Smart Auto Insurance Blog

As of October 1, there was a new Arizona auto insurance law implemented according to an article by Adam Rolnick found on usprwire.com about Oasis Insurance.  The bill was passed the previous legislative session and it’s known as HB2224. 

October 1 and going forward judges are required to assign penalties for Arizona drivers who don’t carry auto insurance coverage.  About 87% of tickets that were issued because drivers were not carrying insurance were dismissed or the fines were lowered.  The new law says there will be no dismissal of these charges. 

The first offense will carry an approximately $720 penalty which cannot be waived.  About $970 will be the fine for second time offenders.    If you are caught a third time driving without auto insurance the fine will be up to $1200 and your license will be suspended for a year.  Not only will your license be suspended but you will be required to carry SR22 insurance documentation once you get your license back. 

Before this law was passed, Arizona residents who were caught driving without insurance would often purchase the insurance before the court date and show their proof upon the judge’s request.  The new law says this will not be possible going forward and the fines still must be paid.

Everyone knows that driving while intoxicated is extremely dangerous and against the law, but what many may not realize is that it’s very expensive as well.  According to the article “Driving Under the Influence is Expensive As Well As Dangerous” by the Kalamazoo Gazette Staff found on mlive.com, drinking and driving violations are the most expensive of all traffic violations.

According to insurance.com, DUIs can shoot auto insurance rates up by as much as 38%.  Their RateWatch Data shows that the lowest rate quoted to someone with a DUI was $2148 in 2009 across the country.  That is about $435 more than a driver who does not have a DUI. 

Not only are you putting your life at risk as well as other people on the road if you drive drunk, but you will most likely have your license suspended if you are caught and you will have to file a SR22 Insurance form, which is a certificate submitted to the Secretary of State proving that you have liability insurance.

SR-22 auto insurance policies show the DMV proof of insurance according to an article on officialwire.com by Joel McLaughlin.  Auto insurance companies fill out a SR-22 insurance form for you and then they forward it to the DMV when your license has been taken away for various reasons including a DUI or getting in an accident with no auto insurance.

Once the DMV gets the SR-22 insurance form they then have the proof that you are carrying minimum liability auto insurance and they will return your license to you.  The usual standard for carrying SR-22 insurance is 3 years.  This can vary depending on which state the violation occurs in and how severe the offense was.  If your auto insurance company cancels your insurance policy for any reason before the date of termination they will notify you.

Not all auto insurance companies offer SR-22 insurance so you may need to use a different carrier than you previously used.  You also may end up contacting numerous different companies to find a carrier right for you.

A helpful article on Officialwire.com by Joel McLaughlin gives information on SR22 Auto Insurance.

SR22 insurance is a form that your auto insurance carrier fills out for you and sends to the DMV office when your license has been revoked.  Once the DMV office receives the proof that you do have insurance and that you are covered for minimum liability, they return your license to you.

The standard requirement for having SR22 auto insurance is 3 years but this can differ from state to state and the offense severity.  If your carrier cancels your insurance before the date of termination, the carrier is required to submit a SR26 to advise the state that you are not covered by auto insurance any longer.  Not all auto insurance companies offer the SR22 option, so you will need to do some research as to which carrier will be able to assist you.