Arizona Identification Card Requirements: Documents, Fees, and Validity

An Arizona ID card is a state-issued photo identification available to any Arizona resident who does not hold a valid Arizona driver’s license. To get one, you visit an MVD office with proof of your identity, your Social Security number, and two documents showing your Arizona address, then pay $12. Applicants 65 and older pay nothing. The card issued before age 65 stays valid until your 65th birthday, one of the longest ID validity windows in the country.¹

Who Qualifies

Any Arizona resident can apply, at any age. The one firm restriction: you cannot hold a valid Arizona driver’s license and an ID card at the same time. If you have a current license, it must be expired, canceled, or surrendered before the MVD will issue you an ID card. If you later get a license, you have to surrender the ID card, and no refund is given.²

Cards issued to applicants under 21 look different from adult cards so retailers and bartenders can tell at a glance, and they display the year the person turns 21.²

Travel ID or Standard ID

Before you apply, decide which version you want. Arizona issues two.

The Travel ID meets the federal REAL ID Act requirements and carries a circle-and-star symbol in the upper right corner.³ Since May 7, 2025, TSA has required a REAL ID-compliant credential, a passport, or another federally approved document to board domestic flights and enter most federal facilities.⁴ If your Arizona ID is your only government photo ID and you plan to fly within the U.S., get the Travel ID.

The Standard ID works for voting, banking, age verification, law enforcement, and everyday in-state identification. It won’t get you through airport security. People who already carry a valid U.S. passport sometimes pick the Standard ID for that reason. The two versions are identical for state-level purposes.⁵

Documents You Need to Bring

Arizona law requires you to prove your full legal name, date of birth, and authorized presence in the United States.² Gather everything before your visit; the requirements fall into three buckets.

Identity and Legal Presence

Bring at least one primary document that proves both identity and legal presence. A certified U.S. birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport is the usual choice. Non-citizens present immigration documents showing authorized status.⁶

Social Security Number

You have to provide your Social Security number. The MVD verifies it electronically against federal records and keeps it on file, but it will not appear as your ID card number. Bringing the card helps, though what the MVD actually needs is the number.⁶

Two Proofs of Arizona Residency

You need two documents from different sources, each showing your name and a physical Arizona street address. Utility bills, bank or credit card statements, insurance policies, rental agreements, and government mail all work. P.O. boxes do not. Each document has to come from a business, organization, or government agency.⁷ For a Travel ID, the state runs an interactive document guide at travel-id-documents.az.gov that shows exactly which combinations qualify.⁵

How to Apply

Start online at AZ MVD Now (azmvdnow.gov). You can fill out the application and upload information before your visit, which shortens your time at the counter.⁸ The visit itself has to happen in person at an MVD office or an authorized third-party provider, because the clerk needs to see your original documents, take your photo, and capture your signature. Book an appointment at azmvdnow.gov/appointments to skip the walk-in line.

Once you pay, you leave with a temporary paper receipt that includes your photo and works as valid identification. The plastic card arrives by mail at the address on your application in about two weeks.⁵

Fees and Who Pays Nothing

The card costs $12 for applicants ages 0 through 64.⁹ Several groups pay no fee at all:

Seniors 65 and older
Recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Homeless veterans, including those whose address is a shelter
Minors in the custody of the Department of Child Safety

These exemptions are written into state law, so there’s no separate waiver to file. The MVD applies them based on your application details.²

How Long the Card Is Valid

An Arizona ID card issued before your 65th birthday stays valid until you turn 65. A card issued to a 25-year-old is good for 40 years with no renewal in between. After 65, the card renews in five-year increments.¹ The photo, of course, keeps aging even when the card doesn’t expire, and some federal agencies or private businesses may push back on a decades-old image. Voluntarily updating the card every so often heads off that friction.

Replacing or Updating Your Card

If your card is lost, stolen, or damaged, you can order a replacement online through AZ MVD Now without visiting an office. The replacement fee is $12, and the new card comes by mail.¹⁰

After a legal name change from marriage, divorce, or court order, you have 10 days to update your MVD records. Change your name with the Social Security Administration first, wait at least two business days, then bring documents showing both your old and new names to an MVD office or authorized third-party location and order a new card.¹¹

Non-U.S. Citizens

Non-citizens with authorized presence in the U.S. can get an Arizona ID card through the same process, but the identity documents differ. In place of a U.S. birth certificate or passport, you present immigration paperwork such as a permanent resident card, employment authorization document, or foreign passport with an approved visa. The MVD verifies your status through a federal database.⁶ If your authorized stay is temporary, the ID card expires when your authorization ends rather than at age 65, and you re-verify each time it’s extended.

1
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-3171 – Driver License Expiration and Renewal; Exception; Extension
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-3165 – Nonoperating Identification License; Immunity; Rules; Emancipated Minors; Definition
3
Department of Transportation. Arizona Travel ID Document Guide
4
Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID
5
Department of Transportation. Arizona Travel ID
6
Department of Transportation. Proof of Identification, Age and Authorized Presence
7
Department of Transportation. Arizona DL/ID Requirements
8
Department of Transportation. Identification (ID) Card
9
Department of Transportation. Fees (Driver License)
10
Department of Transportation. How Can I Replace a Lost or Stolen License, and How Much Will It Cost?
11
Department of Transportation. Change Your Name with MVD