Registration Application
Application is made to ADOT and must include name and residence of owner, date of sale if a new vehicle, vehicle description, and certificate of title.
There is no period of grace for late registration.
Registration cards issued by ADOT must be carried in the vehicle at all times.
A vehicle belonging to a person must be registered in the county where the person maintains a permanent and actual residence.
Registration may be done via mail, internet, in person, or by an authorized third party.
Registration for Non-Residents
A resident is defined as a person that remains in the state for an aggregate period of 7 months or more during a calendar year; a person that engages in work other than seasonal or temporary work; a person that places children in public school without paying non-resident tuition; a person that declares residency in the state for purposes of state rates of tuition or licensing fees; or a company that maintains a main office in the state.
It is illegal for a person to operate a motor vehicle unless it has been properly registered for the current year in the state or county in which the person is a resident.
Registration Type
Vehicles not otherwise disqualified may be registered biennially; newly licensed or leased vehicles will be automatically selected for biennial registration. Vehicles not subject to emission inspections may be registered annually, biennially, or every 5 years.
If effective date of registration falls between the 1st and the 15th day of the month, annual registration expires on the 15th day of the month 12 months later; biennial registration expires 24 months later.
If effective date of registration falls between the 16th and last day of the month, annual registration expires on the last day of the month 12 months later; biennial registration expires 24 months later.
Renewal registration must be submitted no later than the day the prior registration expires.
Emissions Inspection
Emissions inspection is required prior to registration Area A and B and differs in the two areas.
Area A includes townships in Maricopa, Yavapai, and Pinal counties; Area B includes select townships in Pima county.
Vehicles manufactured in or before 1966 are exempt from inspection.
Vehicles in Area B and manufactured in or before 1980, other than diesel-powered vehicles, must pass the curb idle test condition; vehicles in Area B and manufactured in or after 1981, other than diesel-powered vehicles, must pass the curb idle test condition and the loaded test condition. Exempts collectible vehicles and motorcycles from emission inspections in Area B.
Vehicles in Area A and manufactured in or after 1981 with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) rating of 8,500 lbs. or less, other than diesel vehicles, must pass a transient loaded test or an on-board diagnostic test; all other vehicles in Area A, except diesel vehicles, must pass a steady state loaded test and a curb idle emissions test.
Repair and maintenance costs not to exceed $500 in Area A and $300 in Area B.
OBD is utilized as part of the state emissions inspection process.
Visit the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for more information on Arizona’s Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program.
Safety Inspection
No periodic statewide safety inspection requirement. If at any time there is reasonable cause to believe a vehicle is unsafe or improperly equipped, officers and employees of the Department of Public Safety may stop and require a vehicle be submitted to inspection.
Title and Registration Fees
AUTOMOBILE
Title Fee: $4.00
Registration Fee: $8.00; $8.25 in Metro Phoenix and Tucson
MOTORCYCLE
Title Fee: $4.00
Registration Fee: $9.00
DUPLICATES
Plate Fee: $5.00
Registration Fee: $4.00
Driver’s License Fee: $12.00
Title Fee: $4.00
Special Plates: $25.00