Arizona has a lot of unique features – like having a Motor Vehicle Division instead of a Department of Motor Vehicles.

But what might seem like a simple name difference can lead unsuspecting customers to unauthorized websites and scams when they’re simply searching for ways to do business online with the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.

That’s because many people may reflexively do a web search for the “Arizona DMV” or something similar, and that can lead them to websites that aren’t affiliated with ADOT.

“Azmvdnow.gov and ServiceArizona.com  are the only authorized web portals for the MVD, and people need to be wary of imitation sites that could be a scam,” said MVD Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser-Richards.

She added, “There are fraudulent websites falsely offering motor vehicle services such as Arizona driver licenses, IDs, and vehicle titles and registration. They can appear in searches with keywords such as MVD or DMV. The best protection for our customers is to activate their secure and personal AZ MVD Now account.”

More than two-thirds of MVD services are available through AZ MVD Now. They include popular options such as registration renewal, ordering a duplicate license, and getting a 3-day permit as well as newer online offerings like prepaid vouchers, electronic title services, updating insurance information, the Permit Test @ Home for those getting a learner’s permit, getting a motor vehicle record and many more. 

Activating an AZ MVD Now account takes just a few minutes. Every current MVD customer already has an account with their driver and vehicle information that’s waiting to be activated. Customers may go to azmvdnow.gov and follow the prompts for how to activate their account. The process is free and is protected by several security protocols that are explained on the site and in an accompanying “how-to” video for those who wish to view it. 

Additionally, ADOT does not offer MVD services through phone solicitations, nor does it endorse or advertise for online businesses claiming to provide MVD services.

There are legitimate Authorized Third Party businesses that are licensed and authorized to perform MVD transactions in person. A list of Authorized Third Party businesses can be found at azdot.gov/mvd.

PHOENIX -- Arizonans now have more options to show their support for charitable and other worthy causes with five new specialty license plates that debut today.

Specialty plates are available online through ServiceArizona.com. Most cost $25 each year, with an additional $25 per year if the plate is personalized. 

The plates making their first appearance today are: 

Alzheimer’s Awareness -- Available to everyone. $17 of the fee supports research to promote the scientific understanding and early detection of Alzheimer's disease and to educate Arizona residents about disease management.

Distinguished Flying Cross – Must be a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross medal (proof required) with $17 of the fee going to a special fund to benefit veterans in Arizona.

Fiesta Bowl -- Available to everyone with $17 of the fee supporting charities and programs across the state of Arizona designed to promote youth, sports and education.  

Habitat for Humanity – Available to everyone with $17 of the fee supporting Arizona families in need of decent, affordable housing.

Share the Road – Available to everyone with $17 of the fee going to both the Rob Dollar Foundation and the Uphill Into The Wind organization to promote road safety and awareness for cyclists and runners.

In addition to these new plates, the Arizona Historical Society, Northern Arizona University and Phoenix International Raceway plates sport new designs that have been available since July. 

In the Fiscal Year that ended June 30, the total statewide sales of specialty plates netted a new record of about $11.4 million for various causes and charities. 

Specialty plates are authorized by the Arizona legislature and have been offered since 1989. Authorized plate designs complete a review by law enforcement and the Arizona Department of Transportation. In all, there are now 71 license plate options for Arizona motorists.

PHOENIX - The usage of online Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division services has skyrocketed over the past four months as more than one million Arizonans have activated their free online AZ MVD Now accounts at azmvdnow.gov.

“AZ MVD Now couldn’t have come at a better time,” MVD Director Eric Jorgensen said. “With the limitations placed on our in-person office visits due to the public health emergency, providing more services online through AZ MVD Now has meant we can offer more web-based options to customers on their schedule.” 

He added, “Reaching more than one million registered accounts -- and counting -- shows that people are primed and ready to do business with MVD online. We want to be ahead of the curve with providing e-commerce solutions and fulfill our vision to get Arizona out of line and safely on the road. AZ MVD Now is a significant part of that strategy.”

More than two-thirds of MVD services are available through AZ MVD Now. They include popular options such as registration renewal, ordering a duplicate license, and getting a 3-day permit as well as newer online offerings like prepaid vouchers, electronic title services, updating insurance information, the Permit Test @ Home for those getting a learner’s permit, getting a motor vehicle record and many more. 

Activating an AZ MVD Now account takes just a few minutes. Every current MVD customer already has an account with their driver and vehicle information that’s waiting to be activated. Customers may go to azmvdnow.gov and follow the prompts for how to activate their account. The process is free and is protected by several security protocols that are explained on the site and in an accompanying “how-to” video for those who wish to view it. 

