PHOENIX – Students who undergo training at state-approved driving schools will now be able to receive training completion certificates that may waive written and road tests at Motor Vehicle Division offices.

However, there are requirements that driving-school students must meet, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

In order to qualify, students must be Arizona residents and attend classes at an ADOT-contracted driving school. A minimum of 30 hours of classroom training is required to waive the written exam and at least 10 hours of behind-the-wheel training is required to skip the road exam.

“Our top priority is safety,” said Motor Vehicle Division Director Stacey Stanton. “Through this program, we’re partnering with the private sector to encourage new drivers to get as much professional instruction as necessary until they can safely drive on their own. We hope more drivers will utilize these training opportunities.”

While most students who present training completion certificates at Motor Vehicle Division offices will get their instructional permit or driver license at that time, some certificate holders will be randomly selected to take the written or road exam at the Motor Vehicle Division office.

This random testing will be used to gauge the quality of instruction being given at the driving schools. Certificate holders should come to the Motor Vehicle Division office prepared to take the written or road exam in case they are selected.

A list of approved driver training schools is available at azdot.gov/drivingschools. There are more than 50 ADOT-approved schools across the state.

This initiative is one way, in addition to Authorized Third Party offices that provide a variety of motor-vehicle services, that ADOT is working to decentralize services, making them more accessible to community members around the state by engaging the private sector.

Enhancing driver training, and providing opportunities for ADOT-approved driving schools to issue certificates of completion to potentially bypass Motor Vehicle Division office testing, is an action step in ADOT’s new Strategic Highway Safety Plan.

PHOENIX – Based on an order from U.S. District Court, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division will begin processing driver license and identification card applications for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals on Monday, Dec. 22. Consequently, people visiting Motor Vehicle Division offices for service may experience increased time to complete their business.

Customers to ADOT Motor Vehicle Division offices should anticipate heavier-than-normal customer traffic in the weeks ahead. ADOT will work to serve all customers as efficiently as possible and encourages customers to check office wait times online, and plan accordingly.

Most ADOT Motor Vehicle Division offices are open Monday through Friday (excluding legal holidays) from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last customers admitted to the office at 4:30 p.m. Check the website for details on office hours outside the metro areas (www.azdot.gov/mvd).

Driver license applicants who have not previously held an Arizona license must follow all requirements for proving identification, as well as pass both written and on-the-road tests to qualify for a license. For customers age 16-39, a driver license costs $25; instructional permits are $7. Identification cards cost $12. On-the-road tests can take up to 30 minutes, and customers need to arrive before 3 p.m. for road tests. However, offices may reach their road-test capacity earlier in the day, depending on customer demand. Customers may need more than one office visit to complete the licensing process.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients will receive a credential formatted like any other Arizona driver license or identification card. The credential expiration date will correspond to the expiration of the customer’s Employment Authorization Card, as is the standard practice.

Office locations, including wait times, can be found online at www.azdot.gov/mvd. On the Web, information is also available on driver license or identification card application requirements, the driver handbook and online practice tests (www.azdot.gov/practice). Customers are encouraged to complete an application online before visiting an office.

Eight Authorized Third Party offices around the state also offer driver license services (information at www.azdot.gov/thirdpartyDLservices). At Authorized Third Party offices, customers may be charged an additional convenience fee for service. Customers seeking vehicle title or registration transactions may also use Authorized Third Party offices statewide, which are private businesses authorized to provide certain Motor Vehicle Division services. Locations and hours of operation for Authorized Third Party offices are available online at www.azdot.gov/mvd.

More than 20 Motor Vehicle Division transactions can be completed online at www.ServiceArizona.com.

For general questions, contact the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division during normal business hours at 602.255.0072 or send an inquiry via the Web at www.azdot.gov/contact_adot.

PHOENIX – In an effort to enhance driver preparation and safety, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is extending the waiting period before retesting for an Arizona driver license.

Effective today, MVD has implemented a policy change that will require people wanting to retake the written or road test after any failed attempt for their driver license to wait at least seven days before testing again. The previous waiting period was one day.

“This is a safety issue,” said Motor Vehicle Division Director Stacey Stanton. “By extending the waiting period we hope it will encourage people to take plenty of time to study the driving manual and practice their skills before attempting the exams. As always, our goal is to have safe, knowledgeable drivers on Arizona roads and highways.”

The current passing rate for the written test is approximately 50 percent. The passing rate for road tests is approximately 75 percent.

MVD gives an average of 20,644 written tests per month.

To help driver license applicants prepare for the written test, MVD provides practice tests online at azdot.gov/mvd. Both English and Spanish versions of the Arizona Driver License Manual are available online as well.

For more information, please visit azdot.gov/mvd.

PHOENIX — If anyone received a new driver license and it contains errors, there are some simple steps to take to get a corrected credential. The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division wants to advise customers who received a redesigned driver license that contains errors to return to any local area Motor Vehicle Division office, email ADOT, or call 602.255.0072 or 800.251.5866.

It is important for anyone receiving the redesigned credential issued after June 16 to verify all of the information contained on the card.

The ADOT Motor Vehicle Division values its customers and continuously strives to provide the best customer service. The agency apologizes for the inconvenience this issue has created for some customers.

On June 16, the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division implemented a new system for processing driver license and identification card applications. The new process provides many safeguards to prevent fraud and counterfeiting of the Arizona credential. The applicant no longer receives the permanent credential at the end of the application process. Instead, a temporary credential is issued. The latest technology has been employed into the production of the temporary and the permanent credential.

