AZ license plate lookup · plate to VIN

Arizona License Plate Lookup

An Arizona plate lookup turns the tag into the car's VIN, then into one report: odometer readings in miles, police-reported crashes, salvage and auction history with photos, title brands, recalls and factory specs, from records in all states. Arizona buyers have their own reasons to look. The state brands titles Salvage, Restored Salvage and Nonrepairable under A.R.S. 28-2091 and 28-2095, it counts flood and water damage as salvage, and emissions tests apply only around Phoenix and Tucson. Years of desert sun are hard on paint, rubber and interiors too. You get the result in seconds, with no account.

Full report $9.99. One payment, no subscription.

Records from all states
No account, no survey

See a real sample report

Used car with crash damage: check the VIN before you buy

How a Arizona plate lookup works

Type the AZ plate exactly as it reads on the car and keep Arizona selected. The plate is only the way in: we match it to the car's VIN, and the VIN carries the history.

1. Enter the plate
Type the Arizona plate and pick the state. Spaces and dashes don't matter.
2. We find the car's VIN
The plate turns into the car's 17-character VIN in seconds, and you see the decoded year, make and model before you pay.
3. Open the full history report
One payment of $9.99, no account. The report opens at once, with records from all states.

What the report includes

One report for the VIN behind the plate, searched across all states:

Odometer readings in miles
Dated readings from state safety and emissions inspections and auction sales, with a rollback check.
All states
Police-reported crashes
Crashes involving this VIN, with the year, plus the damage recorded when the car was sold at auction.
All states
Salvage and auction history, with photos
Insurance and salvage auction sales of this VIN: sale date, damage type, title, odometer at sale and the auction photos.
All states
Title brands
Salvage, rebuilt, flood and junk brands, so you know what the title says before the seller tells you.
Recalls and owner complaints
Safety recalls and owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the model and model year.
Model-level
Factory specs
Model year, make, model, trim, engine, transmission, drivetrain and assembly plant, decoded from the VIN.
Every VIN

Arizona license plate formats

Arizona had 6,692,631 registered vehicles in 2024. Source: FHWA

Arizona license plate formats
Plate	Format	Example	Notes
Standard passenger (desert sunset design)	`ABC1DE`	`CKR4TZ`	Serial format in use since 2021; the desert scene design dates from 1996. One plate, rear only.

The Arizona Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD) issues plates through MVD offices, authorized third-party offices and AZ MVD Now online. You display one plate on the rear (A.R.S. 28-2354); a front plate is optional only where two are issued.

Plates stay with the owner. Under A.R.S. 28-2356 the seller keeps the plate when the car changes hands, then moves it to another vehicle they own or surrenders it, or files a destruction affidavit, within 30 days. MVD tells sellers to take the plate off before the buyer drives away. A plate refund carries a $12 processing fee.

Arizona registration has a small fixed part, an $8 registration fee and a $1.50 air quality research fee, and a larger vehicle license tax. VLT is figured on 60% of the manufacturer's base retail price at $2.80 per $100 in the first year and $2.89 after that, with the value dropping 16.25% a year (A.R.S. 28-5801). Personalized plates start at $25 for the first year, specialty plates at $8 to $25. Because the registration does not carry over to a buyer, you drive a newly bought car on a temporary permit: $1 for 3 days of restricted use or $15 for 30 days of general use.

Front plate rule

Arizona does not require a front plate on a passenger car: read the plate on the rear.

Arizona fees at a glance

What ADOT MVD and its offices charge for titles, registration and plates, as published. Each row links its source.

