Starting on Monday, Sept. 16, two new services will be offered to military veterans by ADOT…

Veterans will have the option to have a designation on their Arizona-issued driver license, commercial driver license, identification card or instruction permit denoting their military service.

In addition, veterans applying for an Arizona commercial driver license will have the option to request a waiver of the skills test if they meet certain requirements.

Veteran designation

Military veterans will be able to request a new credential with the distinguishing mark “VETERAN” added to the front (see example above). A new driver license/identification card application is required for this service along with verification of veteran eligibility.

Veterans can find information explaining the documentation requirements online and learn how to begin the application process.

All requests for the veteran designation mark to be added to a credential must be accomplished in person at an MVD or authorized third party office; there may be a fee for a duplicate credential.

Commercial driver license

The other new service is for veterans applying for an Arizona-issued commercial driver license. Applicants whose position in the military required the operation of a commercial motor vehicle will have the option during the application process to request a waiver of the commercial driver license skills test.

MVD may waive the commercial driver license skills test for applicants who are on active duty in the military or have separated under honorable conditions in the last 90 days and have driven a commercial motor vehicle for two years prior to their application.

You’re approaching an intersection where the traffic light has changed to yellow. You should:

A) Proceed with caution.
B) Clear the intersection before the light turns red.
C) Come to a safe stop and wait for the light to turn green.

If you’re not sure which answer is correct, you can brush up on your skills and learn all about vehicle safety by visiting the MVD webpage – there, you’ll find the Arizona Driver License Manual, available for download as a PDF.

After you study up, be sure to take our online Driver License practice tests.

The online practice tests, which have been available on the ADOT website for about two years, are the result of an MVD web survey that indicated practice tests were sought by those who took the survey.

The practice tests are educational tools that give people an idea of what to expect when taking the real written driver license exam. There’s definitely more to passing the real exam than what’s presented on the practice tests.

To reiterate, taking the practice tests is in no way a substitute for studying the manual. But, they do offer an easy way to test your knowledge. So, go ahead and give it a try!

By the way, the correct answer to that question up top is, “C.” Did you get it right?

Imagine this…

After weeks of searching, you finally find the perfect used vehicle and, with cash in hand, you set off to buy the car.

Once you pay for the vehicle, you couldn’t be happier with the purchase, so you head to the nearest MVD office (or authorized third party office) to register the car in your name.

That’s where you learn that the vehicle’s record has a lien placed on it, meaning the title can’t be transferred to a new owner (you) until those fines/fees are paid!

Luckily, this scenario doesn’t have to play out in real life if you take a few steps to protect yourself before buying a car.

Checking for liens – now, you can do it yourself

Prospective buyers have always been able to request a check of a motor vehicle record in person at any area MVD office (or authorized third party office) by using the vehicle identification number (VIN). This helps uncover any issues noted in the motor vehicle record and can determine if there are any current financial or operation of law liens.

Now, the same information can be obtained online -- as long as you have a VIN -- by visiting azmvdnow.gov and navigating to "check vehicle title status" under "Title." It's important to note that no personal information from a motor vehicle record will be accessible or revealed through this customer service feature.

What types of liens can be placed on a motor vehicle title? Liens fall into two general categories…

• Financial liens will appear on the front of the title in the space marked, “Lienholders.” These liens are generally for a defined period of time and when paid/satisfied, the vehicle owner receives a “lien release.” The owner may take that lien release to an MVD or Authorized Third Party office to obtain a new title (or, the vehicle owner may give the buyer the signed and notarized title with a lien release from the lender).
• Unresolved financial obligations can be added electronically and are not shown on the title as financial liens are. Unresolved financial obligation liens are not for a defined period of time and can be added or deleted at any time – think child support liens or court fines/fees (operation of law liens). These must be paid before the title can be transferred.

Please note that new liens are added to vehicles every day, therefore, you are taking a risk if you check the record and then pay for the vehicle at a later time.

Besides checking for liens, there are many steps you can take to protect yourself from a fraudulent deal, including obtaining a vehicle history report. Find more information (everything from verifying a vehicle’s details to tips on buying online or from an out-of-state seller) on our website. You can learn more about liens by checking out this Web page.