PHOENIX -  Staffing limitations due to the ongoing public health emergency are resulting in delays to some Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division customer service operations. 

Some customers have contacted MVD worried that registration tabs have taken longer than expected to be sent via the U.S. Mail. Even if there is such a delay, once a first-time registration or a renewal has been paid, the customer’s accurate status is updated to the MVD database accessible to law enforcement. Customers may also wish to keep their receipts after making payment. 

Additionally, drivers whose license expires between March and September of 2020 have had that date automatically updated by six months and do not need to visit MVD for a renewal until the new date. 

For phone customers, call center operations have been diminished, meaning call queues can be more than 30 minutes before reaching a customer service representative. 

“ADOT continues working with our telephone system providers to improve the customer experience,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We are operating in unprecedented times and our customers are feeling the stress of that when trying to do business with us. We recognize this is not the level of service that the public has come to expect, or that we expect from ourselves, and we are working hard to find new ways to safely and effectively serve the public.”

With employees absent due to illness and quarantine requirements, customer service representatives are feeling the pressure to maintain acceptable levels of service – building on the improvements heralded at MVD over the past few years. 

“Before this public health emergency, MVD was focused on improving the customer experience and reducing wait times in offices. We haven’t lost that focus,” said Eric Jorgensen, director of ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division. “We know today’s situation for customers isn’t good and we apologize for that. At the same time, we have offices around the state with front-line workers dedicated to keeping pace with the needs of our customers. Under stressful and hectic conditions, they are pushing forward to provide critical services for the public. We are making process and technology improvements every day to make the situation better for Arizonans.” 

Most MVD services are available online at azmvdnow.gov or through servicearizona.com.

PHOENIX – In order to strengthen efforts to protect the health and safety of all Arizonans during the current pandemic, all Arizona Department of Transportation offices, including the Motor Vehicle Division, now require employees and customers to wear face coverings.

“Our first priority is the safety and well-being of our customers and employees,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “COVID-19 is a significant health threat and we are committed to doing everything we can to protect Arizonans, especially those in vulnerable populations.”

Based on guidelines from state and national public health authorities, ADOT is making the wearing of coverings mandatory for employees and customers who have appointments at MVD offices and any other ADOT locations where the public does business. This includes ports of entry and Enforcement and Compliance Division offices, VIN inspection locations and the Executive Hearing Office, among others. Previously, only customers at MVD offices with road-test appointments were required to wear face coverings. 

Many Arizona municipalities are requiring people to wear coverings in public, and ADOT urges customers to be aware of the policies in their communities. 

The vast majority of customer contacts occur at MVD offices. Locations have been open since the public health emergency was declared in March, but appointments are required and are limited to services such as first-time driver licenses, first-time registrations and road tests. 

While the face covering requirement is new, since the declaration of the public health emergency MVD offices have implemented a number of procedures to protect the public’s health:

• MVD began limiting all office visits to appointment-only to reduce the number of customer and employee interactions. This also discourages lines forming outside.
• Every office now has clear screens separating employees and customers as well as social distancing markers.
• To further reduce the need for customers to visit an office, a statewide customer service phone line at 602.712.2700 was established to handle some transactions. Customers may also email MVD through the ADOT Contact page at azdot.gov.  Also, online offerings increased significantly with more services added to azmvdnow.gov.
• There is added cleaning of each location on a regular basis.
• Many MVD services are available online anytime at azmvdnow.gov or through ServiceArizona.com.
• Online options are especially important as the customer service experience has been impacted due to the coronavirus. Call center operations have been diminished, meaning call queues can be more than 30 minutes before reaching a customer service representative. 

“ADOT continues working with our telephone system providers to improve the customer experience,” Halikowski said. “We are operating in unprecedented times and our customers are feeling the stress of that when trying to do business with us. We recognize this is not the level of service that the public has come to expect, or that we expect from ourselves, and we are working hard to find new ways to safely and effectively serve the public.”

With employees absent due to illness and quarantine requirements, customer service representatives are feeling the pressure to maintain acceptable levels of service – building on the improvements heralded at MVD over the past few years. 

“Before this public health emergency, MVD was focused on improving the customer experience and reducing wait times in offices. We haven’t lost that focus,” said Eric Jorgensen, director of ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division. “We know today’s situation for customers isn’t good, and we apologize for that. At the same time, we have offices around the state with front-line workers dedicated to keeping pace with the needs of our customers. Under stressful and hectic conditions, they are pushing forward to provide critical services for the public. We are making process and technology improvements every day to make the situation better for Arizonans.” 

