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Arizona vs Washington
Bottom line
Arizona requires more property-damage coverage than Washington ($15,000 vs $10,000). Both require an SR-22 filing for certain violations. Arizona generally has lower license-reinstatement costs.
✓ Official government sources
✓ Last verified June 2026
✓ 36 fields reviewed
✓ Source links on every value
Important differences between Arizona and Washington
The differences drivers should know.
Property damage
Arizona$15,000
Washington$10,000
→ Arizona requires more property-damage coverage.
UM/UIM requirement
ArizonaOptional — not part of the required minimum. UM/UIM must be offered by the insurer and may be rejected…
WashingtonOffer-and-reject. RCW 48.22.030 requires every liability policy to include UIM coverage — which…
Clock starts from
ArizonaFrom the effective date of the suspension (not the reinstatement date). Judgment-suspension cases vary…
WashingtonFrom the date proof was required (RCW 46.29.600(1)(a)) — not the reinstatement date and not the…
Non-owner SR-22
ArizonaYes — a non-owner SR-22 policy is available for people who don't own a vehicle but must meet the…
WashingtonYes
License reinstatement
ArizonaScenario-dependent. General suspension: $10. Revocation (DUI/major offense): $20 + an age-based…
Washington$75 standard / $170 for DUI or implied-consent reinstatement
→ Arizona costs less to reinstate.
Registration reinstatement
Arizona$25 registration/license-plate reinstatement on the FR (accident) path (§28-4144). For a no-insurance…
WashingtonN/A
No-insurance, first offense
ArizonaMinimum civil penalty $500 (1st violation), plus a 3-month suspension/restriction of driving privileges…
WashingtonTraffic infraction (not a crime) — monetary penalty set by the Washington Supreme Court penalty…
No-insurance, repeat offense
Arizona2nd within 36 months: minimum $750 + 6-month suspension of license, registration, and plates. 3rd+…
WashingtonSame as first — RCW 46.30.020 sets no first/subsequent distinction; driving uninsured is a single-tier…
DUI suspension
Arizona1st DUI: 90-day administrative (Admin Per Se / implied-consent) suspension; the criminal §28-1381…
Washingtontwo parallel tracks with day-for-day credit (46.61.5055(9)(b)). administrative (implied consent, RCW…
DUI fine range
ArizonaStandard DUI §28-1381: 1st = ≥$250 fine + two mandatory $500 assessments (~$1,250+ before surcharges),…
WashingtonRCW 46.61.5055, by prior offenses in 7 years and BAC tier (gross misdemeanor unless felony). No prior:…
Driving while suspended
ArizonaDriving on a suspended, revoked, canceled, or refused license, or while disqualified, is a class 1…
WashingtonRCW 46.20.342, three degrees. first degree (habitual offender driving under a ch 46.65 revocation):…
CDL consequence
ArizonaPer §28-3312, MVD disqualifies a CDL: 1 year for a first major offense — test refusal (§28-1321),…
WashingtonRCW 46.25.090 (federal FMCSA structure). 1-year disqualification (first major offense): DUI — including…
Recent law changes
Changes verified from official state sources.
Arizona2020-07-01 — minimum liability limits raised from 15/30/10 to 25/50/15 (ARS §28-4009, enacted by HB 2534, 2019).
WashingtonLiability minimums (25/50/10) unchanged since 1980 c 117. Recent amendments to SR-22-relevant sections: DUI felony-offense lookback extended from 10…
Full comparison
Every compared field, with the official source on each value.
Coverage
Bodily injury / person same
Bodily injury / accident same
Property damage
UM/UIM requirement
Arizona
Optional — not part of the required minimum. UM/UIM must be offered by the insurer and may be rejected in writing.
See Arizona sources ↗Washington
Offer-and-reject. RCW 48.22.030 requires every liability policy to include UIM coverage — which Washington defines broadly to bundle uninsured +…
Official source ↗Full details
Offer-and-reject. RCW 48.22.030 requires every liability policy to include UIM coverage — which Washington defines broadly to bundle uninsured + underinsured + hit-and-run + phantom-vehicle — defaulting to the same limits as the liability coverage, but the named insured or spouse may reject it in writing. PIP is likewise optional: offered on every policy, waivable in writing (RCW 48.22.085).
SR-22 / FR-44
SR-22 required same
FR-44 required same
Filing duration same
Clock starts from
Arizona
From the effective date of the suspension (not the reinstatement date). Judgment-suspension cases vary and require contacting MVD.
Official source ↗Washington
From the date proof was required (RCW 46.29.600(1)(a)) — not the reinstatement date and not the conviction date. tolls, doesn't restart: if the…
Official source ↗Full details
From the date proof was required (RCW 46.29.600(1)(a)) — not the reinstatement date and not the conviction date. tolls, doesn't restart: if the person surrenders the license and reapplies within the window, proof is reestablished for the remainder of the 3 years (46.29.600(3)).
Non-owner SR-22
Arizona
Yes — a non-owner SR-22 policy is available for people who don't own a vehicle but must meet the requirement after a serious traffic offense.
