Arizona title and registration, step by step

Which forms, which fees and which deadlines. For a car bought in the state and for one you bring from another.

In Arizona the title is issued by Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD). Arizona stores titles electronically; you no longer get paper automatically. You see it in your AZ MVD Now account and request paper only if you need it ($4). Between private parties, the eTitle transfer is done online with a buyer code valid for 48 hours.

Where it happens. At an MVD office or an Authorized Third Party (a private business licensed by MVD). If the car already has an Arizona title and registration with no lien, buyer and seller can do the electronic transfer (eTitle) at azmvdnow.gov without visiting any office. Confirm the deadline and the event that starts it for your transaction: a purchase, receipt of the signed title or a move into the state can have different rules. Late-fee information in the state sources: $8.00 el primer mes de atraso + $4.00 por cada mes adicional, máximo $100.00. A.R.S. § 28-2162(A) nombra expresamente la "certificate of title transfer fee" vencida, y § 28-2162(E) aplica la misma penalidad a quien no pide el título de un vehículo que no se registra dentro de 30 días. El plazo que manda es el más corto: 15 días (§ 28-2058(A)(1)(d) y (A)(2)(b))..

Case 1: you bought a car in Arizona (private seller)

What the seller hands you

• The title with the transfer section completed: your name and address, sale price, date, odometer reading and the seller's signature (both owners if two names are joined by "and").
• If there was a loan: a lien release from the bank, or the lien already removed from the title.
• A bill of sale with VIN, price and signatures. You need it for the sales tax.

What you bring to the office

• The state forms (below), completed.
• The signed title and the bill of sale.
• Applicable insurance or financial-responsibility documents: Liability 25/50/15: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, $15,000 for property damage, for policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2020 (A.R.S. § 28-4009(A)(2)(b)). The statute requires no PIP and no no-fault coverage.
• Valid photo ID.
• Payment: title, registration, plate and sales tax if not paid yet.

Case 2: you bring a car from another state

• Everything above, plus: Usually not. If you bring the out-of-state title and registration, MVD does not require a physical inspection. A Level I inspection (matching the VIN to the papers) is required only in cases such as title-only requests, bonded titles or out-of-country cars with no proof of ownership; MVD or a designated law-enforcement officer performs it, at no fee at an MVD office.
• The original out-of-state title (or the bank's letter if it holds it for the loan).
• Tax: Arizona charges no tax on a sale between private parties: "casual sales between private parties are not taxable". If you buy from a dealer, you pay the 5.6% state transaction privilege tax plus applicable county and city taxes; the trade-in value is deducted from the base. If you bought from an out-of-state dealer, you pay use tax (5.6% + city) when you register at MVD, with credit for the tax you paid there; if that was lower, you pay the difference.

Forms

• 96-0236 — Title and Registration Application
• 38-1306 — Title Transfer Bill of Sale (Arizona-titled vehicles only)
• 46-8502 — Sold Notice (seller)
• 48-4503 — Level I Vehicle Inspection (VIN verification)

Fees — confirm current amounts (ADOT MVD)

Amounts come from the linked state sources and can change. This guide distinguishes source checkpoints from narrow claim reviews; confirm the total for your transaction before you go. A dash means an amount has not been confirmed here.

Sales tax

Arizona charges no tax on a sale between private parties: "casual sales between private parties are not taxable". If you buy from a dealer, you pay the 5.6% state transaction privilege tax plus applicable county and city taxes; the trade-in value is deducted from the base. If you bought from an out-of-state dealer, you pay use tax (5.6% + city) when you register at MVD, with credit for the tax you paid there; if that was lower, you pay the difference.

If you sell: protect yourself

Listed seller-notice or transfer document: 46-8502 (Sold Notice) o en línea en azmvdnow.gov, gratis. Check its conditions and the state process below. The plate belongs to the owner, not the car (§ 28-2356): the seller removes it and within 30 days moves it to the next car, surrenders it or signs a plate-destruction affidavit; the seller may claim credit for unused months ($12 fee). The seller should file the Sold Notice (free, at azmvdnow.gov; the form says within 10 days) to avoid liability for tickets or abandonment ($500 or more). Before driving, obtain the permit appropriate to your trip. A Restricted Use 3-Day Permit covers specified trips for emissions testing or related repairs, physical inspection, or paperwork needed to title/register; it is not general permission to drive until registration. Confirm the current fee with MVD. If the car will be registered inside the Phoenix (Area A) or Tucson (Area B) emissions area: an emissions test the previous owner already had stays valid on transfer, but if they never had one, you pay for the test before you can register; a dealer, by contrast, is required to have the car pass the emissions test before selling it (ADEQ). Keep copies of the title, filed notices and handover date to answer later registration, toll or ownership questions.

Mistakes that cost

• Missing the deadline. Check the deadline and consequence for your transaction; filing periods and penalties do not all start from the same event.
• Title with cross-outs or correction fluid. Ask the issuing agency which correction or replacement document it accepts before using it.
• Buying with an "open" title (signed by a previous owner, not the person selling to you). Confirm the ownership chain and the documents the agency requires before paying.
• Showing up without in-state insurance. Confirm the insurance or financial-responsibility documents required for your situation.