Arizona Car Accident Laws | Accident Claim Map

At the scene and reporting a crash in Arizona

Always stop and help anyone who is hurt. Leaving the scene of a crash is a crime in every state.

When to call the police: If anyone is hurt or killed, you must tell police right away by the quickest means: city police inside a city, otherwise the county sheriff or the nearest Highway Patrol (DPS) office. For damage-only crashes there is no legal duty to call police, but an officer who does investigate a crash with injury, death, damage over $2,000 or a ticket must write a full report.
Report to the state: No separate crash report from drivers to ADOT/MVD. Police send their reports to the Department of Transportation. For minor crashes on state highways, DPS has an online Citizen's Report of a Collision.
Law: A.R.S. §§ 28-666, 28-667
Official text: Read the official text

First 24 hours after a crash in Arizona

Tick the boxes as you go, or print the list and keep it in your glove box.

Insurance system in Arizona

Arizona is a fault (tort) state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other people's injuries and damage.

System: Fault (tort)
PIP, benefits and when you can sue: No PIP required. Arizona requires only liability insurance, so the driver who caused the crash (and their insurer) pays for others' injuries and damage. We found no no-fault or PIP law in Arizona statutes.
Law: A.R.S. §§ 28-4009, 28-4135
Official text: Read the official text

Compare every state in the no-fault states table.

Who pays: comparative fault in Arizona

Rule: Pure comparative
What it means: In Arizona, you can recover damages even if you were mostly at fault, but they are reduced by your share of the fault.
Law: A.R.S. § 12-2505 (your damages are reduced by your share of fault; you are not barred even if you were mostly at fault)

Compare every state's rule in the comparative negligence table.

Who pays in Arizona: fault and payout explainer

If both drivers share the blame, your state's comparative-fault rule decides whether you can recover and how much. Enter your share of the fault and your total damages to see what the rule means. This is an illustration, not a prediction: insurers, juries and judges decide the percentages.

Minimum insurance in Arizona

Liability minimum: 25/50/15 (policies issued or renewed since July 1, 2020)
Uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM/UIM): Not required. Insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in writing on an approved form; you may reject it.
Official text: Read the official text

Numbers like 25/50/25 mean $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for all injuries in one crash and $25,000 for property damage. Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

Getting the police report in Arizona

Ask the agency that handled the crash (city police or county sheriff); DPS does not keep their reports. For crashes on interstates and state highways worked by state troopers, request the collision report from the Arizona Department of Public Safety through its Public Services Portal (create an account, then 'Request a Report or Records'); requests are not taken by phone. Electronic copies cost $9; paper copies $9 for the first 9 pages. Reports may not be given out for commercial solicitation (A.R.S. § 28-667). https://www.azdps.gov/services/public/records

You can also ask by mail with our free police report request letter.

Filing a claim and insurer deadlines in Arizona

How fast insurers must act: A.R.S. § 20-461 bans insurers, as a general practice, from failing to acknowledge claims promptly, failing to affirm or deny coverage within a reasonable time after proof of loss, and failing to settle in good faith when liability is reasonably clear. The statute itself sets no fixed number of days.

Put your claim in writing. Our free insurance claim letter lists your damages and asks for a written answer.

If the other driver has no insurance in Arizona

Driving without insurance is a civil violation: at least $500 and a 3-month license suspension (or restriction) for a first offense, at least $750 plus a 6-month license and plate suspension for a second within 36 months, and at least $1,000 plus a 1-year suspension for a third or later within 36 months (A.R.S. § 28-4135). If the other driver has no insurance, your own uninsured motorist coverage, if you bought it, can pay for your injuries. In Arizona this coverage is for bodily injury, not damage to your car (A.R.S. § 20-259.01(E)).

Read what to do if you are hit by an uninsured driver.

