8.9.2

REGISTRATION CYCLES

Effective Date: September 29, 2026 Review Due: September 29, 2028

Summary of Changes

Updated the section reference from F to E in Section F.

Purpose

To provide guidelines on various registration cycles and to identify vehicles that would require the assignment of a specific registration cycle.

Authority

Two Year Review, A.R.S. §§ 28-2052, 28-2152, 28-2153, 28-2157, 28-2159, 28-2201, 28-2231,28-5801 through 5808, 28-5811, Arizona Constitution, Article IX, Section 11, A.A.C. R17-4-301, R17-4-303, R17-4-304.

Policy

  1. All vehicle registrations expire according to schedules established by the Division. The “initial registration” of a vehicle is defined as the first time the vehicle is subject to registration in Arizona.
  1. The registration cycle (effective and expiration date) shall be changed under the following circumstances:
  1. The vehicle is transferred to a new owner.
  1. The VLT cannot be collected for a prior registration cycle when that registration cycle has expired, regardless of the date of purchase. A new owner is not responsible for the prior owner’s lapse of registration.
  1. Vehicles removed from the state of Arizona and subsequently returned, after the Arizona registration expired are given a new registration cycle.
  2. Persons, who own two or more vehicles may request the same expiration date for all of their vehicles, see Policy 8.10.6 Permanent Fleet Registration.
  1. A vehicle owner may register a vehicle for one, two, or five years and will need to comply with emissions when applicable, see Policy 8.9.3 Emissions Requirements.

New to the System – Initial Registration

  1. A vehicle shall initially be registered so that the registration of the vehicle will expire one, two, or five years from the 15th or last day of the month in which the vehicle is first registered in Arizona.
  1. If the vehicle purchase date is the 1st through the 15th of the month, the expiration date will be the 15th day of the month.
  2. If the vehicle purchase date is the 16th through the last day of the month, the expiration date will be the last day of the month.
  3. If no permit was issued and there was a previous “Title Only”, the expiration date will be the 15th or last day of the month of application.

Note: If a record exists for that vehicle, the First Registered field will already display on the system.

  1. The registration effective date is one month out from the purchase date, the Temporary Registration Plate (TRP) issue date, the 90-Day Resident Registration issue date, or the date of application, whichever is earliest.
  1. When a vehicle is coming from out of state, the registration effective date is 1 month out from the date of application unless a permit was issued, see section E for qualifying permits.

Vehicles Restricted to a One Year Registration

  1. Consists of vehicles that have a certain designated expiration date for a 12-month cycle (example: all mopeds expire in October).
  1. Vehicles that are subject to the following special registrations are only eligible for a 1 year registration:
  1. Allocated.
  2. Apportioned.
  3. Interstate.
  4. Permanent Fleet.
  5. Seasonal Agricultural, reduced fee over 55,000 pounds declared gross weight.
  6. Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) decal issued for primarily off highway use.
  1. Vehicle owners claiming an exemption that requires recertification on an annual basis are only eligible for a 1 year registration, see Fee Exemption Chart.

Permanent Registration

  1. Consists of fleet vehicles, non-commercial trailers with a declared gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less and commercial trailers with a declared gross weight of 10,001 pounds or more, see Policy 8.10.10 Trailer Title And Registration.
  1. Permanent registration is based on a 24-month calendar.
  2. Until the 24th month is reached, the plate owner is entitled to a credit and the new owner is required to pay a prorated fee.
  3. This does not include tent or travel trailers.