What This Statute Says
A.R.S. § 42-11117 exempts property owned by volunteer fire departments. The exemption supports rural and unincorporated areas of Arizona where volunteer departments provide essential fire protection.
The property of a volunteer fire department that is recognized under section 501 of the internal revenue code is exempt from taxation if the property is used exclusively for fire suppression and prevention activities and is neither used nor occupied by or for the benefit of any person.
A.R.S. § 42-11117Many rural Arizona communities depend on volunteer fire departments. The property tax exemption frees more of their donations and assessments for actual firefighting equipment and training.
For estate planners working in rural counties, charitable bequests to local volunteer departments take advantage of this exemption on the recipient end.
When This Statute Comes Into Play
This statute typically becomes relevant in three situations. A property owner is reviewing an annual tax bill. An estate is being administered and the personal representative has to address ongoing property tax obligations. Or a charitable or nonprofit organization is claiming or maintaining an exemption. The statute is part of a larger framework in chapter 11 of title 42 and operates alongside the related sections cross-linked below.
What This Means for Arizona Families
Most families never think about Arizona property tax statutes until they are sitting at a closing table on an inherited home, reviewing an unexpected tax bill, or trying to claim an exemption for a surviving spouse. When that moment arrives, the rules in chapter 11 of title 42 are the framework you are working inside.
If you are holding real property in a revocable living trust, the trust structure does not by itself remove the property from the tax rolls. The exemption has to come from a specific statute. Our FAQ on what to do with property you inherit in Arizona covers the immediate practical questions, and our FAQ on probate timelines covers how a contested or stalled administration can affect tax filings and exemptions.
If you are administering an estate, the personal representative has a duty to keep property taxes current, to claim available exemptions where appropriate, and to maintain documentation in case the assessor reviews a claim later. Calendar the February exemption filing window each year for any property where a widow, widower, or disability exemption applies. Once the deadline passes, the saving for that year is usually lost.