Arizona Minimum Car Insurance Requirements
Arizona required drivers to show proof of insurance before registering a vehicle. This means they must prove to the state that they carry the mandatory minimum liability insurance coverage. The required liability insurance coverage for the state of Arizona is as follows:
- $25,000 bodily injury per person
- $50,000 bodily injury per accident
- $15,000 property damage per accident
Comparative Fault in Arizona
The state of Arizona is known as a comparative fault state. Comparative fault, also sometimes referred to as comparative negligence, is a way of assigning fault to a driver after an accident. Arizona is a “pure” comparative fault state which means that the responsibility for an accident can be shared by both drivers. It is typically split up by percentages. For example, if you are found to be 25% at fault for an accident and the other driver is 75%, your insurance would be responsible for 25% of the damage. The other party’s insurance would have to pick up the other 75%.
Arizona Liability Car Insurance Coverage
As discussed previously, liability insurance is required for every driver to carry in the state of Arizona. Liability coverage pays for damages and injuries to the other driver when you are at fault for an accident. It never covers your own expenses or repairs. Liability insurance is divided into two categories: bodily injury and property damage coverage.
Car Insurance Limits in Arizona
A state liability insurance limit is the lowest amount of coverage you can legally drive with. When you have such a policy, the amount is also the maximum for how much your insurance company will cover in an accident. Arizona has a limit of 25/50/25, as outlined in the first section. These numbers refer to the three aspects of liability insurance coverage.
- Bodily injury per person is the maximum amount of money your insurance company will pay in medical pills for one person injured in an accident you caused.
- Bodily injury per accident refers to the amount that your insurance company will pay up to for all people injured in an accident.
- Property damage per accident is the total amount of money your insurer will cover for the damages you cause to another person’s property.
Is Arizona’s Mandatory Car Insurance Minimums Enough Coverage?
The state of Arizona has set pretty low liability insurance coverage minimums. Medical costs can get very expensive. If you cause $30,000 in bodily harm to the other driver, you will still be on the hook for $5,000 when you choose to only carry the state-mandated liability coverage. Not to mention that for property damage amounts, if you total a person’s vehicle, a new car can easily exceed $15,000. Coverage can disappear very quickly if you only carry the minimum amounts as a driver in Arizona. It is always recommended you purchase more liability insurance than what is required. You should even consider policy add-ons to expand coverage.
Driving Without Proof of Car Insurance in Arizona
Failing to maintain the proper amount of liability insurance in the state of Arizona can come with some serious penalties, including losing your driving privileges and needing to fulfil SR-22 requirements. The chart below is what you could be facing should you choose to forego liability insurance: