The following feature on out-of-state vehicle registration was submitted by Mike Montalvo, a recent transplant from New York.
I recently moved to Phoenix, and I needed to register my car and motorcycle in Arizona and get an Arizona license. The Arizona Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) web site had useful information, but didn't give step-by-step instructions on how to go about registering an out of state vehicle or obtaining an Arizona license. I was pleasantly surprised to find that both processes were much easier than I thought. Here is what you need to know:
- The first thing you need to do is have your insurance company rewrite your policy for Arizona. Once you receive your new insurance cards, you can start the vehicle registration process.
- Unlike some states (including N.Y.) Arizona requires you get your emissions inspection before you get the vehicle registered. If your car is more than 5 years old, you will need to do this before you even think about going to the Motor Vehicle Department. A car less than 5 years old is exempt from emissions testing and you do not need to have it tested before trying to register it.
- The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has just about everything you need to know about getting your car emission tested including a list of testing stations in the Phoenix and Tucson areas, as well the costs involved and helpful tips. It is important that you bring your vehicle registration (it is O.K. if it is from another state) or your car's title. They cannot perform the test without one of these two documents. Once you have passed the emissions test they will give you a document with the test results. Do not lose this paper; you will need it for the vehicle registration process.
Now that your vehicle passed the emissions test (or your car was exempt) you can go to the Motor Vehicle Department, or MVD. Be sure to bring:
- the emissions test results
- your evidence of Arizona insurance
- your driver's license (from any state)
- your social security card or other form of signature ID
- your car's title along with any lien release papers you may have
- current vehicle registration
Next page >> Going to MVD