The 2013 Arizona StandDown began with the ceremonial cutting of red tape – a fitting kickoff to the annual outreach event aimed at connecting homeless and at-risk veterans with needed resources.

Held March 8-10 at the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, this year’s StandDown included more than 92 housing, healthcare and support service providers.

All were on hand to cut through that red tape and assist the state’s homeless veteran population.

As in years past, MVD was there to help the veterans obtain driver licenses or state identification cards – vital when job searching or applying for programs.

“Having that credential really gives you an identity,” said MVD Director Stacey Stanton. “Hopefully that credential will give them access to other services they need.”

MVD Regional Manager Dave Jackson agrees…

A veteran himself, Jackson serves on the Arizona StandDown executive committee and says getting an identification card or license is often the first step to a better path.

“It’s one of the major things they need to have in order to get jobs, services, anything,” he said.

Just like last year, dozens of MVD employees were on site. They brought along 12 complete work stations, which were set up like an MVD office. Veterans could conduct transactions for driver license applications, renewals, written examinations and the road skills test (Courtesy Chevrolet provided vehicles to be used for those who did not have one of their own).

Besides the typical MVD services, the veterans were also treated to homemade sandwiches, cupcakes and other edible treats – all courtesy of MVD employees.

Jackson explained that being at the StandDown and providing a service means so much to the MVD employees.

“It’s just a big deal for all of us,” he said.

For more on the Arizona StandDown, visit Maricopa County StandDown.

The new year officially is here, but before we dive into 2012 we’re going to take a quick look back.

ADOT’s Public Information/Media Relations team came up with a great list of the state’s major transportation accomplishments from 2011 and we thought we’d share it here on the blog!

From new freeway openings to the approval of ADOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan, here's a look at some of the highlights …

Phoenix Area Freeways:

Loop 303 Opens

ADOT widened major stretches of Phoenix area freeways in 2011 and opened the first new segment of freeway to be built under the Maricopa Association of Government’s 20-year Regional Transportation Plan. Fourteen miles of Loop 303 were opened in May between Interstate 17 and Happy Valley Parkway in Peoria, allowing drivers for the first time to use Loop 303 to make the 39-mile trip between I-17 and I-10.

HOV Lane Additions

Drivers benefited from two accelerated projects to add High Occupancy Vehicle lanes along Loops 101 and 202. The final 30 miles of HOV lanes along Loop 101 between State Route 51 in north Phoenix and I-10 in Tolleson were opened in stages during the year and completed in November. Meanwhile, in the Chandler area, 12 miles of carpool lanes were completed this fall along Loop 202 Santan Freeway between I-10 and Gilbert Road.

I-10 Widening in West Valley

Another significant milestone was marked in August with the completion of ADOT’s three-year initiative to reconstruct and widen I-10 between Loop 101 and Verrado Way. Those projects modernized I-10, transforming what had been a limited highway with two lanes in each direction into a modern freeway that now provides as many as five lanes in each direction – including carpool lanes.

State Highway System:

Mescal Road/J-Six Ranch Road Bridge

Just over six months after a fiery crash damaged the Mescal Road/J-Six Ranch Road bridge, ADOT swiftly rebuilt the bridge to reconnect the Cochise County communities of Mescal and J-Six Ranch, which were separated by I-10 and depend on the overpass for convenient access to goods, services and neighbors. While the bridge was out of service, residents and workers in the Benson-area communities were required to take lengthy detours around I-10 to reach the other side of the highway. Federal Highway Administration emergency relief funds, a shortened time frame for designing the replacement bridge and a quick construction bid process all helped put the project on the fast track. A typical bridge construction project can take up to two years.

State Route 260 Widening

Continuing a decade-long commitment to expand the capacity of SR 260, ADOT completed a project to widen the highway starting 15 miles east of Payson from Little Green Valley to Thompson Draw. The $20 million project is the fourth of six projects to construct a four-lane divided highway from Star Valley to the top of the Mogollon Rim.

