Arizona courts do not set a fixed number of attempts — instead, they require "diligent effort." In practice, courts expect a meaningful pattern of attempts before granting alternative service under Rule 4.1(k).
Arizona Rule 4.1 requires diligent efforts to locate and serve the defendant, but the rule sets no number of attempts. Courts evaluate the totality of the effort, not a count.
In practice, Arizona courts typically expect at least 3 to 5 attempts at varied times — morning, afternoon, evening, and weekends — before granting alternative service.
Attempts must occur at different times of day and on different days of the week to show genuine effort to locate the person.
If the defendant's address is uncertain, courts may expect the party to conduct a skip trace to identify the correct location before alternative service is authorized.
Maricopa County
Pinal County