Deadlines to sue in Arizona

Property damage (your car): 2 years
Injury: 2 years
Notes, including claims against a government: Claims against a city, county, the state or another public entity: you must file a written notice of claim with a specific dollar amount within 180 days (A.R.S. § 12-821.01).
Law: A.R.S. § 12-542

The deadline is the statute of limitations. Insurance claims and talks with an adjuster don't stop it. Compare every state in the deadlines table.

Deadline to sue in Arizona

Every state limits how long you have to file a lawsuit after a car crash. This is the statute of limitations. Choose your state, the type of claim and the date of the crash to see the usual deadline and the last day to file. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.

Small claims for property damage in Arizona

Small claims limit: $5,000 (Justice Court small claims division; raised from $3,500 in 2025).

Arizona small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Small claims court can be a way to recover the cost of repairs from the driver who caused the crash. Read how to use small claims for car damage.

Insurance complaints in Arizona

If an insurer delays, underpays or denies a claim without a good reason, you can file a complaint with the state insurance regulator:

Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI), Consumer Protection

Free help in Arizona

Good to know in Arizona

Arizona uses pure comparative fault: you can recover part of your damages even if you were more than half at fault (A.R.S. § 12-2505).
Police reports cannot be released for commercial solicitation, and agencies may ask you to swear you are not requesting one for that purpose (A.R.S. § 28-667).

Changes in 2024–2026

Small claims limit rose from $3,500 to $5,000 in 2025 (Laws 2025, ch. 94). No change found to insurance minimums or crash reporting in 2024-2026.

Free letters

Insurance claim letter

Ask the other driver's insurer to pay your damages, in writing.

Police report request letter

Ask the police agency for a copy of the crash report by mail.

Questions about car accidents in Arizona

When do you have to report a car accident in Arizona?

If anyone is hurt or killed, you must tell police right away by the quickest means: city police inside a city, otherwise the county sheriff or the nearest Highway Patrol (DPS) office. For damage-only crashes there is no legal duty to call police, but an officer who does investigate a crash with injury, death, damage over $2,000 or a ticket must write a full report. No separate crash report from drivers to ADOT/MVD. Police send their reports to the Department of Transportation. For minor crashes on state highways, DPS has an online Citizen's Report of a Collision.

Is Arizona a no-fault state?

No. Arizona is a fault (tort) state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the other people's injuries and damage.

Can I get money if I was partly at fault in Arizona?

In Arizona, you can recover damages even if you were mostly at fault, but they are reduced by your share of the fault. (A.R.S. § 12-2505 (your damages are reduced by your share of fault; you are not barred even if you were mostly at fault))

What is the minimum car insurance in Arizona?

25/50/15 (policies issued or renewed since July 1, 2020) Not required.

How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Arizona?

2 years for property damage and 2 years for injury (A.R.S. § 12-542).

How do I get a police report in Arizona?

Ask the agency that handled the crash (city police or county sheriff); DPS does not keep their reports. For crashes on interstates and state highways worked by state troopers, request the collision report from the Arizona Department of Public Safety through its Public Services Portal (create an account, then 'Request a Report or Records'); requests are not taken by phone. Electronic copies cost $9; paper copies $9 for the first 9 pages. Reports may not be given out for commercial solicitation (A.R.S. § 28-667). https://www.azdps.gov/services/public/records

What if the other driver has no insurance in Arizona?

Driving without insurance is a civil violation: at least $500 and a 3-month license suspension (or restriction) for a first offense, at least $750 plus a 6-month license and plate suspension for a second within 36 months, and at least $1,000 plus a 1-year suspension for a third or later within 36 months (A.R.S. § 28-4135). If the other driver has no insurance, your own uninsured motorist coverage, if you bought it, can pay for your injuries. In Arizona this coverage is for bodily injury, not damage to your car (A.R.S. § 20-259.01(E)).

Where can I complain about a car insurance company in Arizona?

Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI), Consumer Protection: https://difi.az.gov/

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Car accidents in Arizona: what to do and who pays