Will my driver’s license be suspended as well?
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Will my driver’s license be suspended as well?
I got pulled over and found out my insurance expired back in April.
Asked on June 3, 2009 under Insurance Law, Arizona
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
The No Insurance law in Arizona (ARS 28-4135) carries a civil, not criminal, penalty. The fines for breaking this law have a 77% surcharge added to them and some courts also add "user fees", so the actual fine is usually more than what is listed below. The penalties for a first offense (I assume that to be the case here) are: $250 fine with surcharge = $442.50.
The Judge can also suspend your license and registration for three months, although this is seldom done on a first offense.
The law contains a provision (ARS 28-4137) that allows the Judge to waive some or all of the fines if you bring proof to court showing you have purchased a six-month insurance policy on the vehicle. Often the Court will reschedule the case for about a month to give you a chance to get the insurance, since the main reason for the law is to make sure everyone is driving with insurance.
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