What are Arizona's minimum car insurance requirements?

What 25/50/15 actually buys

The three numbers are three separate ceilings. If one person is hurt in a crash you cause, the policy pays their injury claim up to $25,000. If several people are hurt, everyone's injury claims together share a single $50,000 pot. Damage to vehicles and property is capped at $15,000, which does not go far when the average newer vehicle costs two or three times that.

Arizona is an at-fault state: the driver who causes the crash, through their insurer, is responsible for the harm. The minimums exist so there is at least something behind that responsibility.

Why the minimums run out so fast

One emergency room visit, an ambulance, and imaging can consume a $25,000 limit before a single follow-up appointment. A surgery makes the limit look like a rounding error. When a minimum-limits driver hurts someone badly, the policy is not the end of the analysis; it is the beginning of the search for every other source of recovery.

The coverage that protects you: UM and UIM

Uninsured motorist coverage pays when the at-fault driver has no insurance, including hit-and-run drivers who are never found. Underinsured motorist coverage pays when their limits are too small for your injuries. Arizona law requires insurers to offer both, and a driver can only reject them in writing. If you were never given that choice in writing, the coverage may exist even though your policy papers do not show it, which is one of the first things we check in every serious Arizona crash case.

When the at-fault policy is too small

A short policy does not have to mean a short recovery. We look for additional defendants such as employers whose driver was working, bar liability where an intoxicated driver was overserved, and vehicle owners who entrusted a car to a dangerous driver. We stack the client's own UM and UIM coverage on top, check household policies, and look for umbrella coverage on the defense side. The minimums are where the investigation starts, not where it ends.

Proof, penalties, and the practical point

Arizona requires proof of insurance in the vehicle, and electronic proof on a phone counts. Driving without coverage brings fines and license consequences, but the practical point for an injured person is different: a meaningful share of Arizona drivers carry either nothing or the bare minimum, and the only reliable protection against them is the UM and UIM coverage on your own policy.

Related: Uninsured & Hit-and-Run Drivers · Arizona Motorcycle Claims · Arizona Fault Rules · All Common Questions

Injured in Texas? Texas applies different rules to many of the topics on this page. See Texas Insurance Minimums or all Texas answers.

This page is general information about Arizona law, not legal advice about your specific situation. Deadlines and outcomes depend on facts; talk to a lawyer about yours.