Changes coming to the way MVD issues plates, tabs and documents

The new year will usher in a new way for Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division customers to get license plates, registration tabs and many documents such as vehicle titles.

Beginning in January, customers will receive these items through the U.S. Mail and will no longer be able to obtain them at an MVD or Authorized Third Party office. Customers should make sure their address is current and complete with the U.S. Postal Service and MVD. 

“The MVD needs to be well-positioned for the growth of e-commerce,” said MVD Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser Richards. “Distributing items such as license plates, tabs, title work and other documents allows us to prepare for the growing demand for fulfilling customer orders through the mail as MVD continues to increase the number of services available online, anytime.”

All registration documents and license plate tabs, including those issued today at MVD self-service kiosks will be mailed. When customers renew, their record is updated instantly and a receipt will be proof of registration.

For customers getting a license plate, the change will also mean the plate number will be entered into the customer’s service file and the temporary plate issued at the office will have the same number as the permanent plate being mailed.

Customers who purchase Off-Highway Vehicle decals the same day they plan to use them at a recreational area will not receive the decal at the office, but will get a receipt that should be kept with them to prove the decals have been purchased. 

In the future, more vehicle titles will transition to an electronic process. Currently, a limited number of title transfers such as one-owner to one-owner transfers of Arizona-registered vehicles can already be done entirely online through AZ MVD Now, which is available through ServiceArizona.com.

For more information: MVD System Changes link at azdot.gov/mvd.

The vision of the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is to “get Arizona out of line and safely on the road”. Dedicated MVD employees, Authorized Third Party providers and offering more services online help MVD achieve this vision.