Many of us probably don’t think twice when asked to show a form of identification. Our identification can be in the form of a driver’s license, student ID card, military ID, or passport. Imagine you are a veteran who is experiencing homelessness and not having any identification at all. What does a veteran do?

For many years, the Arizona Housing Coalition’s Arizona Veterans StandDown Alliance has sponsored an event called Maricopa County StandDown Day. The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has been a partner at this event as long as I can remember. It is held at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, to help veterans with such government services as identifications, housing assistance, medical services and the list goes on.

MVD employees are there to help with driver licenses, identification cards, and title and registration services. Our driver's license transactions include written tests and vision screenings along with road tests. We set up temporary computer workstations so all the transactions are recorded in our system.

This year, MVD employees assisted 769 veterans experiencing homelessness. They processed 671 transactions, administered 21 written tests, and conducted 13 road tests.  We now have veterans who have some type of identification card and can gain access to services they need.

I am very proud of our partnership with the annual StandDown Day and wish to thank our MVD employees who help our veterans who are in need. Helping our veterans gain identification is a service we are proud to offer and a small gesture of our appreciation for their service to our country.  

ADOT employees assisted more than 760 veterans experiencing homelessness last week at the annual Maricopa County StandDown at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix.

Nineteen Motor Vehicle Division customer service representatives, who worked at temporary computer workstations, provided driver license, identification card, title and registration services for the event, held Jan. 23-24. Driver license transactions included written tests and vision screening with road tests in a vehicle provided by Courtesy Chevrolet, said MVD West Region Manager Kyle Ulibarri.

“Providing MVD services at StandDown allows veterans to get their driving privileges or identification cards issued in one spot. By having their driver license or ID, they can apply for other services to help get back on their feet,” he said. 

Ulibarri said it’s rewarding to help veterans to get back on the road, obtain a job or get government benefits.

“MVD employees get to see firsthand how powerful a driver license is for a person and how much it impacts their day-to-day living situations. It provides a great sense of pride in the work that they are doing to know they can potentially impact one veteran and help get their life back on a positive path.”

Information Technology PC Tech Tabion Johnson said he volunteers to honor veterans.

"I want to give back to those people who stood up for us," he said.

The ADOT team was located next to the temporary court facilities, making it easier to resolve problems in hours that might have taken weeks under typical circumstances. The Maricopa County StandDown, coordinated by the Arizona Housing Coalition’s Arizona Veterans StandDown Alliance, each year brings together organizations to help veterans under one roof, including government services, housing assistance, medical services, education services, haircuts and pet care.

Happy Tax Season everyone! We know … you can hardly contain your excitement. Ah, the afterglow of the new year…

Holiday decorations come down. Beloved out-of-town family and friends return home – FINALLY! And of course, the most joyous event of all: your 2019 tax documents come in.

There are no parties, no presents, and the greeting cards would probably not be family-friendly.

We get it.

But we’re here to help. Really! In our own way, MVD can help.

If you’re like the rest of us here at ADOT ranch, you’ve probably found yourself trundling out to the garage, the carport or maybe the front yard – wherever you keep your vehicle at night – to grab the registration papers so you can copy them for your tax forms.

Yeah, that’s as much fun as pulling weeds in June.

But y’know what really IS fun? Having all that information in one place - at your fingertips, as it were.  And the good folks at the ADOT MVD have this covered.

You can print out or electronically copy all your 2019 vehicle fee and  tax information by clicking on the “Vehicle Fees/Taxes Paid 2019” link listed at www.servicearizona.com.  It’s free! It’s easy! It’s quick!

Did we mention it’s free? It is!

All vehicles, including autos, trucks, ATVs, trailers, street-legal golf carts, among others will have the information available.

Sometimes we minions at ADOT ranch are allowed to roam free and tell our friends and family about this great service. It seems like more people should know about it because everyone we see tells us this is great, and well, it is…

So try it out and if you like it (you will), tell someone and make their tax season a happy one.

OK … that may be too much, but at least a little less of a hassle. 

Does this sound familiar?

Teenager:  “Mom, I need to get my learner’s permit, can you take tomorrow afternoon off to take me to MVD for the test?”

Mom (to herself): “Aside from the fact that my boss will be upset and I’m two days behind on my work… sure, that sounds great.”