Official source ↗Costs
SR-22 filing fee same
License reinstatement
Arizona
Scenario-dependent. General suspension: $10. Revocation (DUI/major offense): $20 + an age-based application fee ($10 age 50+, $15 ages 45-49, $20…
Official source ↗Full details
Scenario-dependent. General suspension: $10. Revocation (DUI/major offense): $20 + an age-based application fee ($10 age 50+, $15 ages 45-49, $20 ages 40-44, $25 age 39 and under or any age with a Travel ID) + SR-22 + (for alcohol/drug cases) interlock and substance-abuse evaluation. Admin Per Se suspension: additional $50. Financial-responsibility (accident) suspension: $10 driver license + $25 registration/plate (§28-4144(C)(2)(b)).
Registration reinstatement
Arizona
$25 registration/license-plate reinstatement on the FR (accident) path (§28-4144). For a no-insurance registration suspension, the consumer path is a…
Official source ↗Full details
$25 registration/license-plate reinstatement on the FR (accident) path (§28-4144). For a no-insurance registration suspension, the consumer path is a $50 fee plus current proof of insurance where prior-coverage proof can't be produced.
Penalties
No-insurance, first offense
Arizona
Minimum civil penalty $500 (1st violation), plus a 3-month suspension/restriction of driving privileges (§28-4135(E)(1)).
Official source ↗Washington
Traffic infraction (not a crime) — monetary penalty set by the Washington Supreme Court penalty schedule under RCW 46.63.110; the statute (RCW…
Official source ↗Full details
Traffic infraction (not a crime) — monetary penalty set by the Washington Supreme Court penalty schedule under RCW 46.63.110; the statute (RCW 46.30.020(1)(d)) sets no fixed dollar amount and no first/subsequent escalation. The commonly assessed penalty is approximately $550 (court rule, not statute). Showing you were actually insured at the time gets the citation dismissed for a $25 administrative cost (46.30.020(2)).
No-insurance, repeat offense
Arizona
2nd within 36 months: minimum $750 + 6-month suspension of license, registration, and plates. 3rd+ within 36 months: minimum $1,000 + 1-year…
Official source ↗Full details
2nd within 36 months: minimum $750 + 6-month suspension of license, registration, and plates. 3rd+ within 36 months: minimum $1,000 + 1-year suspension of license, registration, and plates, with SR-22 required on reinstatement (§28-4135(E)(2)-(3)).
Washington
Same as first — RCW 46.30.020 sets no first/subsequent distinction; driving uninsured is a single-tier traffic infraction with the penalty set by the…
Official source ↗Full details
Same as first — RCW 46.30.020 sets no first/subsequent distinction; driving uninsured is a single-tier traffic infraction with the penalty set by the Supreme Court schedule (46.63.110). No escalation by prior count.
DUI suspension
Arizona
1st DUI: 90-day administrative (Admin Per Se / implied-consent) suspension; the criminal §28-1381 conviction itself does not revoke on a 1st. 2nd…
Official source ↗Full details
1st DUI: 90-day administrative (Admin Per Se / implied-consent) suspension; the criminal §28-1381 conviction itself does not revoke on a 1st. 2nd within 84 months (§28-1381 or §28-1382): driving privilege revoked at least 1 year; special ignition-interlock restricted license possible after 45 days. Aggravated DUI (§28-1383, felony): revocation with no new license issued for at least 1 year (per §28-1385 period for the child-passenger variant). All convictions carry mandatory ignition interlock (§28-3319).
Washington
two parallel tracks with day-for-day credit (46.61.5055(9)(b)). administrative (implied consent, RCW 46.20.308 -> periods in 46.20.3101): triggered…
Official source ↗Full details
two parallel tracks with day-for-day credit (46.61.5055(9)(b)). administrative (implied consent, RCW 46.20.308 -> periods in 46.20.3101): triggered by a breath/blood test at or above 0.08 (0.02 under-21) or a refusal; headline periods — test failure suspends at least 90 days, refusal revokes at least 1 year; 30-day temporary license from arrest, 7-day window to request a hearing ($375 fee). conviction-based (46.61.5055(9)): below 0.15 -> 90-day suspension (no prior) / 2-year revocation (1 prior) / 3-year (2+); 0.15 or above -> 1-year / 900-day / 4-year; refusal -> 2-year / 3-year / 4-year. Mandatory IID on all vehicles (46.61.5055(5), 46.20.720) for 1/5/10 years by prior IID restrictions. Revocation grounds also in 46.20.285 (DUI 1-year baseline; vehicular homicide 2 years).
