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Arizona car accident laws
Is Arizona a no-fault state? No. Arizona is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Arizona gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542(1)).
The legal minimum liability coverage in Arizona is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $15,000 for property (25/50/15).
If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you can still recover even if you were mostly at fault (except for intentional, willful or wanton conduct).
Quoted from Arizona statutes and official pages, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
The rules in one table
| Rule | Arizona | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Two years after the cause of action accrues | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542(1) |
| Deadline for vehicle damage | Two years after the cause of action accrues (trespass for injury done to the property of another) | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542(3) |
| Deadline for a wrongful death claim | Two years, accruing at the date of death | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542(2) |
| Claims against a government body | Written claim must be filed with the public entity within 180 days after the cause of action accrues, and must state a specific settlement amount. | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-821.01(A) |
| Insurance system | at-fault | Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance |
| If you were partly at fault | pure comparative. If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you can still recover even if you were mostly at fault (except for intentional, willful or wanton conduct). | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-2505(A) |
| Minimum liability coverage | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per crash / $15,000 property | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-4009(A)(2)(b) |
| Dog bites | strict liability. The owner of a dog that bites someone in a public place or lawfully on private property is liable for the damages, regardless of the dog's past behavior or the owner's knowledge of it. | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 11-1025(A) |
| Cap on pain-and-suffering damages | No general cap for injury cases | Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 31 |
Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Arizona can tell you the date that applies to you.
Next steps after an Arizona crash
How to get an Arizona crash report ($9.00 by email (up to 5 MB) or fax (20-page limit); $9.00 on paper by mail for the first nine pages plus $0.10 per additional page; $10.00 on CD).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Arizona. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Arizona?
Two years for an injury claim (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542(1)) and two years for vehicle damage. Shorter notice rules can apply to claims against a government.
Is Arizona a no-fault state?
No. Arizona is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault in Arizona?
Arizona follows pure comparative. If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you can still recover even if you were mostly at fault (except for intentional, willful or wanton conduct).
What is the minimum car insurance in Arizona?
The legal minimum liability coverage in Arizona is $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per crash and $15,000 for property (25/50/15).
Sources
- Deadline to sue for an injury (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542(1)): www.azleg.gov/ars/12/00542.htm
Except as provided in section 12-551 there shall be commenced and prosecuted within two years after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward, the following actions: 1. For injuries done to the person of another including causes of action for medical malpractice as defined in section 12-561.
- Deadline for vehicle damage (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542(3)): www.azleg.gov/ars/12/00542.htm
Except as provided in section 12-551 there shall be commenced and prosecuted within two years after the cause of action accrues, and not afterward, the following actions: 1. For injuries done to the person of another including causes of action for medical malpractice as defined in section 12-561. 2. For injuries done to the person of another when death ensues from such injuries, which action shall be considered as accruing at the death of the party injured. 3. For trespass for injury done to the estate or the property of another.
- Deadline for a wrongful death claim (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-542(2)): www.azleg.gov/ars/12/00542.htm
2. For injuries done to the person of another when death ensues from such injuries, which action shall be considered as accruing at the death of the party injured.
- Claims against a government body (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-821.01(A)): www.azleg.gov/ars/12/00821-01.htm
Persons who have claims against a public entity, public school or a public employee shall file claims with the person or persons authorized to accept service for the public entity, public school or public employee as set forth in the Arizona rules of civil procedure within one hundred eighty days after the cause of action accrues. The claim shall contain facts sufficient to permit the public entity, public school or public employee to understand the basis on which liability is claimed. The claim shall also contain a specific amount for which the claim can be settled and the facts supporting th…
- Insurance system (Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance): www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance
Twelve states and Puerto Rico have no-fault auto insurance laws. Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania have verbal thresholds. The other seven states—Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah—use a monetary threshold. Three states have a "choice" no-fault law. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, motorists may reject the lawsuit threshold and retain the right to sue for any auto-related injury.
- If you were partly at fault (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 12-2505(A)): www.azleg.gov/ars/12/02505.htm
If the jury applies either defense, the claimant's action is not barred, but the full damages shall be reduced in proportion to the relative degree of the claimant's fault which is a proximate cause of the injury or death, if any.
- Minimum liability coverage (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-4009(A)(2)(b)): www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04009.htm
(b) For a policy that is issued or renewed beginning on July 1, 2020, except for a policy that is issued to a person that has a valid certificate of self-insurance or partial self-insurance pursuant to section 28-4007: (i) $25,000 because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident. (ii) Subject to the limit for one person, $50,000 because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident. (iii) $15,000 because of injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.
- Dog bites (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 11-1025(A)): www.azleg.gov/ars/11/01025.htm
A. The owner of a dog that bites a person when the person is in or on a public place or lawfully in or on a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, is liable for damages suffered by the person bitten, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner's knowledge of its viciousness.
- Cap on pain-and-suffering damages (Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 31): www.azleg.gov/const/2/31.htm
No law shall be enacted in this state limiting the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the death or injury of any person
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.