Arizona Temporary License Plate: Permits, Fees, and How to Apply

An Arizona temporary license plate lets you legally drive a vehicle before permanent metal plates arrive. If you buy from a licensed Arizona dealer, you get one automatically. If you buy privately, move in from another state, or need more time to sort out paperwork, you apply to the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) for one of four temporary permits, priced from $1 to $15 depending on the situation.¹

Buying From an Arizona Dealer

The dealer prints a Temporary Registration Plate (TRP) before you leave the lot. It’s valid for 45 days, which is meant to cover the time MVD needs to process your title and mail your permanent plates.¹ You don’t apply separately and you don’t visit an MVD office. The dealer sends the paperwork on your behalf.²

If your permanent plates don’t arrive before day 45, the dealer’s role is over. You’ll need to get an MVD permit yourself to keep driving legally.

The Four MVD Permits

Arizona offers four temporary permits through MVD, each for a different situation.¹

30-Day General Use Permit ($15)

This is what most private buyers need. It costs $15 and lets you drive anywhere for 30 days with no route restrictions. The important limit: MVD issues only one 30-day permit per vehicle in any 12-month period.³ Miss the deadline and you can’t buy another one to bail yourself out. Use the month to finish registration.

90-Day Resident Permit ($15)

For Arizona residents who don’t yet have the documents needed for title or registration. It costs $15 and gives you three months to track down a missing title, get a lien release, or resolve other paperwork issues.⁴

One catch worth knowing: when you finally register, MVD calculates your vehicle license tax for the full year backdated to the date the 90-day permit was issued.¹ Delaying doesn’t save you money.

90-Day Nonresident (Drive Out) Permit ($15)

If you live in another state and bought a vehicle in Arizona, this $15 permit gives you 90 days to drive it home and register it there. You’ll need to show out-of-state identification along with the dealer invoice or assigned title.¹

3-Day Restricted Use Permit ($1)

A $1 permit for short, specific trips only. You can use it to drive an unregistered vehicle to:¹

An emissions testing station
A vehicle inspection
An MVD office to apply for title or registration
A repair shop to fix issues needed for emissions or inspection compliance

MVD issues up to three of these per vehicle in a 12-month period.⁵ Vehicles that have never been titled or registered in Arizona may not be able to buy this permit online.¹

How to Apply

The 30-day general use permit is available online through the AZ MVD Now portal at azmvdnow.gov, at any MVD office, or through an authorized third-party provider.³ Online is fastest if you already have an account. First-time customers who haven’t previously provided ID through an MVD transaction have to appear in person at an MVD office or authorized third party.⁶

The 90-day resident permit is only available at MVD offices or authorized third-party providers, not online.⁴ The nonresident drive-out permit also requires an in-person visit, since you’ll need to show out-of-state ID.

What You Need Before You Apply

Bring the vehicle identification number (VIN) and proof of insurance meeting Arizona’s minimums: $25,000 for bodily injury to one person, $50,000 for bodily injury to two or more people, and $15,000 for property damage.⁷ Coverage has to be in place before MVD will issue a permit, so arrange it before you start.

You’ll also need proof of ownership. For a private purchase, that usually means a properly assigned title or a bill of sale. For the nonresident drive-out permit, MVD requires a dealer invoice or assigned title plus your out-of-state ID.¹

If Your Temporary Plate Expires

Driving on an expired temporary plate is treated the same as driving an unregistered vehicle. Arizona classifies it as a civil violation with a $300 penalty.⁸ A stop for an expired tag also tends to bring extra attention to your insurance and documentation.

If a dealer TRP is about to run out before your permanent plates show up, the 30-day general use permit is the usual fix. If you’re waiting on paperwork rather than plates, the 90-day resident permit gives you more room. The scenario that leaves you stuck is having already used your one 30-day permit within the past year without a 90-day option that fits. In that case, the vehicle stays parked until registration is done.

Emissions Testing

Vehicles registered in Maricopa and Pima counties (the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas) need an emissions test before MVD will finalize permanent registration. The 3-day restricted use permit exists precisely for this: it lets you drive an unregistered vehicle to the test, and if it fails, to a repair shop and back.¹

If you bought privately and need both daily driving and an emissions test, get the 30-day permit first and handle testing early in the window. Don’t push it to day 28.

New Arizona Residents

Arizona requires you to register a vehicle once you become a resident.⁹ Your prior state’s registration may still be valid for a while, but once it lapses or once you’ve established residency here, you need Arizona plates. If your out-of-state registration has already expired and you’re still gathering documents like a title or lien release, the 90-day resident permit keeps you legal while you work through it.⁴

Just remember that vehicle license tax will be calculated from the permit’s issue date, so there’s no advantage to stretching things out.

1
Arizona Department of Transportation. Vehicle Permits
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-4553 – Temporary Registration Plates; Violation; Classification
3
Arizona Department of Transportation. What Is a 30-Day General Use Permit
4
Arizona Department of Transportation. What Is a 90-Day Resident Registration
5
ServiceArizona. ServiceArizona Fees Page
6
AZ MVD Now. Restricted 3-Day Permit
7
Arizona Department of Transportation. What Is Mandatory Insurance
8
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-2532 – Registration; Violation; Civil Penalty; Dismissal
9
Arizona Department of Transportation. New to AZ – Welcome!