State Route 87 Improvements

ADOT fulfilled its commitment to complete SR 87 improvements before the Memorial Day weekend and in time for the busy tourism season in the Rim Country. The $11.8 million reconstruction and widening project included the addition of a third southbound lane to enhance safety and traffic flow along the uphill stretch during drives between Payson and the Phoenix area. The improvements were the latest in a series of projects during the last two decades to enhance travel on SR 87, which is now a divided four-lane highway between Mesa and Payson.

US 93 Widening Project

Shortly after ADOT completed a $71.3 million widening project on the US 93 approach to the new Hoover Dam bypass bridge in 2010, the first Desert Bighorn Sheep were spotted in February using one of the three wildlife crossings that were constructed to protect motorists and provide a safe crossing for the native animals. The project earned ADOT several honors this year, including the Arizona Chapter American Public Works Association Award, 2011 Public Works Project of the Year and FHWA’s 2011 Exemplary Ecosystem Initiative Award for the agency’s creative and innovative solution to balance motorists’ safety, while protecting wildlife and connecting ecosystems.

Hassayampa River Bridge Project

Just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, ADOT completed a $3.9 million bridge project over the Hassayampa River on I-10, approximately 40 miles west of downtown Phoenix. This area is a major route for travelers heading to and from California along I-10.

Overnight Bridge Demolition

On a late April night in southern Arizona, ADOT tore down two bridges in 10 hours – no small task. ADOT had already planned to remove the old Marsh Station bridge, which required a 67-mile overnight detour for motorists on I-10 east of Tucson. About three weeks before the demolition was set to occur, two semi trucks collided under the overpass at the Mescal Road/J-Six Ranch Road bridge. The bridge was badly damaged from the resulting fire and would have to be replaced.

Planning and Programming:

Long Range Transportation Plan

For more than two years, ADOT worked toward developing the state’s Long-Range Transportation Plan, a blueprint that looks 25 years into the future to determine how to plan for and fund transportation projects that keep up with Arizona’s needs. The State Transportation Board formally approved the Long Range Transportation Plan, also known as What Moves You Arizona, in November, allowing ADOT planners to move ahead with their work to develop a transportation system that will carry Arizona into the future. The award-winning program was nationally recognized for planning and involving the public.

Intercity Rail Study

In October, ADOT kicked off the public outreach phase of its intercity rail study. The study’s goal is to identify if there is a need for intercity rail along I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson. Over the course of a month, ADOT gathered information, data and comments. The agency will provide its findings to the public and to policymakers, so they can make an informed decision about how to move forward. ADOT is looking at all options, which include rail, transit—and the option to build nothing at all. The study will be complete in 2013.

Bicycle Safety Action Plan

As part of our public safety plan, ADOT is developing a Bicycle Safety Action Plan to help keep cyclists safe on Arizona’s highways. The goal is to reduce the number of bicycle crashes with motor vehicles and improve safety for both cyclists and drivers.  The goal of the Bicycle Safety Action Plan is to reduce the total number of bicycle crashes on Arizona highways by 12 percent by 2018.

Safe Routes to School

This year, nearly $3.5 million in grant funding was distributed by ADOT for 21 Safe Routes to School projects for schools and communities statewide. Eight of these projects, totaling $2.8 million, were designated for infrastructure improvements, such as the construction of sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, signage and striping. An additional 13 projects, totaling $720,000, went toward non-infrastructure elements, such as providing bike helmets to students, safety education and law enforcement. All Safe Routes to School projects are designed to get kids walking or biking and adopt healthy habits.

Motor Vehicle Division and Enforcement and Compliance Division:

Motor Vehicle Division

MVD continued to improve the quality of customer service at MVD offices by shortening the wait times for the more common motor vehicle and driver license transactions, while serving over 3.5 million customers at MVD’s 54 offices or satellite/specialized offices in 2011 The average wait time per transaction was approximately 19 minutes, compared to over 45 minutes just five years ago. Throughout the year, MVD also provided transaction assistance to returning soldiers with the U.S. Army Intelligence Command at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona. ADOT also launched several new specialty license plates, including the long-awaited Arizona Centennial plate.

