement that the proposed guardian is not a licensed private fiduciary; Pima County, for example, lists Form G/C-41 in its minor-guardianship filing packet.

5. UCCJEA Disclosure Affidavit. Required in all child custody and guardianship proceedings. Lists the child's addresses for the preceding five years and discloses any existing custody, guardianship, or dependency proceedings in any court, anywhere. Interstate jurisdiction disputes begin with this document.

6. Parental Consent and Waiver of Notice (one per consenting parent). If a parent agrees to the guardianship, their signed consent form, sworn or affirmed as the county form requires, documents that consent. Each consenting parent signs separately.

7. Notice of Hearing and Proof of Service. Proof that notice was given to every required party at least 14 days before the hearing under A.R.S. § 14-1401. For non-consenting or absent parents, this means personal service, certified or registered mail, or service by publication when permitted.

8. Proposed Order Appointing Guardian and Letters of Guardianship. You draft these for the judge to sign if the petition is granted. The Clerk cannot issue Letters until the judge signs the Order and you file your signed Acceptance of Appointment.

9. Order to Guardian and Acknowledgment. A court instruction sheet detailing the guardian's fiduciary obligations, which you sign and return.

County-Specific Variations

The substantive law is the same statewide, but each county packages these forms differently:

• Maricopa County: JG1 packet (sometimes labeled JG1z) for the first court papers, including the probate information form, petition, proposed guardian affidavit, and parent consent forms; service and hearing notice are handled in Step 2
• Pima County: Probate packets numbered by form type (G/C-5 for the petition, G/C-42 for the § 14-5106 affidavit), available from the Pima County Law Library
• Pinal County: Minor Guardianship Packet from the Clerk of the Superior Court
• Yavapai County: Packet 60a (petition), available through the Self-Service Center
• Cochise, Mohave, and smaller counties: each maintains its own packet through the county Clerk's office or law library

Download or pick up the packet from your specific county. Do not use Maricopa forms in Pima County or vice versa — local form numbers matter.

Filing Sequence

The practical order for a pro se filer:

1. Obtain and complete the full county packet
2. Complete the § 14-5106 affidavit under oath or affirmation as your county's current form requires
3. Obtain signed parental consent forms under oath or affirmation as your county's current form requires (if applicable)
4. Complete the UCCJEA disclosure
5. File everything with the Clerk and pay (or apply to waive) the filing fee
6. Receive the hearing date from the Clerk
7. Immediately arrange service on all required parties
8. Submit fingerprint cards on the same day if required under A.R.S. § 14-5206
9. Complete the Supreme Court's non-licensed fiduciary training and file the certificate before the Clerk issues Letters, unless the court orders otherwise

Steps 7 and 8 are where pro se filers lose time. Personal service can take multiple attempts, and DPS fingerprint processing takes one to three weeks. Starting both on filing day — not after you receive the hearing date — prevents last-minute delays.

The Arizona Guardianship and Custody Court Process Guide walks through each document with field-by-field explanations, county-specific form references, and a pre-filing checklist that ensures nothing is missing before you hand the packet to the Clerk.

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