Mom (aloud): “Of course. Anything to help, sweetie.”

Ah, the things our parents do for us.

The rite of passage that is taking the learner’s permit test is one of those mandatory exercises parents look forward to… er, anticipate… er, dread with every fiber of their being.

Too bad it hasn’t be simplified.

But wait, it has!

Since early 2018, the Permit Test @ Home has been available for potential teen drivers to take the learner’s permit test – for real – online.

And in November, the Permit Test @ Home reached a milestone. For the first time ever, more teens are taking the online test than they are at an MVD office.

You might be tempted to say, “So what? I don’t have teenagers at home. This means nothing to me.”

But you would be mistaken.

You see, every time the Permit Test @ Home is taken, that’s one less MVD office visit for the teen and at least one parent or guardian. If they don’t have to come to an MVD office, that’s less customer traffic  and more opportunities for MVD’s employees to serve other customers.  Like you, perhaps.

The Permit Test @ Home is an innovative way to shift more MVD services securely online. A parent or guardian signs up for a free AZ MVD Now account through ServiceArizona.com and the rest is simple and free. It can be taken any time, and it encourages both parents and teens to review the rules of the road more completely. That’s a big win for safety.

The choice is obvious: taking half the day and going to an office to take a test or taking it at home with your family, your dog and your refrigerator nearby? Hmmmm…

The Permit Test @ Home. Do it for Mom.

You probably have a neighbor who’s put up Christmas or other holiday decorations on their house well ahead of Thanksgiving. Heck, maybe you’re that neighbor.

Well, we’re not ones to judge. In fact, we may or may not have a bowl of eggnog (non-alcoholic, of course…) in the break room here at the ol’ ADOT ranch.

The point is (and we really do have one) is that the holiday travel season is upon us. To celebrate as only the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division can, we have placed some of Santa’s helpers cleverly disguised as people wearing normal business casual attire at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport Terminal 4.

As we said in an earlier news release, these folks are there during peak travel hours to help air travelers learn more about the AZ Travel ID. They answer some basic questions and can even give you a handy-dandy flyer with all sorts of helpful information.

What, you say, is the AZ Travel ID?

The AZ Travel ID meets the ID requirements that the federal government is imposing as of October 1, 2020 at all U.S. passenger airport security checkpoints.  As of that date, the federal TSA says anyone without the proper ID will not get through security, and obviously risks missing their flight.

Will your license fly? You can easily check your license and if you don’t have a gold star in the upper right hand corner, it’s NOT an AZ Travel ID.  Of course, you probably know that already because to get one, you need to visit any MVD office or select Authorized Third Party providers.

When you do that, you need to bring in several types of documents proving your ID, your Social Security number and Arizona residency. You can find a list of what you need at this website: aztravelid.com and then make an appointment at an MVD office through servicearizona.com. You can also walk right in, or visit Authorized Third Party offices that provide license services.

Now, we just told you pretty much what the good guys at Sky Harbor will tell you if you happen to see them. But if you do happen to pass by them, say “Hi” and grab a flyer so you can share it with a friend and ask, “Will your license fly?”

Some people like big cars, or maybe a truck.

Others prefer something sporty.

There are those who go for the small, economical vehicle.

And then there are people like ADOT Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen who get a vehicle that, well, might be a tad too small.

But that’s OK, because this story ends happily.

Eric does a great job running the MVD (Did we mention the average wait time at MVD is way lower now than just a few years ago? If not…) A few months ago he was at a regional motor vehicle agency conference where attendees participated in a no-cost raffle. The prize? A pint-size Tesla and U-Haul trailer.

Guess who won?

Now, Eric’s no giant but this is a kid’s car, so Eric didn’t need any convincing; the Tesla and U-Haul should find a home at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

So that’s exactly what he did, donating these great vehicles to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, where it can help children in need of medical attention and their families get some joy at what is a pretty tough time in life. That's Eric on the left in this picture, standing alongside Christianna Millan from the Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation and Joe Cook, vice president of government relations for U-Haul.

The Tesla actually operates, with working headlights and even a sound system. The trailer has a functional hitch and the two go together like peas and carrots. They were initially donated for the raffle by U-Haul, a great Arizona-based company.

The MVD vision is to “Get Arizona out of line and safely on the road.” In this case, we might modify that to “Get children on the road to recovery and safely home.”