Registration Woes (or Trying Not to Drive Dirty)

[jkernitzki]

Here in AZ, we have an MVD (Motor Vehicle Division) under AZDOT. They handle all licensing and vehicle registration issues statewide. In the last several years, they've actually gotten kinda competent, in fact almost good at their job.

I've gotten my license renewed in short order (no small feat since that along with every other public record of mine is sealed), registration renewals generally take just a few days, and new cars with license swaps (we keep our plates) are generally just a few weeks at most. My current plate is now on its fifth car.

When you purchase from a dealer, they'll issue a temp tag good for six weeks. Mine was literally expiring yesterday and yet the new tabs, registration, and title still hadn't shown up. Not good.

Went to my nearest MVD office (ZERO wait time!) and this is how they finally decided to resolve it:

• My plate now returns to the Bronco
• Go ahead and attach my plate with its current date tab (Feb '26)
• Keep my temporary registration for presentation to LEO if the need arises
• The title, new registration, and new tab (Aug '26) are "in the mail"
• If stopped, just regale the officer/deputy/trooper with this saga and hope they buy it

I haven't been stopped for any reason in the last 22 years or so. What do you wanna bet...

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[Ernest T]

Texas DMV isn't incompetent, but they don't exactly excel either. The law enforcement community said something like 70% of temp plates on cars in Texas were fraudulent and the legislature acted. Now, when you buy a new car you get your permanent plates from the dealer, and they send the registration off to the DMV. The DMV processes it and sends it to you within 6 weeks. Your sales contract with the dealer is your temp registration until you get the sticker from the DMV. If you're trading, your plates go with you. It'll be interesting to see if this removes unregistered vehicles from the road.

 

[dwrufus53]

Here in AZ, we have an MVD (Motor Vehicle Division) under AZDOT. They handle all licensing and vehicle registration issues statewide. In the last several years, they've actually gotten kinda competent, in fact almost good at their job.

I've gotten my license renewed in short order (no small feat since that along with every other public record of mine is sealed), registration renewals generally take just a few days, and new cars with license swaps (we keep our plates) are generally just a few weeks at most. My current plate is now on its fifth car.

When you purchase from a dealer, they'll issue a temp tag good for six weeks. Mine was literally expiring yesterday and yet the new tabs, registration, and title still hadn't shown up. Not good.

Went to my nearest MVD office (ZERO wait time!) and this is how they finally decided to resolve it:

• My plate now returns to the Bronco
• Go ahead and attach my plate with its current date tab (Feb '26)
• Keep my temporary registration for presentation to LEO if the need arises
• The title, new registration, and new tab (Aug '26) are "in the mail"
• If stopped, just regale the officer/deputy/trooper with this saga and hope they buy it

I haven't been stopped for any reason in the last 22 years or so. What do you wanna bet...

Wow. Hoping I don't face that kind of delay.

You are correct that the AZ DMV has become pretty good to deal with over the past few years, but this tale concerns me. My dealer said to expect my new registration (keeping my plate, as well) in 4-6 weeks. I'm barely into it one week (actually 10 days today).

BTW, my son is PHX PD and he said that LEO should not give you any issue in the event that you get stopped. The delay is out of your control, and you have all the documentation to satisfy their concerns,

Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Dannyp56]

I had nearly the same problem with my new BS. Payson DMV does not do license plates or tabs. I had to call down to fountain hills to an ADOT facility and the dealer had not turned in the paper work. I had 2 temp tags and that's all I could get. Plate and tags showed up the day before the 2nd temp tag expired.

 

[jkernitzki]

That’s Carvana-level laziness!

 

[dwrufus53]

Here in AZ, we have an MVD (Motor Vehicle Division) under AZDOT. They handle all licensing and vehicle registration issues statewide. In the last several years, they've actually gotten kinda competent, in fact almost good at their job.

I've gotten my license renewed in short order (no small feat since that along with every other public record of mine is sealed), registration renewals generally take just a few days, and new cars with license swaps (we keep our plates) are generally just a few weeks at most. My current plate is now on its fifth car.

When you purchase from a dealer, they'll issue a temp tag good for six weeks. Mine was literally expiring yesterday and yet the new tabs, registration, and title still hadn't shown up. Not good.

Went to my nearest MVD office (ZERO wait time!) and this is how they finally decided to resolve it:

• My plate now returns to the Bronco
• Go ahead and attach my plate with its current date tab (Feb '26)
• Keep my temporary registration for presentation to LEO if the need arises
• The title, new registration, and new tab (Aug '26) are "in the mail"
• If stopped, just regale the officer/deputy/trooper with this saga and hope they buy it

I haven't been stopped for any reason in the last 22 years or so. What do you wanna bet...

Hey, John, did you ever get your registration sorted?

My daily check of the AZ MVD website revealed that my registration has been processed within the last 24 hours. I purchased my Bronco Sport on 8/13, so it was 21-22 days to process. Waiting now on the mailman to make the delivery.

 

[jkernitzki]

Hey, John, did you ever get your registration sorted?

My daily check of the AZ MVD website revealed that my registration has been processed within the last 24 hours. I purchased my Bronco Sport on 8/13, so it was 21-22 days to process. Waiting now on the mailman to make the delivery.

Got the title, still waiting on the reg & tab. If it doesn’t show up by Saturday I’m headed to MVD and try again.

 

[Dannyp56]

We never got a title, only electronic title. Still too around 45 days.

 

[jkernitzki]

We never got a title, only electronic title. Still too around 45 days.

Got the paper title, but I never had a lien on it.

 

[Dannyp56]

No liens paid cash.

 

[jkernitzki]

So a quick update:

Permanent reg & sticker still hadn't shown up, so back to the MVD on Thursday (again, no wait!) to try and get it cleared up.

They issued a temporary replacement reg on the spot and submitted a replacement order for the one that didn't show up.

The good: I now have paper on the car with the correct date.
The not-so-good: I still have to wait on the sticker in the mail.
The perfectly bureaucratic: They waived the replacement fee for the replacement like they were doing me a favor. Um, you never sent me one in the first place...

 

[dwrufus53]

So a quick update:

Permanent reg & sticker still hadn't shown up, so back to the MVD on Thursday (again, no wait!) to try and get it cleared up.

They issued a temporary replacement reg on the spot and submitted a replacement order for the one that didn't show up.

The good: I now have paper on the car with the correct date.
The not-so-good: I still have to wait on the sticker in the mail.
The perfectly bureaucratic: They waived the replacement fee for the replacement like they were doing me a favor. Um, you never sent me one in the first place...

Sorry, man, that is unbelievable. But at least they didn't charge you for the experience.

Honestly, in my experience, the AZ DMV has worked hard to get their stuff together... but your experience gives me pause.

 

[jkernitzki]

Sorry, man, that is unbelievable. But at least they didn't charge you for the experience.

Honestly, in my experience, the AZ DMV has worked hard to get their stuff together... but your experience gives me pause.

To be fair, they've been very good face-to-face (though I shouldn't have to go in, in the first place). I probably could've just waited until the renewal window, done that online, and gotten everything in the mail within five days like the last several years. I would've still been technically legal.

I don't know why the system "glitched out" on me this time. But I'd rather deal with some minor administrative issues with the state than a buggy build of my Bronco (makes sign of cross).

 

[Dannyp56]

It's pretty bad when you can't get you sticker at a local DMV.

 

[TheX]

I haven't been stopped for any reason in the last 22 years or so. What do you wanna bet...

Thay would suck biggly.

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