PHOENIX – Arizona veterans who find themselves in the challenging situation of being homeless now have the opportunity to get a driver license or ID card without paying a fee.

Under a new state law that took effect this month, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has the authority to waive the $25 fee associated with getting a license or ID. Several other fees, including those for a license suspension or revocation, a road test for drivers moving to Arizona from another state, among others, may also be waived.

“Having a license or ID card is essential to so many aspects of life and this new law will make it easier for less-fortunate veterans to get one of those credentials,” said MVD Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser-Richards. “Our veterans have made tremendous sacrifices to serve our nation, and the MVD is proud to assist homeless vets in this way.”

“Since most assistance programs require identification, getting an ID knocks down huge barriers for our homeless veterans,” Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services Deputy Director John Scott said. “This is important, especially for chronically homeless veterans, who can now access resources to help them stabilize.”

To qualify for the waiver, the MVD will verify the customer’s status as a veteran. In addition, the customer must provide a statement on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs letterhead or a statement on the letterhead of a verified provider of homeless services that the customer has been homeless within the past 60 days.

Arizona law relies on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of homeless as lacking a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence. This includes a location not meant for human habitation, or a temporary or emergency shelter.

For more information: azdot.gov

PHOENIX – Innovations that are making lines shorter and services more convenient for Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division customers are coming at a rapid-fire pace. To keep up, MVD is using occasional emails to let customers know what’s new.

More than 1.6 million customers currently get registration renewal updates and will also now periodically receive information about MVD service improvements.

Since 2016, MVD has added more online services options to include:

· electronic title transfers,
· updating insurance information,
· creating personal AZ MVDNow accounts,
· making office appointments for road tests,
· getting the Voluntary Travel I.D., among other services.

About two-thirds of all MVD transactions can be done online.

Other innovations include streamlined office customer service, expanded operating hours, and shorter wait times for phone customers.

“Obviously, people don’t want to be overwhelmed with emails, so any communication will be infrequent and designed to inform our valued customers about improved or added services options. It’s very important that we keep our customers updated about ways we’re working to get Arizonans out of line and safely on the road,” she added.

To sign up for both email registration renewal notification and updates go to the “Address / email change” tab at www.ServiceArizona.com. Those interested in service improvement updates only may sign up for “Motor Vehicle News and Info” at the “Subscribe to Updates” tab at www.azdot.gov.

PHOENIX – Taking a road test to get a driver license can be filled with worry for some people. But one thing that won’t cause anxiety is scheduling the test because it’s among the many online service features available from Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.

Online scheduling for road test appointments has been available for some time, and it’s proven to benefit customers in several ways.

“Online appointments take the guesswork out of when you can take a road test,” said MVD Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser-Richards. “Customers simply go to ServiceArizona.com to make their appointment knowing that when they arrive at an MVD location, they will be assured of getting the test done. There’s no more going to an office and hoping that an appointment is available. It saves our customers from taking needless trips and keeps wait times shorter so we can get Arizonans out of line and safely on the road.”

This innovation began in 2016 and results from implementation of the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Doug Ducey. MVD employees are encouraged every day to find ways to improve customer service, and changes like this have helped lower the average door-to-door time to less than 30 minutes at urban offices.

To make an online road test appointment click on the “MVD Office Appointments” tab at ServiceArizona.com.

PHOENIX – For many Arizonans, transferring a vehicle title may no longer require a visit to an Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division or an Authorized Third Party office. MVD has unveiled the eTitle online service, which gives many customers the option to do this transaction on their computer, tablet or mobile device.

“Going to an MVD or third-party office can be time-consuming, so having eTitle available for basic customer-to-customer transactions simplifies the process by allowing many customers to do this online,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “People go online to do their banking, pay bills, file taxes and a lot more, so expanding our digital offerings to include basic title transfers is a common-sense innovation. It’s one more way MVD is getting Arizonans out of line and safely on the road.”

A basic transfer is one in which the seller must be an individual owner, or two or more owners who have the “or” legal status. The vehicle must be titled and registered in Arizona and have no liens or brands (such as salvage title). The buyer must be an individual owner with an Arizona credential.

With eTitle, the first step is for the buyer and seller to each set up a personal account at AZ MVD Now, an online portal available through ServiceArizona.com where customers establish a secure online account to do multiple MVD transactions.

AZ MVD Now uses multi-factor security protocols requiring an account to be password-protected and verified by sending the customer a text or phone message to verify the security code. Out-of-state residents cannot use the system.

The eTitle process should not begin until after shopping and negotiations are done, and both parties are ready. It takes just a few minutes but customers are given 24 hours to complete the process.

eTitle guides the buyer and seller through the process and once completed, the title information is verified and updated in the MVD database. Paper titles are more susceptible to fraud, so eTitle is a consumer protection enhancement as well as a convenience.

With the transfer complete, the buyer can print a temporary registration at home as well as the temporary paper license plate to be displayed on the vehicle until the permanent plate is sent to the buyer. The buyer finalizes the transaction by paying applicable title and registration fees to the MVD.

The MVD does not have any role in the actual sale of the vehicle such as determining the price.

For more information: www.azdot.gov/eTitle

PHOENIX – With tax season in full swing, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is taking some of the hassle out of filling out those forms for Uncle Sam.

MVD has unveiled the 2017 “Vehicle Fees / Taxes Paid” report, which is now available for free at ServiceArizona.com. This service provides vehicle owners a consolidated report on how much was paid in taxes and fees for every registered vehicle in 2017.

“This is the simplest way for customers to get this information for filing their taxes,” said MVD Stakeholder Relations Manager Jennifer Bowser-Richards. “Getting this report just takes a few minutes and it’s much easier than going into your garage, collecting all your registration forms and copying them for your tax files. It’s one more convenience that MVD provides to stay ahead of the curve serving our customers.”

For more information: azdot.gov/mvd, or ServiceArizona.com

PHOENIX – It just became easier to do business with the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division, and more enhancements are on the way.

For the first time ever, customers can now set up an online personalized account to manage all their MVD needs through the new AZ MVD Now portal, which is accessible through ServiceArizona.com.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “AZ MVD Now works like having an account with an online retailer. This will revolutionize how people do business with MVD much like people’s shopping habits have been transformed by the internet. This will open the door to maximize the number of MVD transactions done online. Right now that number is a little more than half, but eventually most will be available through AZ MVD Now.”

“Among the first major improvements we will unveil sometime in 2018 is allowing customers to transfer titles online, which will make it much easier for people to buy and sell vehicles without having to do paperwork at a physical location,” he added.

The current ServiceArizona.com method for conducting individual, point-in-time transactions remains in place, but AZ MVD Now, which represents the ongoing implementation of the Arizona Management System championed by Gov. Doug Ducey, provides a higher level of individualized service, including:

• Create an account: AZ MVD Now allows you to manage your interactions with MVD. All of the vehicles titled and/or registered in your name are associated with the account.
• Fund the account: When paying at an MVD office or online, you can still use a traditional form of payment such as debit, credit or EFT. Or you may pay with funds in your new financial account.
• Issue a prepaid voucher: This functions like a store credit and allows flexibility of who pays for transactions.
• View a title: A vehicle owner can see full title details on vehicles they own. Additionally, there is a limited view where a citizen can look up a vehicle to confirm the vehicle is eligible for transfer.

Jorgensen noted, “Arizona’s MVD is among the first motor vehicle agencies in the U.S. to adopt this technology that will make it easier for MVD to fulfill its vision to get Arizona out of line and safely on the road.”