The face covering requirement for employees, customers and visitors will be effective Monday, June 22.

For more information: azdot.gov.

PHOENIX - Throughout this public health situation, Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division offices have remained open with one caveat: Appointments are required.  

Appointments are available for customers who need to get their driver license for the first time as well as first-time vehicle registrations. Most other services are available online through secure, personal accounts at azmvdnow.gov or through ServiceArizona.com. 

Scheduling an appointment must be done through the MVD statewide customer service phone line at 602.712.2700 during normal weekday business hours. Because call volume is typically very high, and phone-in transactions take more time than in-person services, customers are likely to experience waits of 30 minutes or more when calling in. MVD apologizes for the inconvenience while services are modified to meet social distancing and other pandemic safety protocols.

MVD encourages customers to use online services whenever possible for convenience and to reduce both the phone traffic on the statewide line and potential customer traffic at physical locations. 

Most Authorized Third Party offices are open, many of which can provide the full range of MVD services. For information on hours, locations and services, please visit azdot.gov.  

Customers whose driver license expires between March and September of this year have automatically had that date extended by six months. No office visit is needed until the new date. This extended expiration date is updated in the MVD customer’s motor vehicle record. 

MVD has also begun a new process of providing items such as registration tabs, license plates, titles and other documents to customers. Plates and tabs are sent to the customer through the U.S. Postal Service while titles and most other documents are recorded electronically on each customer’s online MVD account, which customers can securely access through azmvdnow.gov. 

PHOENIX - Even though ADOT Motor Vehicle Division offices are serving a limited number of customers by appointment only due to the public health situation, customers aren’t limited in their ability to offer the gift of being an organ, eye or tissue donor. 

Since 2017, organ donation has been an option for online customers renewing their vehicle registration, a service that attracts about 250,000 customers a month. The online option of signing up to be a donor after applying for a driver’s license or ID dates back even longer.

“MVD has had a vital partnership with Donor Network of Arizona for many years, and our customers should know that you can still make this life-saving choice despite the fact many of our in-office services are temporarily unavailable,” MVD Director Eric Jorgensen said. 

He added, “Nearly 400,000 Arizonans have signed up for their secure, personal AZ MVD Now account at azmvdnow.gov or through servicearizona.com. Either web service allows customers to sign up as organ donors. Of course, this option is still available for customers who use Authorized Third Party providers and those who have an appointment for the services we continue to provide by appointment at MVD locations.”

Julia Young of Donor Network Arizona noted, “Registering as a donor is an act of generosity. It’s something we can all do regardless of age or health condition. More than 95% of new donor registrations come from ADOT MVD transactions. Whether through their online services or by checking the box when visiting an MVD in person, Arizonans are expressing generosity and saving lives thanks to the strong partnership between DNA and ADOT MVD.”

She added, “If you are not currently registered as an organ, eye and tissue donor, we strongly urge you to visit donatelifeaz.org where you can safely and securely join the registry to save lives right from home. The entire process takes 38 seconds or less!” 

For more information: azdot.gov or donatelifeaz.org.

PHOENIX – With Motor Vehicle Division offices currently limited to essential services that require in-person visits by appointment, the Arizona Department of Transportation strongly recommends that customers try going online, visiting Authorized Third Party offices or using the U.S. mail before seeking office appointments.

Due to the current public health situation, MVD offices cannot accept walk-in customers. 

Call volume is very high to the statewide MVD customer service hotline at 602.255.0072, where customers needing to conduct essential transactions can make office appointments, in part because customers are trying to schedule visits for services that don’t require them.

The only essential services that must be done at an MVD office are: first-time driver licenses or ID cards; first-time vehicle registrations; and some complex title work. 

For all other MVD needs, there are several options including going online at ServiceArizona.com, which will direct customers to a menu of MVD services, including those offered through secure, personal accounts at azmvdnow.gov. Customers can learn more about setting up an AZ MVD Now account at azdot.gov/motor-vehicle-services.

Authorized Third Party offices provide another option. Many provide full MVD services, while others have limited offerings. For information about hours, locations and the MVD services provided, please visit ServiceArizona.com. 

While the learner’s Permit Test @ Home is available online at azmvdnow.gov, no appointments are being accepted to complete the learner’s permit process because of health guidelines limiting capacity at MVD offices. ADOT is encouraging customers to delay getting learner’s permits until further notice. 

For more information, please visit azdot.gov.