One exception is that the time limits are paused when a defendant is out of state. So if a person commits a felony DUI in Arizona on January 1, 2022, but he then leaves the state the next day, the 7-year time limit to file felony DUI charges will not start until the defendant returns to Arizona. This way a DUI offender cannot avoid prosecution by simply fleeing the state for a period of time and then returning after the statute of limitations has run out.