Updating Arizona Auto Insurance After Moving To Another State
Reader’s Question:
Greetings. I am a former resident of Lake Havasu City, Arizona and has just recently moved to Phoenix about a month ago due to work-related issues. I intend on settling here and have already moved in most of my stuff from Havasu. I haven’t, however, updated my my new address with my auto insurance. Will my insurance cover the cost if ever anything happens to me even if my personal information is not updated?
Noel
Phoenix, AZ
Hello, Noel. To answer your question—Your auto insurance that you acquired in Lake Havasu will cover damages and expenses to you and your car even if your residency is not updated as long as it happens within the said auto insurance coverage period of your policy and as long you can provide proof of your former address, your date of moving to Phoenix, Arizona and the date of when the policy came to effect. This also means that you have to update all legal identifications including driver’s license, as well as your car registration. You may opt to do this on the next renewal of the said documents. Just be sure to provide a copy of your driver’s license, your car’s registration and police report, in case anything happens, to your auto insurance before they approve of paying for the damages. Proof of identity is what’s most important. State ID, DMV license, Social Security and other primary legal identifications is a must. However, if your auto insurance finds other inconsistencies with your personal information through your other identifications, they can assume that you might be giving false personal information.
Your auto insurance will question such inconsistencies and ask for a plausible reason for such event.
Ways to Lower Car Insurance Premiums in Arizona
Reader’s Question:
I am from Arizona, and have been accident-free since I had my own car two years ago. Are there ways that I can lower my car insurance premiums?
Jack
Phoenix, AZ
Car insurance companies compute their rates based on the pool of losses they experience. Insurers take into consideration the statewide or countrywide losses their policyholders caused. The losses caused by the few policyholders will be paid for by others within the pool of policyholders even if they have had clean driving records.
Other reasons for the increase in premiums are the costs incurred by the insurer from settlements after a wreck, like medical expenses for the injured persons, or cost of repair or replacement of vehicles involved in a wreck. Although this may seem unfair, car insurance providers make up for this by providing discounts to policyholders who have not been a liability to the company. Most car insurance providers in Arizona give discounts to accident free drivers. A policyholder may also be eligible for a package discount if both home and car insurance are purchased from the same company. Most insurers also give discounts to car owners who have airbags and automatic seatbelts in their cars. Also, being a non-smoker could qualify you for a discount in some auto insurance companies. It is best that you talk to your insurance agent about discounts since most insurers do not advertise their promos.
Should I Renew my Car Insurance for the Old Car?
Reader’s Question:
Needing help in Arizona. I just bought a new car, so I won’t be using my old car anymore. The vehicle insurance on the old car is up for renewal. Should I still renew it?
Cathy
Mesa, AZ
Hi there, Cathy. That’s a great question to ask. Each state in the USA has its own policies on vehicle insurance, even for vehicles not in use. Fortunately, Arizona does not require that unused vehicles be insured. However, you should not just stop your vehicle insurance. There are some steps to take to make sure that the Arizona Department of Motor Vehicle is properly notified about the status of your vehicles. You will have to apply for de-insurance of your old vehicle with the DMV. This way, your vehicle will not be suspended for lack of insurance. I think that if you go to their website you will be able to do this online. However, if your vehicle is already de-insured, you will not be able to drive it in the streets of Arizona until you have it properly insured again. If you are caught driving this vehicle without the proper vehicle insurance, you can be fined from $500 up to $1,000 and have your vehicle registration and license suspended. If this happens, you will have an even tougher time getting insurance for any of your vehicles and your vehicle insurance rates will most likely increase. Aside from this, the state may require you to ask your automobile insurance company to file an SR-22 in your behalf before you can resume driving again.
Do I Need a Title to Get Vehicle Insurance in Arizona?
Reader’s Question:
Do I need a title in order to get car insurance on my vehicle in Tucson? How about the bill of sale?
Duncan
Tucson, AZ
You will need to prove that you have insurable interest in a car normally through either being the individual on the registration and/or title of the vehicle you are trying to insure. You will need a bill of sale when you go to your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to register and obtain license plates for the car.
Most insurance providers require that you have an insurable interest in order to be able to insure a vehicle on your motor vehicle insurance policy. Some insurers require that your name appear on the registration or title in order to be able to buy a car policy in your name.
