DMV Tucson Alternative
MVD or third party? What’s actually different
We are an Authorized Third Party provider for the Arizona MVD. We are not the MVD itself. Arizona Motor Vehicle Express is a private business the Arizona Department of Transportation authorizes to handle most MVD transactions, which is why we can open Saturdays and skip the state line. A convenience fee applies on top of the state fee. What that means for you · See us on ADOT’s list
The short version
We are a private company that ADOT authorizes to run most MVD transactions, which is a category the state created precisely so that somebody could be open on a Saturday.
The transaction you get here is the same transaction. Same state systems, same documents, same plate arriving in the same envelope. What changes is when you can come in, how long you wait, and the fact that we charge a convenience fee on top of the state fee to make that possible.
Side by side
| Topic | Arizona Motor Vehicle Express | State MVD office |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday hours | 9:00am – 5:30pm | 7:30am – 5:00pm |
| Saturday | Open until 3:00pm | Closed |
| Minor holidays | Often open | Closed |
| Typical visit | About 20 minutes | Varies; often much longer |
| Appointment | Walk in; road tests and off-site inspections booked ahead | Appointment or walk-in |
| State fee | Same | Same |
| Convenience fee | Yes, on top of the state fee | None |
| Level 1 inspection | Yes, on site or off-site | Yes |
| Level 2 / 3 inspection | No | ADOT inspection locations, by appointment |
| CDL renewal | No | Yes |
What we can do
- Title transfers, including out-of-state and salvage
- Registration, renewals, permits and plate replacements
- Driver licenses, ID cards and instruction permits
- Written testing and road tests (road tests by appointment)
- Arizona Travel ID / REAL ID applications
- Level One VIN inspections, at our office or off-site at your vehicle
- Bonded titles and abandoned vehicle titles
- Mobile home titles, affidavits of affixture and un-affixing
- Arizona OHV decals, including non-residents registering street-legal
- Motor vehicle records (39-month and certified 5-year)
- Notary work on titles, bills of sale and powers of attorney
- Dealer paperwork and lien perfection for lenders
What you have to go to the state for
- Level 2 vehicle inspections: ADOT inspection locations only, by appointment
- Level 3 vehicle inspections: ADOT inspection locations only, by appointment
- Commercial driver license (CDL) renewals
- Non-resident OHV decals where street-legal registration is not involved (Arizona Game and Fish sells those)
If what you need is on this list, we will tell you on the phone and send you to the right place rather than take the trip out of you.
Common questions
Working out whether we are close enough to be worth it? The areas we serve page has drive times from Marana, Oro Valley, Casas Adobes and the Foothills.
What is the difference between the MVD and a third party MVD provider?
The MVD is the Arizona Department of Transportation’s own Motor Vehicle Division. A third party provider is a private business that ADOT authorizes to run most of the same transactions. The transaction and the result are identical: the same state systems, the same documents, the same plate in the mail. What differs is the hours, the queue and a convenience fee charged on top of the state fee.
Is it cheaper to go to the MVD?
The state fee is the same either way. A third party adds a convenience fee on top, so on price alone the state office is cheaper. What the fee buys is Saturday hours, weekday hours to 5:30, minor-holiday opening, and a visit that runs about twenty minutes instead of a regional queue. Whether that is worth it depends on what your time is worth.
Do I get the same title and plates from a third party?
Yes. Since Arizona changed systems in April 2020 everything is mailed regardless of where you file. You leave with temporary plates, and the metal plates, sticker and registration follow by mail. The document is a state document either way.
How do I check a third party MVD office is legitimate?
ADOT publishes a directory of every Authorized Third Party provider in Arizona. If an office is not on that list, it is not authorized. Arizona Motor Vehicle Express is listed by name at 6741 N Thornydale Rd Ste 151, Tucson.
Which MVD offices are near northwest Tucson?
The closest state office to the Thornydale corridor is MVD-Tucson North on Ina Road. We are a little over a mile southwest of it, off the I-10 Cortaro exit. If what you need is something only the state can do, that is where we will send you.
Tell us the transaction and we will tell you where to go
Including when the answer is a state office. It costs us a phone call and saves you a wasted afternoon.
6741 N Thornydale Rd, Ste 151, Tucson, AZ 85741 · Mon–Fri 9:00am–5:30pm · Sat 9:00am–3:00pm · Closed Sunday