State flag of Arizona
CarInsuranceCalculator.info's guide to auto insurance in Arizona

Arizona requires the following insurance coverage or financial responsibility at a minimum:

15/30/10– This is shorthand for the liability policy limits required which means you need a minimum coverage of:

  • $15,000 for death or injury to one person;
  • $30,000 for death or injury to two or more people; and
  • $10,000 for property damage to others

Uninsured or underinsured coverage (UI/UIM) of 15/30 is required unless it is rejected in writing.  Insurers are required to offer UI/UIM equal to the limits of your liability policy.

Nearly all car insurance policies have a provision that will adjust your coverage from the minimums required in your state to the minimum insurance or proof of financial responsibility in another U.S. state. So you do not need to get a new insurance policy for each state you are driving through.  However, if you buy a policy in a low limits state (like Arizona) but live in a high limits state (like Alaska), insurers will only write a policy where your car is principally garaged. So if your home is in Alaska, you should buy the minimum limits for Alaska.

Arizona’s required insurance limits are low considering the cost of damages likely to occur in an accident.  If you are in a serious collision and the damages you caused are greater than the coverage limits you purchased, you may be personally liable to pay for those damages that exceed your insurance coverage.

Car Insurance Law in Arizona

Arizona is a pure comparative negligence state. A comparative negligence legal defense is one that reduces the amount of damages that a claimant/plaintiff can recover for an injury due to negligence based on percentage of which the claimant’s/plaintiff’s own negligence contributed to cause the injury.  So, if you have an accident, you and the other driver could be each at fault for 50% of each others’ damages.  However, just because you have the same percentage of fault, does not mean you “cancel” out each other damages.  You will have to pay for 50% of the other driver’s damages.  So if you total their $50,000 car, you will be liable for ½ of the damage you caused – $25,000.

Driving Under the Influence

In Arizona, Driving Under the Influence (or DUI) is a misdemeanor, unless you are convicted of a 3rd DUI in 7 years or 3rd with a minor under 15 years old (both are felonies).

1st DUI

In Arizona, the penalties for a DUI conviction depend on the type of DUI that was charged, and on your criminal record. If it is your First DUI offense, if you have a blood alcohol content of .08-.149, you will have a minimum sentence of 10 consecutive days in jail (a portion of which may be suspended if you agree to drug/alcohol counseling).  Your license will be suspended for 90 days but you are eligible for a work/school permit after 30 days.  A fine of about $1800.00 will be imposed but may increase if you do not comply with drug/alcohol counseling. An ignition interlock device will be required for 12 months.

If it is your First DUI offense and you have a blood alcohol content of .150 -.199, you will have a minimum sentence of 30 consecutive days in jail and up to 180 days in jail (20 of the 30 days may be suspended if all counseling/education requirements are met.) Your license will be suspended for 90 days but you are eligible for a work/school permit after 30 days.  A fine of about $3000.00 plus costs of incarceration will be imposed but may increase if you do not comply with drug/alcohol counseling. An ignition interlock device will be required for 12 months.

If it is your First DUI offense and you have a blood alcohol content of .200 or higher, you will have a minimum sentence of 45 consecutive days in jail and up to 180 days in jail (20 of the 30 days may be suspended if all counseling/education requirements are met.) Your license will be suspended for 90 days but you are eligible for a work/school permit after 30 days.  A fine of about $3250.00 plus costs of incarceration will be imposed but may increase if you do not comply with drug/alcohol counseling. An ignition interlock device will be required for 18 months.

SR-22 or FR-44 forms may be required with a 1st DUI.

A previous DUI counts as a prior for the purposes of sentencing if it occurred within 7 years (84 months) of the current arrest.

2nd DUI

In Arizona, the penalties for a second DUI conviction depend on the type of DUI that was charged, and on your criminal record. If it is your second DUI offense, if you have a blood alcohol content of .08-.149, you will have a minimum sentence of 90-180, with a minimum of 90 consecutive days in jail (a portion of which may be suspended if you agree to drug/alcohol counseling).  Your license will be suspended for 1 year.  A fine of about $3500.00 will be imposed plus the costs of incarceration. An ignition interlock device will be required for 12 months.

If it is your second DUI offense and you have a blood alcohol content of .150 -.199, you will have a minimum sentence of 120-180 days in jail and a minimum of 120 consecutive days in jail (a portion of which may be suspended if you agree to drug/alcohol counseling). Your license will be suspended for 1 year.  A fine of about $3750.00 plus costs of incarceration will be imposed but may increase if you do not comply with drug/alcohol counseling. Community service of 30 hours is required. An ignition interlock device will be required for 12 months.

If it is your second DUI offense and you have a blood alcohol content of .200 or higher, you will have a minimum sentence of 180 days in jail, and 90 of those days must be served consecutively. Your license will be suspended for 1 year.  A fine of about $4000.00 plus costs of incarceration will be imposed but may increase if you do not comply with drug/alcohol counseling.  Community service of 30 hours is required.  An ignition interlock device will be required for 24 months.

SR-22 or FR-44 forms will be required with a 2nd DUI.

Arizona Resources

Source:

Arizona Department of Insurance ReportsList does not contain duplicates of associated or affiliated insurance companies

Other useful links

Top Ten Car Insurance Companies in Arizona

These are the top ten insurance companies rated by market share in the state:

  1. State Farm Mutual Insurance
  2. Farmers Insurance Company of Arizona
  3. American Family Mutual Insurance Company
  4. Progressive Specialty Insurance Company
  5. Geico General Insurance Company
  6. United Service Automobile Association
  7. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company
  8. Liberty Mutual Insurance Company
  9. AAA Members Insurance Company
  10. Mid-Century Insurance Company

Data from 2010 Annual Report

Once you’ve decided what you need, just give it a shot! CarInsuranceCalculator.info will get you quotes from major car insurance companies, customized to your needs. You can start saving now and enter your information to get instant car insurance quotes!

Disclaimer: Information Current as of 2011