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.

Tags: auto insurance, sr22 insurance