Arizona Workers’ Compensation Guide 2026
Understand reporting, Worker’s Report forms, medical choice, temporary compensation, ICA notices, hearings, and deadlines.
Report promptly and file the worker’s claim
Tell the supervisor or employer as soon as the injury occurs or becomes connected to work. The employer’s Form 101 report is not the worker’s legal application. At treatment, the worker can complete the Worker’s and Physician’s Report of Injury, often called Form 102 or the Pink Form; the separate Worker’s Report of Injury is Form 407.
A written claim generally must be filed with the ICA within one year after the injury or when the compensable condition became known or reasonably should have become known. Preserve the filed form, claim number, wage records, medical restrictions, and every notice.
The ICA handbook says public and private employers generally need coverage when they employ one or more full- or part-time employees, subject to statutory exceptions. Arizona also has a Special Fund process for qualifying injuries involving uninsured employers.
Check whether the employer may direct care
A self-insured employer registered for directed medical care may control treatment throughout the injury. If the employer does not have that authority, it may generally direct one initial visit, after which the worker may choose a doctor. Voluntarily treating with that doctor more than once can be treated as the worker’s choice.
After selecting a doctor, changing providers generally requires approval from the current doctor, carrier, or ICA. Do not begin non-emergency treatment with a replacement doctor before approval because payment can be disputed.
Medical and temporary compensation benefits
Accepted claims can provide reasonable injury-related medical care. Time-loss compensation generally requires more than seven consecutive calendar days of disability. Days one through seven are initially unpaid; when disability reaches 14 days, compensation is computed from the injury date, although the injury day is generally not paid when it was worked.
TTD uses 66⅔% of established AMW, capped by the injury-year statutory wage maximum. The single dependent allowance is $25 for claims filed before September 26, 2025 and $100 from that filing date. TPD uses two-thirds of the loss in monthly earning capacity and the seven-day waiting rule also applies.
Read every notice and protect protest periods
After ICA notifies the carrier, the carrier generally has 21 days to accept or deny the claim. A denial arrives on a Notice of Claim Status. The ICA handbook states that a worker generally has 90 days to protest a denial or other adverse notice by requesting a hearing.
The ICA separately determines the average monthly wage. Review the wage sheet and Notice of Average Monthly Wage carefully. Untimely notices or awards can become final, so do not wait for informal discussions to resolve a formal deadline.
Permanent benefits and official assistance
Permanent scheduled awards, unscheduled loss-of-earning-capacity awards, supportive care, reopening, rearrangement, vocational rehabilitation, and settlements use separate legal and medical rules. The calculator does not value them.
The ICA Claims Division and Ombudsman can explain procedure but do not provide legal advice. A worker may represent themselves or consult a qualified Arizona workers’ compensation attorney.
Does the employer’s report file my claim?
No. The worker remains responsible for ensuring that Form 102 or Form 407 reaches the ICA.
Who chooses the doctor?
It depends on whether a self-insured employer has registered directed care. Otherwise, employer direction is generally limited to one visit before worker choice.
How long do I have to protest a denial?
The ICA handbook generally states 90 days from the notice. Read the exact notice immediately because exceptions are narrow and other documents may have their own deadlines.