In the first week of the new central-issuance process, more than 45,000 credentials were issued.

The ADOT Motor Vehicle Division has taken several steps to identify the cause of the technical problem and to make immediate corrections. Once a customer contacts the agency either by phone or a visit to a local office to notify of an error with their driver license, a corrected, fee-free credential is immediately ordered and mailed. The replacement credential is expected to arrive within five business days from the date reordered.

For information about ADOT please visit azdot.gov/mvd.

PHOENIX – Effective today (June 16), the newly designed Arizona driver license – and a new process to get it – are now in place.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has expanded the central credential issuance process to all offices statewide, meaning that customers visiting a Motor Vehicle Division or Authorized Third Party office to obtain a new driver license or identification card will leave with a temporary credential. The permanent license or identification card will be mailed to the customer and received within 15 days.

With a primary focus on protecting a customer’s personal information and protect against identity theft, ADOT has launched a new, high-security credential format. Arizona is following a change occurring across the nation by many states with the production of a driver license with a background that contains numerous security features. The previously designed photo background was very limited in its capability to contain viable security features.

“Our top priority is always customer safety and security,” said Stacey Stanton, director of ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division. “The new and improved security features better safeguard personal information. The updated issuance process has added steps for ensuring the license or identification card is delivered to the right person and helps prevent identity theft.”

There is no need for a customer to rush out to an office to obtain the new credential. A current driver license or identification card will remain valid until its expiration date – or at least until the 12-year mark when the photo needs to be refreshed. The price of a duplicate credential remains $12 for many customers.

Customers at ADOT Motor Vehicle Division offices will no longer be issued a permanent or duplicate driver license or identification card at the end of the application process. The credential will instead be mailed to the address on the customer’s application. It is important to ensure the correct mailing address has been provided in order to receive the credential.

With the new central issuance process it is critical that customers keep their address updated with MVD. State law requires that residents notify the Motor Vehicle Division of an address change within 10 days, although the purchase of a new credential isn’t required. Address changes can be made online at ServiceArizona.com.

This central-issuance process has already been in place in 14 of ADOT’s offices in communities in Greater Arizona and in the Authorized Third Party offices that process driver licenses. Now the process has expanded to all offices statewide.

The temporary driver license or identification card contains a photo and the basic information that appears on the actual credential. As in other states that have moved to this process, the decision to accept the temporary credential as proof of identity exists solely with the organization requesting to see the license or identification card.

The process of central credential issuance is used by most states around the country and is a growing trend as states transition to higher-security credentials.

For at least 12 years, there will be more than one valid Arizona driver license and identification card.

Security features of the new credential include:

• A larger primary portrait with a smaller redundant ghost portrait ensuring customer appearance is clearly reflected.
• A high-security, design comprised of unique Arizona geological features in the background created through the use of Guilloché innovative symmetry. A Guilloché design involves techniques consisting of intricate, repetitive patterns that are interwoven to guard against counterfeiting, altering or other fraudulent use, making for a more secure credential.
• A laser perforation in the shape of Arizona, which when held up to the light is used to quickly authenticate the credential.
• Tactile date of birth field to assist in authenticating the credential using the sense of touch. The date in this field will have a raised feel to it.
• Tri-color Optically Variable Device consisting of the state outline, the state name “Arizona,” the state seal, a saguaro cactus and a star. This laminate overlay provides the final layer of the credential and provides one more feature for authentication.
• The ringtail, declared the state mammal in 1986, is illustrated on the front of the new credential. Ringtails, found throughout the state, are cat-sized carnivores resembling a small fox with a long raccoon-like tail.

PHOENIX – The ringtail, incorporated into the new Arizona driver license background image as a security feature, needs a nickname.

This week, the Arizona Department of Transportation is kicking off the “name the ringtail” contest to solicit ideas on what to call the critter. The ringtail – officially designated as the state mammal – is included among the security features on the newly designed driver license. Ringtails are cat-sized carnivores, resembling a small fox with a long raccoon-like tail. Almost wholly nocturnal, they are expert climbers found throughout the state.

Beginning June 16, the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division is expanding central credential issuance to all offices statewide, meaning that customers visiting a Motor Vehicle Division or Authorized Third Party office to obtain a new driver license or identification card will leave with a temporary credential. The permanent license or identification card will be mailed to the customer, and received within 15 days.

Coupled with that, ADOT is launching a new, high-security credential format. Both changes are designed to protect against identity theft.

In addition to the to-be-named ringtail, security features of the new license and identification card include:

• A larger primary portrait with a smaller redundant ghost portrait ensuring customer appearance is clearly reflected.
• A high-security, design comprised of unique Arizona geological features in the background created through the use of Guilloche innovative symmetry. A Guilloche design involves techniques consisting of intricate, repetitive patterns that are interwoven to prevent counterfeiting, altering or other fraudulent use, thus making for a more secure credential.

• A laser perforation in the shape of Arizona, which when held up to the light is used to quickly authenticate the credential.
• Tactile date of birth field to assist in authenticating the credential using the sense of touch. The date in this field will have a raised feel to it.
• Tri-color Optically Variable Device consisting of the state outline, the state name “Arizona,” the state seal, a saguaro cactus and a star. This laminate overlay provides the final layer of the credential and provides one more feature for authentication.

While there are no prizes for this contest, beyond bragging rights, visitors to the website can suggest a nickname for the ringtail and vote on the suggestions submitted by others. The contest runs through June 6.

 According to the Arizona Secretary of State’s office, the ringtail was named the state mammal in 1986.