DUI fine range
Arizona
Standard DUI §28-1381: 1st = ≥$250 fine + two mandatory $500 assessments (~$1,250+ before surcharges), min 10 days jail (suspendable to 1 with…
Official source ↗Full details
Standard DUI §28-1381: 1st = ≥$250 fine + two mandatory $500 assessments (~$1,250+ before surcharges), min 10 days jail (suspendable to 1 with treatment); 2nd = ≥$500 + two $1,250 assessments, min 90 days jail. Extreme §28-1382: BAC 0.15-0.20 = ≥$250 + $250 abatement + two $1,000 assessments, min 30 days jail; super-extreme BAC ≥0.20 = ≥$500, min 45 days jail. Aggravated §28-1383 (felony): ≥$750 + $250 abatement + two $1,500 assessments, mandatory prison (4 or 8 months by priors).
Washington
RCW 46.61.5055, by prior offenses in 7 years and BAC tier (gross misdemeanor unless felony). No prior: 24 hrs-364 days jail + $350-$5,000 (<0.15); 48…
Official source ↗Full details
RCW 46.61.5055, by prior offenses in 7 years and BAC tier (gross misdemeanor unless felony). No prior: 24 hrs-364 days jail + $350-$5,000 (<0.15); 48 hrs + $500-$5,000 (>=0.15 or refusal). 1 prior: 30 days + 60 days EHM + $500-$5,000 (<0.15); 45 days + 90 days EHM + $750-$5,000 (>=0.15/refusal). 2 priors: 90 days + 120 days EHM + $1,000-$5,000 (<0.15); 120 days + 150 days EHM + $1,500-$5,000 (>=0.15/refusal). 3+ priors in 15 years -> class B felony under ch 9.94A (46.61.502(6)). Minor-passenger enhancements add IID time, jail, and fines. Mandatory minimums are largely non-suspendable.
Driving while suspended
Arizona
Driving on a suspended, revoked, canceled, or refused license, or while disqualified, is a class 1 misdemeanor (§28-3473). Arizona's general class 1…
Official source ↗Full details
Driving on a suspended, revoked, canceled, or refused license, or while disqualified, is a class 1 misdemeanor (§28-3473). Arizona's general class 1 misdemeanor ceilings are up to 6 months jail and up to a $2,500 fine plus surcharges (ARS §13-707 / §13-802).
Washington
RCW 46.20.342, three degrees. first degree (habitual offender driving under a ch 46.65 revocation): gross misdemeanor, mandatory minimum jail 10 days…
Official source ↗Full details
RCW 46.20.342, three degrees. first degree (habitual offender driving under a ch 46.65 revocation): gross misdemeanor, mandatory minimum jail 10 days (1st) / 90 (2nd) / 180 (3rd+), non-suspendable; +1-year revocation extension. second degree (suspended for a serious reason — DUI, vehicular homicide/assault, felony-vehicle, hit-and-run, prior DWS, administrative action): gross misdemeanor (up to 364 days / $5,000); +1-year no-new-license. third degree (suspended for administrative/financial reasons, including failure to furnish proof of FR / SR-22 under ch 46.29): misdemeanor (up to 90 days / $1,000); no extension. So driving while suspended solely for an unfiled SR-22 is the lightest tier (3rd degree).
CDL
CDL consequence
Arizona
Per §28-3312, MVD disqualifies a CDL: 1 year for a first major offense — test refusal (§28-1321), driving a CMV under the influence or with BAC…
Official source ↗Full details
Per §28-3312, MVD disqualifies a CDL: 1 year for a first major offense — test refusal (§28-1321), driving a CMV under the influence or with BAC ≥0.04, leaving the scene, using a vehicle in a felony, causing a fatality by negligent operation, driving a CMV while already disqualified, OR a regular DUI committed in a personal (non-commercial) vehicle (chapter 4, article 3 violation). 3 years if the offense occurred while hauling placarded hazmat. Lifetime for two or more such offenses (reducible to 10 years by rule). Permanent for a controlled-substance trafficking felony or a human-trafficking offense committed with a CMV. Out-of-service-order violations: 180 days / 2 years / 3 years. Railroad-crossing violations: 60 / 120 days / 1 year. Two serious traffic violations in 3 years = 60-day disqualification; three or more = 120 days. CDL alcohol threshold is 0.04. Disqualification begins 10 days after MVD logs the conviction.
Washington
RCW 46.25.090 (federal FMCSA structure). 1-year disqualification (first major offense): DUI — including a DUI in a non-commercial vehicle (0.08) — or…
Official source ↗Full details
RCW 46.25.090 (federal FMCSA structure). 1-year disqualification (first major offense): DUI — including a DUI in a non-commercial vehicle (0.08) — or CMV at 0.04+ BAC or any THC; refusal; leaving the scene; vehicle used in a felony; CMV-while-disqualified; negligent-operation fatality. 3-year if the offense occurred while transporting hazardous materials. lifetime (reducible to 10 years per federal rule) for a 2nd major offense. lifetime, no reduction: a vehicle used in a controlled-substance manufacture/distribution felony or a human-trafficking offense. Lesser ladders: serious traffic violations (60 days 2nd / 120 days 3rd in 3 years), out-of-service-order violations, railroad-crossing violations. CMV alcohol threshold is 0.04. Important for CDL holders: a DUI in a personal (non-commercial) vehicle still triggers a 1-year CDL disqualification.