Purchasing car insurance can help ensure you drive legally in Arizona, but there’s more to it than that. Car insurance can also help protect you financially if you’re in an accident or your vehicle is otherwise damaged. Here’s what you need to know:
First things first: As an Arizona resident, you need to have a valid Arizona driver's license and pass a road test and written or verbal knowledge test. Your local Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) office can help you with this process.
Even if you’ve had a license for a while, it’s important to understand the driving laws for the state, such as the 2021 legislation making the use of cellular devices while driving illegal. Here’s a full list of the state’s laws and rules of the road.
In addition to being a licensed driver, Arizona requires you to meet or exceed these minimum car insurance coverage limits:
$25,000 in bodily injury liability or death of one person
$50,000 in bodily injury liability or death of two or more people
$15,000 in property damage liability per accident
In Arizona, uninsured motorist (UM)/underinsured motorist (UIM) bodily injury coverages are added to your policy unless you reject them in writing. True to their names, these coverages can help protect you if you’re involved in an accident with an at-fault driver who is either uninsured or who carries some car insurance, but not enough to pay for your covered expenses.
You can adjust the limits on your UM/UIM coverages, but keep in mind:
All your vehicles must have the same amount of UM/UIM coverage
Your UM/UIM limits don’t have to match, but neither can exceed your required bodily injury liability limits
In Arizona, you're required to carry bodily injury liability insurance.
Carrying the minimum coverage limits above can help keep you legal out on the road, but they aren’t the only coverages you can add to your policy. For additional protection in additional scenarios, consider some of the following optional coverages:
Comprehensive car insurance can help cover your damages if your vehicle is damaged by something other than a collision, such as theft, vandalism, hitting an animal, or a hail storm or other natural disaster.
Collision coverage can help pay for damages to your vehicle if you’re involved in a collision with another vehicle—regardless of who’s at fault—or a stationary object like a road sign or tree.
Medical bills can add up quickly these days. If you or a passenger are injured in an accident, medical payments coverage can help cover some of the costs—even if you were at fault in the accident.
Have you made some customizations to your vehicle? If so, special equipment coverage can help protect them by paying for certain damages following an accident.
If your car sustains damages covered by your policy, rental reimbursement coverage can help you pay for the costs of a temporary rental vehicle. Like special equipment coverage, rental reimbursement is only available if you also have both comprehensive and collision coverages on your policy.
Non-owner car insurance provides liability coverage if you cause an accident while driving a covered vehicle you don’t actually own. Just keep in mind it doesn’t apply to vehicles owned by people you live with. Also, you can file an SR-22 with this type of policy.
This coverage endorsement extends your coverage when you make infrequent trips (five trips or fewer during a 30-day period, for no more than 10 total days during that period) in which you travel 25 miles or less into Mexico.
Getting stranded on the side of the road is no fun—especially in the Arizona heat. Roadside assistance can help by providing 24/7 assistance for battery failures, flat tires, low fuel, oil, and other fluids, and even locking your keys inside your car.
Learn why driving without insurance in Arizona can lead to legal issues.
To help you get the most value from your auto insurance, we offer several auto insurance discounts you can add to your policy. Here are the discounts available in Arizona—talk to your agent to see how many you qualify for:
Transfer
Homeowners
Multi-car
Paid in full
Advanced quote
To find the right coverages at the right price, get a free quote by entering your ZIP code below or calling us at 888-344-4357.
In addition to car insurance, here's how to reach other helpful Arizona agencies you may need to contact:
The Arizona DOT has locations around the state. You can also access services online.
With the Arizona MVD, you can find permit testing, license registration, license renewal, and other important services.
Reach out to the Arizona DIFI online for information on home or rental insurance, health insurance, and more.