Info on Drivers License & Registration in AZ (Phoenix, Mesa: car registration, insurance)

[R_Cowgirl]

A few thing for newcomers and current residents alike:

I had to get a new photo on my license this month, so that meant going to the MVD office, since it can't be done online. Just sharing a few things I learned and/or figgered out today.

First - the wait times at some offices are gnarly. The whole process took me nearly 2 hours today. I could have done it a lot faster had I gone later in the day, or to a different MVD office.
So... if you are getting ready to head out, there is a very cool page on the MVD website that tells you wait times and closure times for different things at each of the offices: Hours and Locations

Look for the list of places other than the MVD who can take care of your licensing needs. You may be able to escape the MVD office all together Motor Vehicle Services

Also - this page has the application you'll need to fill out if you are doing something with your license:
Driver Services Fill it out online and print it. You'll get done a lot faster and you won't be scribbling on an app form while in line.

Go to the MVD website to find out if you actually need to go to one of the offices. A lot of things can be done online. Motor Vehicle Services

And if you have a AAA card, you can do almost everything except your Drivers License there. Insurance company totaled your car? Go to AAA. Usually there are only 2-3 people ahead of you and it's way more comfortable than the MVD office, which looks like a bus station in some hick town.

The "enhanced" drivers licenses will eventually be needed by everyone who travels, but there was so much pushback by so many states that the TSA has told the people at the MVD that they won't demand those until 2020. So don't panic.

They'll let you keep the same photo for 12 years, but you'll get a notice to replace it after that. BTW - you can't smile on a passport photo, but you can smile on your AZ Drivers License. It makes you look less like you have a wasting disease. (I think the guy who takes the photos secretly hates all of us and wants us to look like criminals on those things. My photo is absolutely horrid! Worse one yet!!)

If you have to go and you can't control the time of day or location due to work restrictions, bring a bottle of water, a protein bar, plenty of hand sanitizer and a boatload of patience.

[A-Z16]

Thank you for that information, appreciate it.

[jamies]

That's great! I have an AAA card. I can drive 5 hours to Phoenix and not have to wait in line.

I don't have to go through the nightmare and degradation of going to the DMV for a new license until I'm 65. With a little luck I'll be dead by then.

Our DMV used to be no wait mid-week. But with all the refugees from Commiefornia pouring in now there's like 25 people waiting all the time.

And I noticed now they have a big "no guns" sign - where did that come from and who voted for it? This is ARIZONA and THAT is going to change!

[R_Cowgirl]

Jamies - there are other options than AAA, but anywhere in AZ that's 5 hours from Phoenix must have an AAA office closer.

Yeah - it's not just a no guns sign, it's no weapons. So if you habitually carry a knife like I do, you wanna leave that in the car in the parking lot!

[jamies]

Originally Posted by R_Cowgirl

Jamies - there are other options than AAA, but anywhere in AZ that's 5 hours from Phoenix must have an AAA office closer.

Yeah - it's not just a no guns sign, it's no weapons. So if you habitually carry a knife like I do, you wanna leave that in the car in the parking lot!

Yeah, maybe there's one in Flagstaff. That's only 3 1/2 hrs. Maybe I can get a free map too.

No knives too? Everyone needs to do their part to see SB 1257 passes - it will take this foolishness away from these potentate agencies that answer to no one.

Oh and BTW - I just renewed my car registration online, for FIVE years! It took maybe five minutes.

[GeneR]

We are moving to AZ and plan on switching our DLs/registration so this info was helpful. Thanks!

[R_Cowgirl]

You are welcome! And I would absolutely use AAA if you can. Actually, I think that is one of the best investments I ever made. My dad gave me a AAA card when I graduated from High School and went off to college. That's decades ago and I've used it often. Love the office here on Greenway and the 51 FWY.

And GeneR - you may be able to get some of the paperwork done online before you even get here by going to the MVD websites.

Also - check into AAA to see what they offer. https://www.az.aaa.com/ They ask for a zip code, so go here and just punch in Phoenix, AZ if you don't know where you're moving https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action

[PhoenixSomeday]

I had AAA when I first came out here from CA two years ago and was already familiar with going to them for annual registration renewal. In and out in 5-10 minutes; much better than waiting for hours at the DMV.

So when it came time to register my car and get an AZ license, I figured I'd just go to AAA like always. Turns out that one of the absolute most important things you'd want to skip the DMV and go to AAA for, a license, is the one thing they can't do.

I lived in east Mesa at the time, so it was a short trip out to the DMV in Apache Junction. 20 minutes in and out! It was also 2PM on a Thursday, so it was light on people anyway (Tu/We/Th after lunch, best time to go).

Also, I thought you could only get a 5 year registration if the car was new? (otherwise biannual smog/inspection gets in the way).

[locolobo13]

I had to have my photo renewed about 10 yrs ago. Needed the new license with the extra security features. Went to DMV, got in line. The guy in front of me only had a credit card for ID. They told him not go. He kept arguing. Finally they took his photo and gave him a new license. Since then I've been less than impressed with the new security on the licenses.

[artangel]

Thanks to the OP for the helpful hints! I moved from the Midwest to Az almost 6 years ago. For some reason I was under the assumption my driver's license had to be renewed every 12 years, so haven't worried about it. Imagine my dismay when traveling recently to discover it had already expired! I turned 65 this year and evidently at that point you need a new one. I am a bit scared about going to get it---will I be fined heavily, ticketed or something because I was driving on an expired license? I haven't driven anywhere since I returned from my trip, and will have a friend take me. I had cataract surgery on both eyes last year, then follow-up surgeries to counter scar tissue, but still having trouble with my eyesight changing so glasses I had made twice are not as clear as I'd like---wondering if I will pass vision test. This all has me worried. Any advice or knowledge greatly appreciated. (by the way, I am very law-abiding etc so this upsets me greatly!)