v. 20180618 Teen Driver’s Guide to Auto Insurance Page 2 of 3
When it’s time to shop for auto insurance…
Contact the Arizona Department of Insurance for an Auto Insurance Premium
Comparison and other auto insurance resources. You can call us at (602) 364-2499 or
(800) 325-2548 (in Arizona, but outside the Phoenix metropolitan area), or visit our
website at https://insurance.az.gov.
What if I choose not to get car insurance?
It might cost you more in the long run!
• You could be ticketed and fined between $500 and $1,000.
• Your vehicle registration and your drivers’ license could be suspended.
• Your vehicle could be impounded.
• If you cause an accident, you or the owner of the vehicle could be sued.
• When you finally want coverage, you’ll find most insurers charge higher rates for
previously uninsured drivers.
How much insurance do I need to drive?
If you just want to meet legal requirements, you need to buy the minimum liability
coverage allowed. If you cause or contribute to an accident, the most this coverage will
pay per accident is:
• $15,000 for medical expenses per person injured;
• $30,000 maximum for medical expenses of all those you injure in any one
accident; and
• $10,000 toward fixing the damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle or
personal property (building, fence, signs, etc.).
Be aware that minimum liability coverage may not be enough to repay someone you
injure, or whose property you damage, in an accident and you could be obligated to make
up the difference.
What’s missing?
The law does not require you to buy insurance to cover damage to or theft of your own
vehicle (however, if you owe money on a car loan, the bank or lienholder might require
that you have the vehicle insured). If you want coverage for your own vehicle for repairs
or replacement, you need to buy collision and comprehensive coverages. If your car is
stolen, or damaged in an accident that is your fault (or if the at-fault driver is uninsured),
this insurance coverage will help you repair or replace your vehicle.