If you intend to own a vehicle in Arizona, you must register it with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Motor Vehicle Division (MVD).

The cost of Arizona license plates depends on the type of vehicle and style of plate.

Sample Arizona License Plate

Temporary Licence Plates in Arizona

If you’ve bought a new or used vehicle from a licensed dealer, they should provide you with a temporary plate. This allows you to drive your vehicle until your permanent Arizona license plate arrives.

In addition to the temporary plate, you can also apply for a restricted permit if you're buying a vehicle from a private owner. This allows you to drive your vehicle for inspection, registration, titling, and returning to your home.

Obtaining License Plates in Arizona

You can apply for an Arizona license plate by registering your vehicle at the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). Arizona MVD offices can be found throughout the state and you can choose the one nearest to your residence.

When you purchase your vehicle, you must register it right away. Remember, the temporary permit is valid for only 3 days. Failure to register your vehicle within that time can lead to other consequences.

Testing Your Vehicle Before Obtaining Arizona License Plates

While you're obligated to register your vehicle the moment you become a resident of Arizona, you must also take your vehicle for an emissions test. If you're bringing your own vehicle from the previous state where you lived, any emissions test from there will be invalid—the test will need to be redone.

Your vehicle must pass Arizona’s smog and emissions test before you can complete the registration and obtain your Arizona license plates.

Bypass Arizona Emissions Tests

A few vehicle types are exempt from an emissions test in Arizona:

Vehicles made in or before 1967
Alternative-fuel and gas-powered vehicles 5 years old or newer

Note: If you modified or reconstructed a vehicle that is exempt, this may nullify the exemption.

Standard vs Specialized License Plates in Arizona

After you have registered your vehicle, you can choose between standard Arizona license plates or specialized Arizona license plates.

The standard license plate in Arizona comes with the catchphrase “Grand Canyon State” with a beautiful scene of a setting sun behind mountains.

Alternatively, you can apply for specialty license plates that come in the following designs:

Organizational & Charity License Plates
Military License Plates
Historic & Classic Car License Plates

You can browse the plate selection gallery on the MVD website to find the one that most appeals to you.

Personalized License Plates in Arizona

In addition to getting specialized (custom-style) license plates, you can also personalize the characters on your plates. For example, if you wanted ILOVEAR or SLORIDER or something else, you simply have to pay an additional $50 for personalization.

There are a few rules to follow if you decide to personalize your Arizona license plates:

Do not use profanity or inappropriate phrases
Do not exceed the limited number of characters allowed (7)
You can only use numbers and capital letters
You can only use available plate names

If you want to check which plates are available for personalization, use this free Arizona license plate search tool.

Cost/Fees for Arizona License Plates

When you go to an MVD office in Arizona, you can register and title your vehicle at the same time. The fees for this are:

Registration fee: $8
Title fee: $4
Air quality research fee: $1.50
Vehicle license tax (VLT) (see below)

If you require a permit to bring your vehicle to the MVD, the cost is as follows:

3-Day Permit: $1.50
90-Day Registration Fee: $15

In the state of Arizona, you are also obliged to pay a vehicle license tax (VLT) whenever you are registering or renewing a vehicle. This tax is assessed by calculating your vehicle’s assessed value, using 60% of the manufacturer's original retail price. Each year you renew your vehicle, the cost will be lowered by 16.25% to reflect depreciation. The VLT is charged on the assessed value in $100 increments as follows:

New Vehicles: $2.80
Used Vehicles: $2.89

For example, if you purchase a new vehicle that costs $30,000, the VLT will be calculated on the assessed value of $18,000 (60% of $30,000) at the rate of $2.80 (new vehicle) per $100, which is $504 for the first year. For the second year, the assessed value will be reduced by 16.25% to $15,075, and the VLT will be charged at the rate of $2.89 (used vehicle) per $100, which is $435.67.

Note: People purchasing specialized or personalized license plates will pay additional fees.

Lost or Stolen Arizona License Plates

If you lose your Arizona license plates or they are stolen, make sure you replace them as soon as possible. If you suspect that your plates have been stolen, you should contact the police and file a report. This can prevent your plates from being abused and misused.

