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Car Insurance Question  I know someone that has lived in Arizona for 8 months but still has her NJ driver's license, NJ expired vehicle tags/plates, and expired Insurance. If she gets pulled over what penalties will the law enforce? And she knows it is wrong but refuses to register and get insurance, can I tell a police officer?

The AZ Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) notes that new residents to the State of Arizona are required to obtain an Arizona driver license and to register their vehicles in this State.

Arizona state law requires that a new resident obtain a driver license and registration immediately if any one of the following applies, if you:

  • Work in Arizona (other than for seasonal agricultural work)
  • Place children in school without paying the tuition rate of a nonresident
  • Have a business with an office in Arizona, and that bases and operates vehicles in this state
  • Obtain a state license or pay school tuition fees at the same rate as an Arizona resident
  • Have a business that operates vehicles to transport goods or passengers within Arizona
  • Remain in Arizona for a total of 7 months or more during any calendar year, regardless of your permanent residence

Arizona requires that every motor vehicle operated on our roadways be covered by one of the statutory forms of financial responsibility, more commonly called liability insurance, through a company that is authorized to do business in Arizona. Minimum levels of financial responsibility are:

  • $15,000 bodily injury liability for one person and $30,000 for two or more persons
  • $10,000 property damage liability

If this person is driving with a New Jersey driver's license in a car with expired license plates and insurance then likely Arizona law enforcement would find her to be driving without a valid license (since it was not changed over to AZ as law requires), driving without registration and without insurance.

The penalties for driving without a license, registration or insurance, they are usually quite serious in Arizona. Driving without a license is a class 1 misdemeanor and penalties can include the vehicle being impounded, 48 hours in jail and a court imposed fine of $300 or more.

Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) 28-4135 requires financial responsibility to be on a motor vehicle. This is a civil law and carries a penalty of a fine (of up to $500) along with a surcharge and court fees. The MVD may also suspend your license plates and registration. To reinstate these privileges, fees and future proof of financial responsibility must be filed with the MVD. The future proof requirement is most commonly an SR22.

Driving without registration is dealt with in ARS 28-2531 and 28-2532. This first statute mentions that being without proper registration on a vehicle is a class 5 felony (can come with jail time) and section 28-2532 gives the civil penalties. Here under subsection A it states that:

A person who is the resident or nonresident owner or operator of a motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer that is required by law to be registered in this state and that is not registered or does not display license plates assigned by the department for the current registration year and who operates or knowingly permits the vehicle to be operated on a highway is subject to a civil penalty of three hundred dollars.

Hopefully knowing how harsh the penalties will be if she does not change over her NJ driver's license and obtain current AZ registration and plates on her vehicle will get the person you know to go to the MVD and get everything changed over and up to date. If not then you can report her to the police however the MVD notes that one can report a resident of Arizona for not being in compliance with Arizona registration laws by calling 1-800-657-4322. The representative at this number should also be able to help you report the person for also not having an AZ driver's license and her vehicle(s) insured properly.

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This car insurance question was asked on 3/5/2008
This auto insurance answer was last updated on 3/8/2008
Kevin requested this car insurance solution.
Rated 0 out of 10 based on 0 votes.
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