In Arizona, you’re required to carry at least a minimum amount of car insurance in order to legally drive. Many people wonder— exactly what will happen if I’m found to be in Arizona driving without insurance? Are there associated fines or even more severe penalties?
At Freedom National, we’re here to answer all of your car insurance-related questions. We want to go beyond being a provider of cheap car insurance in order to help you learn everything you need to know in order to be a safe, responsible, and legal driver without running into unexpected problems.
With that in mind, we’ve prepared this article that will take you through everything you need to know about what happens to those who are in Arizona driving without insurance. We’ll answer questions that include:
- What are the penalties for driving without insurance in Arizona?
- What is the penalty for a first offense?
- What is the penalty for a second offense?
- What is the penalty for third offenses and subsequent offenses?
- What is SR-22 insurance? Do you need it?
- How can you reduce or eliminate a fine if I’m in Arizona driving without insurance?
- How much insurance is required in Arizona?
If you have additional questions after reading, you can always check out our blog for additional resources to help answer all of your queries about driving in Arizona and other insurance-related questions.
What are the penalties for driving without insurance in Arizona?
In Arizona, law enforcement officials are legally allowed to request proof of insurance from anyone during a traffic stop. If you’re unable to prove that you’re properly insured, they may then give you a citation. Don’t panic just yet— if you are properly insured but just don’t happen to have your proof of insurance card with you, you may be able to have the citation removed without any additional fines or fees. However, you should remember that you’re required to carry proof of insurance with you any time you operate a vehicle.
If you in fact don’t have coverage, you may be subjected to a range of penalties. These can include the following:
- Suspension of your driver’s license, registration, and vehicle plates for up to a year
- Fees and fines required to reinstate all of your privileges and documentation. Fees are generally $35 but fines can range as high as $1,000
- SR-22 certificate required for two years (we’ll cover this in detail in a later section)
The severity of the penalties listed above depend on how many previous offenses you have on your driving record.
Penalty for First Offense
After your first offense of driving in Arizona without insurance, you’ll most likely be fined $500 and have your license, registration, and license plates suspended for a period of three months. Upon the end of this three month period, you’ll have to pay a $35 fee to reinstate them on top of your fine. You’ll also be required to hold an SR-22 certificate for two years (see the section below for details).
Penalty for Second Offense
After your second offense of driving in Arizona without insurance, you’ll most likely be fined $750 and have your license, registration, and license plates suspended for a period of six months. Upon the end of this six month period, you’ll have to pay a $35 fee to reinstate them on top of your fine. You’ll also be required to hold an SR-22 certificate for two years (see the section below for details).
Penalty for Third Offenses and Subsequent Offenses
After your second offense of driving in Arizona without insurance, you’ll most likely be fined $1,000 and have your license, registration, and license plates suspended for a period of twelve months. Upon the end of this twelve month period, you’ll have to pay a $35 fee to reinstate them on top of your fine. You’ll also be required to hold an SR-22 certificate for two years (see the section below for details).
What is SR-22 Insurance?
An SR-22 consists of a form submitted to the DMV through your insurer in order to communicate that your current insurance meets Arizona’s state requirements. After a conviction of driving without insurance, you may be required to have an SR-22 certificate on file for a period of up to two years. Generally, the cost to file an SR-22 form is inexpensive— but your insurance rates are likely to be higher as a result of whatever conviction caused the SR-22 classification.
How can I reduce or eliminate the fine?
If you’re charged and convicted of driving in Arizona without insurance, there are some cases where the state will choose to either reduce your penalty or waive it completely. In order to get these benefits, there are a few qualifications you’ll need to meet. These include:
- Proof that you haven’t been convicted of driving without insurance in Arizona anytime within the last three years
- Proof that you have since purchased an auto insurance policy of six months or more that meets Arizona’s standards for minimum insurance liability
If you can meet these qualifications, you may have your fine waived— but you’ll still need to have your license and registration reinstated which will require fees totalling $35. In some cases, the fees may be waived before the suspension has been processed, in which case you won’t be required to pay reinstatement fees.
How much insurance is required in Arizona?
In the state of Arizona, the minimum liability coverage for car insurance are $15,000 for bodily injury per person and $30,000 for bodily injury per accident. You’ll also need $10,000 for property damage. Anything less than this, and you’ll be considered underinsured, which can result in the same penalties as having no insurance coverage at all.
Conclusion
Want to make sure you’re probably insured so that you don’t find yourself caught in Arizona driving without insurance? Freedom National is here to help. Go to our Arizona insurance quote page to find cheap car insurance in Arizona and get yourself properly covered in no time.
From there, you can customize your policy so that it has everything you need— and nothing you don’t. We pride ourselves on offering some of the most accessible & affordable car insurance in the country, even for those with prior driving incidents on their record. Get started with Freedom National today.