You can apply for a replacement either in person or by mail.

Replacing Arizona Plates in Person

If you’re going to the MVD to replace your Arizona plates in person, bring the following:

Your personal ID (passport, driver’s license, etc.)
Your license plate number or VIN
$5 replacement fee

Replacing Arizona Plates by Mail

If you’re replacing your lost or stolen Arizona license plates by mail, you’ll need the following:

$5 check or money order (replacement fee)
Form 48-3302

Note: If standard plates are in stock, the MVD can prepare your plates and return them to you the same day. If you have specialty plates, you’ll receive them a few days later in the mail.

How to Look Up Arizona License Plates?

There’s a free online tool you can use to look up license plates in Arizona. Find By Plate allows you to look up a vehicle’s driver history and vehicle history. If you’re buying a car privately, this tool can tell you whether a vehicle is stolen or not.

You can also use FindByPlate to search for available license plates in Arizona. If you want to personalize your license plate, you can use the tool to see which numbers are available to register.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to look up Arizona license plates and report bad drivers:

Open a web browser
Go to FindByPlate.com
Enter the plate number and select state
View the report
View images submitted by the community
View videos submitted by the community
Add comments
Add pictures of the vehicle
Add videos related to the vehicle

Car Ownership in Arizona

As of 2023, there are over 7.7 million vehicles registered in Arizona, including over 58,000 electric vehicles.
94.40% of households in Arizona have at least one vehicle.
Arizona ranks 15 (tied) in the United States in car ownership rate. Idaho and Wyoming have the highest car ownership rates while the District of Columbia has the lowest car ownership rate in the US.
Arizona ranks 9 in the US for electric vehicle ownership. Around 0.65% of all registered vehicles in Arizona are electric vehicles. California has the highest EV ownership nationwide (1.61%).
Arizona ranks 15th in the list of most expensive states in the US to own a car. The average cost of full coverage car insurance in Arizona is $1,696 per year. The average cost of a check engine light-related car repair in Arizona is $388.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to renew vehicle registration in Arizona?

The quickest way to renew your Arizona vehicle registration is online. It’s not only convenient but also secure. You will not need a renewal notice to do this online. Your registration renewal will be due either on the 15th of the month or on the last day of the month. You can find out which date applies to you from your current registration.

Most vehicles in Arizona are registered for 1, 2, or 5 years. Some trailers can get a permanent registration.

All your registration documents and license plate tabs will be mailed to you. The MVD or authorized third party offices will not print them. Once you renew your vehicle registration, the record is immediately updated. You get a receipt which is proof of your up-to-date registration.

There are other methods of renewing your Arizona vehicle registration:

Visit an Arizona MVD office or Authorized Third Party office
Pay cash at hundreds of CheckFreePay locations
Call the MVD automated phone system on 1-888-713-3031

Is early renewal of vehicle registration allowed in Arizona?

It depends on whether you need an emissions test. If you are exempt from an emissions test, you can renew your vehicle registration up to 6 months in advance before expiration. However, if your vehicle requires an emissions test, you can do the vehicle registration renewal up to 90 days before it expires by showing an updated registration at the test station.

What is the late fee for vehicle registration renewal in Arizona?

If you fail to renew your vehicle registration by phone or online on or before the due date or if your mail-in payment is postmarked after the due date, you will be liable to pay a late fee. This is a $8 initial fee plus an additional $4 for each month you are overdue.

The MVD will mail a registration renewal reminder to you 45 days before the expiration of your current registration. Even if you don’t get this courtesy notice from the Arizona MVD, you are still liable to renew your vehicle registration on time.

If your vehicle does not pass the emissions test (initial or subsequent), you will not have to pay the late fee provided the original test was done before the due date and the new emissions test is done within 30 days of the initial emissions test.

If a financial institute returns a check, there’s a fee of $25, plus the MVD may cancel your vehicle registration and withdraw your driving privileges.

When to do the emissions test for my vehicle in Arizona?

It is best to do the emissions test for your vehicle at the same time as the registration renewal so that the cycles match.

Lookup by license plate and report bad drivers