Arizona fees at a glance
Fee	Amount	Details	Source
Certificate of title	$4	Same fee for a salvage, restored salvage or nonrepairable title. A.R.S. 28-2003(A)(1).	ADOT MVD
Registration fee, passenger vehicle	$8	Motorcycles $9. A.R.S. 28-2003(A)(3).	ADOT MVD
Air quality research fee	$1.50	Charged with registration; a $0.25 air quality compliance fee may also apply depending on where the vehicle is operated.	ADOT MVD
Vehicle license tax (VLT)	$2.80 per $100 of assessed value (first year), $2.89 per $100 after	Assessed value is 60% of the manufacturer's base retail price, reduced 16.25% each year. A.R.S. 28-5801.	ADOT MVD
Personalized plate	$25 initial fee (one year)	Combined specialty and personalized plate: $50.	ADOT MVD
Specialty plate	$8 to $25 initial fee (one year)	Depends on plate style.	ADOT MVD
3-day restricted use permit	$1		ADOT MVD
30-day general use permit	$15	A.R.S. 28-2003(A)(12).	ADOT MVD
Late registration penalty	$8 first month + $4 each additional month (max $100)	A.R.S. 28-2162(A). The same penalty applies if you do not apply for title within 30 days of acquiring the vehicle (28-2162(E)).	ADOT MVD
Duplicate registration	$4	A.R.S. 28-2003(A)(4).	ADOT MVD
Plate refund processing	$12	A.R.S. 28-2356.	ADOT MVD

Title brands in Arizona

A brand on a Arizona title records that the car was a total loss, rebuilt or damaged by water, and it stays on later titles. The report lists the title brands recorded for the VIN.

Title brands in Arizona
Brand	What it means	Law	Source
Salvage	Stolen, wrecked, destroyed, or flood or water damaged to the point that repair is uneconomical, typically after an insurer's total-loss settlement. A salvage certificate of title is issued.	A.R.S. 28-2091(A), (T)(3)	Source
Restored Salvage	A salvage vehicle rebuilt and cleared by an MVD Level II or III inspection. The owner cannot transfer it until the restored salvage title is issued, and a seller who knows of the status must disclose it in writing or electronically before the sale.	A.R.S. 28-2095	Source
Nonrepairable	No resale value except as parts or scrap, a completely stripped recovered theft, or a completely burned vehicle. The title front is branded 'nonrepairable', registration is canceled, and ownership can be reassigned no more than twice.	A.R.S. 28-2091(F), (T)(2)	Source

Buying a used car in Arizona

Arizona gives you 15 days after buying a car to apply for title (A.R.S. 28-2058). Past 30 days, A.R.S. 28-2162 adds $8 for the first month and $4 for each month after that, up to $100. The title itself costs $4.

For a private sale of an Arizona-titled car with no lien, you can use eTitle Transfer online. Otherwise the seller signs the back of the title and you take it to an MVD or third-party office. The seller should file a Sold Notice right away, which protects them if the car is later in a crash, gets a ticket or is abandoned. A car arriving from another state without proof of title or registration needs a Level I inspection that matches the VIN to the paperwork, with no fee at an MVD office.

If you live in the Phoenix or Tucson metro area, the car must pass emissions testing, and myAZcar's Vehicle Test History lookup shows its past tests by VIN.

Read the brand closely. A Restored Salvage car was rebuilt and cleared by an MVD Level II or III inspection, and a seller who knows that must tell you in writing before the sale (A.R.S. 28-2095). A Nonrepairable title means parts or scrap only. Arizona counts flood and water damage as salvage, so a car caught in a monsoon flood belongs in that category.

Private sale: If the car has an Arizona title and current registration, no lien and no more than two owners, you and the seller can complete an eTitle Transfer online. Otherwise the seller signs the back of the title, removes the plate and files a Sold Notice, and you take the title to an MVD or authorized third-party office. You must apply for title within 15 days and need a temporary permit to drive until the car is registered.
Dealer sale: The same 15-day title rule applies. Most of your registration cost is the vehicle license tax, figured on 60% of the car's original base retail price and reduced 16.25% for each year. A seller who knows a car has a restored salvage title must disclose it in writing or electronically before the sale is complete (A.R.S. 28-2095(H)).
Title transfer deadline: 15 days (A.R.S. 28-2058); late penalty after 30 days (A.R.S. 28-2162(E))

Official Arizona vehicle tools

These tools are run by state and federal agencies, not by Carlytics. Use them next to the report.

