Before you start

Arizona residency under the state's definition
Your original, unexpired foreign licence, plus a certified translation if not in English
Proof of identity, authorised presence and an Arizona address
A Social Security number, if you have one
An emissions test if the vehicle is registered in the Phoenix area

Step-by-step

1
Check whether your country is on Arizona's exemption list
Canada, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan are exempt from both the written and road tests on a valid unexpired licence. Every other country takes both. Note that Arizona's list differs from Texas's and Oregon's — Japan is on Oregon's and not Arizona's, France is on Texas's and not Arizona's. Check your own country rather than assuming.
OnlineWho: YouBefore booking
2
Get a certified translation if your licence is not in English
Arizona requires the original licence and a certified translation where it is not in English. This takes days to arrange and is the most common reason an otherwise complete appointment fails. Sort it before you book.
OnlineWho: You
3
Consider an authorised third-party office over MVD itself
Arizona licenses private third-party providers to handle many MVD transactions for an added fee, usually with far shorter waits. For a newcomer, the surcharge is normally worth it — and the third-party offices are often open at hours MVD is not.
In personWho: You
4
Register the vehicle and budget for the Vehicle License Tax
Arizona's registration includes a Vehicle License Tax assessed on a percentage of the original manufacturer's list price, depreciating each year. On a new car it is a substantial annual cost and on an eight-year-old one it is trivial. It surprises people expecting a flat plate fee, and it is a genuine input into what car to buy.
In personWho: You
5
Book the emissions test if you are in the Phoenix area
Vehicles registered in the Phoenix metro emissions control area must pass a periodic emissions test before registration renewal, with newer vehicles exempt for an initial period. Arizona has no safety inspection at all, so this is the only test in the cycle.
In personWho: You
6
Learn the dust storm procedure before monsoon season
If a haboob overtakes you: pull completely off the roadway, put the vehicle in park, set the parking brake, take your foot off the brake pedal and turn all lights off, including hazards. Drivers who leave lights on are followed into the dust by others who think they are on the road. 'Pull Aside, Stay Alive' is the state campaign and the reason it exists is a series of mass pile-ups on I-10.
OnlineWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Original, unexpired foreign driver licence with certified English translation where needed
Passport, visa and I-94
Social Security card, if issued
Two proofs of Arizona address
Proof of Arizona liability insurance if registering a vehicle

Things most newcomers don’t know

Turn your lights off in a dust storm — the instinct to leave them on kills people.

In a haboob, visibility drops to nothing in seconds. Arizona's official procedure is to pull entirely off the road, park, set the parking brake and switch off every light including hazards, then keep your foot off the brake pedal. Drivers still moving in the dust steer towards any visible light, assuming it marks the lane. Vehicles parked with lights on have repeatedly been rear-ended at speed on I-10 for exactly this reason.

Source: Arizona Department of Transportation — Pull Aside, Stay Alive

Summer heat is a mechanical problem, not just a comfort one.

Sustained 45°C days shorten car battery life dramatically — three years is a good run here against five or six elsewhere — degrade tyres, and cook anything left in the cabin. Sunshades, covered parking and a battery check every spring are standard local practice. A dashboard in direct sun can exceed 80°C, which destroys electronics and is genuinely dangerous for children and animals within minutes.

Source: community-reported

Arizona's exemption list is short and different from its neighbours'.

Canada, Germany, South Korea and Taiwan skip both exams here. Texas exempts France, Germany, South Korea, the UAE and Taiwan. Oregon exempts Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. There is no national logic to any of it — each state negotiates its own arrangements. Someone moving from Austin to Phoenix with a French licence goes from complete exemption to sitting both tests.

Source: Arizona MVD — driver licences for foreign applicants

The Vehicle License Tax makes a new car meaningfully more expensive to keep.

Arizona assesses an annual tax based on a percentage of the vehicle's original manufacturer's list price, reducing each year with age. A new luxury car can carry a registration bill in the hundreds of dollars for the first several years, while an older vehicle costs very little. It is a real consideration when choosing what to buy, and it is invisible until the first renewal notice.

Source: Arizona MVD — vehicle registration

Common mistakes to avoid

Leaving lights on when parked during a dust storm.
Assuming Texas's or Oregon's reciprocity list applies in Arizona — the lists differ.
Turning up at MVD without a certified translation of a non-English licence.
Buying a new car without accounting for the Vehicle License Tax on the first renewals.
Queueing at MVD when a third-party office could have done it the same week.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.