Arizona · Uninsured driver · Updated Oct 2026

Hit by an uninsured driver in Arizona: coverage, penalties and what to do

Your coverage, the penalties and how to claim your losses.

Short answer

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). Not required.

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage
Not required
Minimum liability
25/50/15
Insurance system
Fault (tort)

Uninsured motorist coverage in Arizona

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.
Liability minimum
25/50/15 (policies issued or renewed since July 1, 2020)
Official text
Read the official text

Compare every state in the minimum insurance table.

If the other driver has no insurance in Arizona

  • 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)).

Penalties for driving uninsured 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).

How fast an insurer must handle a claim in Arizona

  • 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.

Claiming from the uninsured driver in Arizona

Small claims limit for car damage in Arizona: $5,000 (Justice Court small claims division; raised from $3,500 in 2025). Arizona small claims guide on Small Claims Map

Step by step if an uninsured driver hits you in Arizona

  1. Report the crash to 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. Reporting a crash in Arizona and getting the police report
  2. Write down the other car's plate and get witness names.
  3. Claim under your uninsured motorist coverage; in Arizona it is not required.
  4. If your coverage doesn't pay everything, sue the driver before the deadline: 2 years for both property damage and injury. Deadlines to sue in Arizona, with the calculator

Free help in Arizona

Questions about uninsured drivers in Arizona

Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Arizona?

Not required. Insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in writing on an approved form; you may reject it.

What happens if you drive without 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).

What can I do if an uninsured driver hits me in Arizona?

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)).

What is the minimum car insurance in Arizona?

25/50/15 (policies issued or renewed since July 1, 2020)

How long do I have to sue an uninsured driver in Arizona?

2 years for property damage and 2 years for injury.

How fast must an insurer handle a car insurance claim in Arizona?

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.

More for Arizona drivers

Nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.