Arizona Driving Records

By Javier Marín, Editor·Last reviewed September 2026·How we check this

An Arizona Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) is the official driving history that MVD maintains for every licensed driver in the state. There are three versions of the record — 39-month, 5-year, and lifetime — and each is used for different purposes, from personal review to employer screening to court evidence.

The three Arizona MVR types

39-month uncertified MVR — Lists every conviction, accident, and license action in the most recent 39 months. Free to the driver through AZ MVD Now. Used for personal review and most employer pre-screening.
5-year certified MVR — Same content as the 39-month plus the additional 21 months back, sealed and stamped as an official record. $5 fee. Required by some employers, by court when proving prior violations, and by some insurance carriers when re-rating a driver after a major incident.
Lifetime MVR — The full history of every Arizona license, suspension, conviction, and accident on the driver's record from issuance forward. $5 certified, free if uncertified. Required for CDL applications and certain commercial-driver positions. Also used in DUI defense to confirm prior-conviction lookback windows.

Requesting an MVR online

The fastest path is AZ MVD Now. After signing in, the driver selects "Motor Vehicle Record" from the personal-services menu, chooses the time range, and pays the fee with a credit or debit card. The PDF downloads immediately. The 39-month uncertified record is free for the named driver. Certified records can be downloaded with a digital MVD seal that courts and many employers accept; an in-person paper certified record is available at any MVD office or ATP for the same $5 fee.

Requesting an MVR by mail

Drivers without internet access can submit Form 96-0155 (Motor Vehicle Record Request) by mail to ADOT MVD. The form requires the driver's name, date of birth, license number, and signature, plus a check or money order for the fee. Mail processing takes 7-10 business days plus mail time. The mailed form is also the path for third-party requesters who hold a release form from the driver they're requesting on.

Employer and insurance access

Arizona MVD shares MVRs with employers and insurance carriers under the federal Driver Privacy Protection Act (DPPA). Employers must hold a signed release from the driver before requesting; insurance carriers can pull MVRs as part of underwriting and renewal under the DPPA's permitted uses. CDL drivers under USDOT regulation are required to have an annual MVR pulled by their employer and kept on file. Drivers can review their own MVR at AZ MVD Now to verify what employers and carriers will see — many decisions are made on the same record before the driver even applies.

What appears on the record

An Arizona MVR includes:

Personal information — name, date of birth, license number, expiration date, license class.
Issuance history — original license issuance date, renewals, duplicates, corrections.
License-class history — CDL endorsements, motorcycle endorsements, restrictions.
Convictions — every traffic conviction with date, court, statute, and points assigned under the Arizona point system.
Accidents — reportable accidents the driver was involved in.
Suspensions and revocations — every action taken against the license, including reinstatement dates — useful when reviewing a suspended license.
Out-of-state convictions — via the Driver License Compact, Arizona records convictions from other states on the Arizona MVR.

Disputing an error

If the MVR shows an entry the driver believes is incorrect — a wrong court of conviction, a duplicate entry, a conviction that was actually dismissed — the dispute path runs back through the original court of record. Arizona MVD does not adjudicate the underlying conviction. The driver brings a certified copy of the court's amended disposition (or order vacating the conviction) to MVD and requests an MVR correction. Corrections post to the record within 5-10 business days and are reflected in the next MVR pulled. For DUI-related entries that were reduced or dismissed at the criminal court level but still show as suspensions on the administrative side, the driver may also need to challenge the administrative side through the MVD Executive Hearing Office.

Records for vehicles, not drivers

The MVR is the driver's record. The vehicle's record — title history, registration history, lien filings, and reportable damage — is requested separately as a Vehicle Record through AZ MVD Now or Form 96-0155 with the VIN entered in place of the driver license. Vehicle records are useful for buyers researching a private-party purchase before completing a title transfer. Both records are subject to DPPA restrictions on third-party access.