Enforcement and Compliance Division

ADOT officers conducted Operation Bullhead, joint-agency commercial vehicle enforcement operation in Mohave County at the request of Bullhead City officials. ADOT officers recovered stolen vehicles identified during inspections. The enforcement division also created a Single Trip Overweight International Border Permit program for produce transporters out of Mexico and assisted local law enforcement with scrap metal yard investigations.

Other Accomplishments:

Grand Canyon National Park Airport

In June, the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, owned and operated by ADOT, began daily 737 airline service from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Travelers can now book a flight on Vision Airlines out of Las Vegas to the Grand Canyon. The new service is the first step in a larger vision to make it easier for all tourists to visit the canyon. The Transportation Security Administration was also stationed at the airport this year, making it easier for airline companies to fly into the airport, since they no longer have to provide their own passenger screening.

On June 6, more than 300 soldiers with the 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion returned home to Ft. Huachuca after serving in Iraq for the past year.

These soldiers were welcomed by family, friends and community – but, many also were greeted with the fact that there is so much to take care after you’ve been away from home for 12 months.

“There are a lot of things that a soldier needs to do when they get back,” said Colonel Patrick Dedham, Brigade Commander, 11th Signal Brigade, in the video above. “First they have to reintegrate into their life as a soldier here at Ft. Huachuca, their life as maybe a husband, or a wife. There’s also all the administrative things they need to do.”

It was the administrative tasks that soldiers received assistance with through a Reverse Soldier Readiness Process event held at Ft. Huachuca.

The process is intended to help the soldiers shift back into life stateside and ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division participated by assisting with driver license issues and vehicle title and registration concerns.

MVD employees can handle everything on-site, except for processing. For that final step the soldier is given a return letter, which they can take to the nearby MVD office for expedited service and no waiting in line.

MVD Southern Regional Manager Esther Perez was on hand for the Reverse Soldier Readiness Process and the homecoming event celebrating the return of the soldiers.

“It was a touching moment,” she said of seeing all the family reunions taking place. “Tears come to your eyes. … They’re protecting the country, so we’re here to do what we need to help them.”

When do pedestrians have the right-of-way over motor vehicles? How long should you signal before you turn? What does a flashing red traffic light mean?

These are questions you might be trying to learn the answers to in order to get your very first driver license. Perhaps the questions are ones you knew long ago, back when you prepped for your first driver license exam, but it has been years since you studied. Could now be the time for a little refresher?

Whatever your reason is, if you want to brush up on your skills and learn about proper vehicle safety you can visit the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division website. There you’ll find the Arizona Driver License Manual, available for download as a PDF.

After you study, be sure to take the online Driver License practice tests.

The online practice tests are new to the site and the direct result of an MVD online web survey. Practice tests were the No. 1 item requested by those who took the survey.

So far, the tests have proven to be pretty popular among visitors to the MVD website since they went online May 31. By the end of the first week, roughly 4,500 tests had been taken, according to John Guild, the forms, publications and web content manager for MVD.

The tests are an educational tool and give people an idea of what they should expect when they take the real test … but, remember, taking the practice tests is in no way a substitute for studying the manual.

“We want to stress that they need to study the manual,” said Guild, adding there’s a lot more to passing the written driver license exam than what’s presented on the online practice tests.

This content was revised September 2022.

Take an easy step to protect your child in case of an emergency: Get them their an Arizona ID card.

These cards, available through the Motor Vehicle Division, look much like a drivers license. However, they’re used for identification purposes only. All ages are eligible – even babies. The cost is $12. You’ll need your child’s social security number and a few forms of identification to your nearest MVD office.

You can start the application online through your secure AZ MVD Now account, then bring your child to an MVD or MVD authorized third party office with appropriate documentation. (Please visit our website to see the full list of acceptable forms of identification.)

Having an Arizona ID card can help law enforcement agencies to rapidly distribute your child’s information and photograph in case of an Amber Alert. They can also protect your child against identity theft.

And, don’t forget: Update your child’s information and photo as they grow! Photo updates are available at MVD offices – a duplicate card with the new photo is $12.