AZ MVD Now: Check vehicle title status
Title status and liens on the record; no personal information is returned
You enter: VIN
myAZcar Vehicle Test History Inquiry (ADEQ)
Emissions test history for vehicles tested in the Phoenix and Tucson areas
You enter: VIN
NMVTIS consumer access (U.S. Department of Justice)
National title, brand and total-loss history
You enter: VIN

Vehicle inspection in Arizona

Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (ADEQ), Phoenix and Tucson metro areas

Emissions testing is required only for vehicles registered in the Phoenix (Area A) and Tucson (Area B) metro areas; vehicles registered outside those zip codes are not tested. A car arriving from another state without proof of title or registration needs an MVD Level I inspection that matches the VIN to the documents (no fee at an MVD office), and a branded salvage vehicle needs a Level II or III inspection. Source

What Arizona vehicle records show

A.R.S. 28-455 bars ADOT from releasing personal information in a motor vehicle record except as the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act and the statute allow: law enforcement, insurance claims, legal proceedings, recalls and a few other listed uses. Highly restricted information needs the person's consent. The vehicle side is open. On AZ MVD Now you can check a vehicle's title status with a VIN, including liens, and ADOT says no personal information comes back. myAZcar's history inquiry shows emissions test records by VIN, and any MVD office can pull a motor vehicle record by VIN. A Carlytics plate lookup links the plate to the VIN and adds history from all states: odometer readings in miles, police-reported crashes, salvage and auction photos, title brands and recalls, never owner data.

Arizona license plate privacy law

Arizona follows the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721) and adds its own law:

A.R.S. 28-455

ADOT may not knowingly disclose personal information from a motor vehicle record except as the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act (18 U.S.C. 2721 to 2725) and this section allow, such as law enforcement, insurance claims, legal proceedings, safety recalls and emissions programs. Highly restricted personal information needs the person's express consent.

Source: ADOT MVD

What our lookup shows

Vehicle data only: the VIN, odometer readings, crashes, auction history with photos, title brands, recalls and factory specs. Never the owner's name, address or phone number.

See what a report looks like

A real report for a real car, every section included:

Sample report: 2017 Chevrolet Traverse

Latest odometer reading: 104,351 mi at a New York State inspection on Mar 26, 2026
5 dated odometer readings, no decrease
Police-reported crash in New York, 2021
3 safety recalls for the model

Open the full sample report

Look up a Arizona license plate

the result is the same: the car's VIN in seconds, then its full history for $9.99. Checking several cars? $19.99 for three, $29.99 for five.

Arizona license plate lookup questions

Can I find out who owns a car from an Arizona plate?

No. A.R.S. 28-455 limits release of personal information from Arizona motor vehicle records to the uses the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act allows, such as law enforcement, insurance claims and court cases. A Carlytics plate lookup gives you the vehicle instead: the VIN, odometer readings in miles, police-reported crashes, salvage and auction history with photos, title brands and recalls.

How much does it cost to register a car in Arizona?

Arizona charges a $4 title fee, an $8 registration fee and a $1.50 air quality research fee, plus the vehicle license tax. VLT is $2.80 per $100 of assessed value in the first year and $2.89 after that, where assessed value is 60% of the original base retail price, reduced 16.25% each year. Personalized plates start at $25.

Does the license plate stay with the car in Arizona?

No. Under A.R.S. 28-2356 the seller keeps the plates when the car is sold, then transfers them to another vehicle they own or surrenders them within 30 days. The buyer drives on a temporary permit until the car is registered with its own plate. Because plates move between owners' cars, check the VIN behind any plate before you buy.

How do I check an Arizona title before I buy?

Use AZ MVD Now: under Title, choose the option to check vehicle title status and enter the VIN to see the status and any liens. Then run the plate or VIN through a report covering all states. Look for Salvage, Restored Salvage and Nonrepairable brands, and ask the seller for the written restored salvage disclosure that A.R.S. 28-2095 requires.

Does Arizona require emissions testing?

Only in the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas. Vehicles registered in those areas must pass an emissions test to renew, and vehicles registered outside them are not tested. Before you buy a car registered in either area, look up its emissions test history by VIN on myAZcar's Vehicle Test History Inquiry.

Is a front license plate required in Arizona?

No. A.R.S. 28-2354 requires one plate on the rear of a car. Where two plates are issued, you may display one on the rear alone or one on the front and one on the rear. Arizona has required only rear plates since 1989.

Plate lookup in nearby states

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Sources

The fees, laws and rules on this page were checked against these official sources on Oct 30, 2026.

Show all 22 sources