Tag Archives: MVD

Paper or plastic? MVD debuts kiosks that take good ol’ cash

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PHOENIX – In a digital world there is still plenty of room for tradition, and the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is no exception.

Cash is king in many households, and the MVD is now making it possible for more customers to handle transactions that way by adding ServiceArizona kiosks that accept cash transactions to 22 MVD offices throughout Arizona.

Kiosks have been an MVD fixture for a number of years, but until recently they could only accept credit or debit cards. Offering the cash option has created another convenience that’s proving to be very popular with customers.

“There’s been a noticeable increase in kiosk usage since we implemented the cash option,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “Compared to a year ago at this time, the kiosk usage has increased more than 50 percent. Part of that is due to higher overall customer awareness of kiosks, but there’s been a definite uptick in usage since the cash kiosks were put in place. It’s a continuation of our vision to get people out of line and safely on the road.”

Cash kiosks handle all denominations of paper U.S. currency and are able to make exact change. The machines also accept personal checks.

More than half of MVD transactions can be performed at a kiosk or online at ServiceArizona.com for no additional fee. Among the many transactions available are: vehicle registration renewal, ordering a specialty license plate, getting a replacement license or ID, filing a sold notice and obtaining your motor vehicle record.

For more information go to azdot.gov/mvd.

New verification method means veteran specialty plates may now be ordered online

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PHOENIX – Ordering a veteran specialty license plate no longer requires standing in line at an Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division office. With the introduction of a new electronic affidavit system to verify a veteran’s status, plates may now be ordered at ServiceArizona.com, skipping the office visit.

“As MVD continues to be ahead of the curve by improving customer service, this is one of the more gratifying changes we’ve made,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “MVD is proud to provide these plates to honor our veterans, and it’s very important to make it as easy as possible for our customers get out of line and safely on the road.”

Under state law, only veterans and their immediate family members may apply for a veteran plate. Until now, this plate could only be ordered in person at an MVD or Authorized Third Party location where the applicant would have to show veteran status documentation.

To allow for online ordering, MVD developed an electronic affidavit system that the applicant must initial before the transaction can be completed. MVD has also established an auditing compliance system to review applications to ensure that only those who are legally eligible receive the plate.

Each month, more than 1,200 applications for these plates are processed at MVD offices. Allowing this transaction to be done online will not only allow customers to order the plate at their convenience, but will reduce the amount of customer traffic at MVD offices.

In fiscal year 2016, veteran plates generated just over $1.2 million for a special veterans fund administered by the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services.

For more information on specialty plates, please visit azdot.gov/mvd.

Need a driver license? More Authorized Third Party offices now do that

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PHOENIX – One of the most common Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division transactions just got a bit easier with the addition of more Authorized Third Party providers permitted to offer driver license services including road testing, written testing and photos.

There are now 22 third-party providers, operating at 33 locations, authorized to offer these transactions. To do so, they must meet stringent qualifications set by MVD.

These services are provided at all MVD offices and require an in-person visit. Customers looking for convenience may wish to consider an Authorized Third Party.

“Partnering with Authorized Third Party providers is a very successful example of government and the private sector cooperating to offer outstanding customer service,” Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen said. “These offices are a convenient and popular supplement to MVD locations. Having more of them offering driver licenses is another great example of MVD getting people out of line and safely on the road.”

All Authorized Third Party providers must follow MVD guidelines and are monitored for compliance. Operators that offer driver license services have additional requirements, including having been a third-party provider for at least three years, conducting at least 1,000 transactions per month for one year, having an appropriate facility and meeting certain financial requirements.

With several more Authorized Third Party locations expected to open before the end of the year, information about which offices provide driver license services can be found at ServiceArizona.com or azdot.gov/mvd.

Specialty plates bring in $66 million for worthy causes since 2007

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PHOENIX — What goes on the back of your vehicle, looks great and makes a lot of money for a worthy cause? A specialty license plate from the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division does, and more of them are on the way.

Since fiscal 2007, the total revenue generated from the sale of specialty license plates has reached $66 million. Those funds support causes including cancer awareness and research, child abuse prevention, environmental awareness, organ donation, university scholarships, veterans’ programs and quite a few more.

“The specialty plate program is a real point of pride for Arizona and is a tremendous success,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “To have raised $66 million since 2007 proves Arizonans are both generous and eager to support great causes. Even during the depth of the economic downturn a few years ago, these revenues went up and that trend is continuing today.”

Starting December 19, three new plates will be made available. The Grand Canyon University plate will raise funds for academic scholarships. Historic preservation funds will be raised by the Historic Route 66 plate. A Special Olympics plate will support that organization’s sports, health and leadership programs.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to have a Grand Canyon University-themed license plate,” said GCU Communications Director Bob Romantic. “It’s a way for people to not only show pride in the university but also support academic scholarships that make it possible for many students to attend college.”

A fourth plate, for the 100 Club/First Responders, will soon be available pending completion of the plate design. Those funds will go toward scholarships for family members of public safety officers and firefighters.

Specialty plates typically cost $25. Of that, $17 is committed to the benefiting organization. For more information about specialty plates including how to order, please visit ServiceArizona.com or azdot.gov/mvd.

The specialty plate program was established by state law in 1989.

MVD set to implement new law that waives some vehicle costs for survivors of military killed in line of duty

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PHOENIX — A state law taking effect Jan. 1 waives some vehicle fees and taxes for survivors of military members killed in service to the United States.

The law removes the vehicle registration fee and the Vehicle License Tax for one vehicle registered to an eligible surviving spouse or dependent who’s a resident of Arizona. It applies to all types of vehicles ‒ including trailers ‒ and is renewable on an annual basis.

The benefit applies to a surviving spouse or dependent of anyone killed or who died of injuries sustained in the line of duty with any branch of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, Coast Guard and Reserves.

To confirm eligibility, the surviving family member must visit a Motor Vehicle Division or Authorized Third Party office and present a U.S. Department of Defense Form 1300 Report of Casualty. Customers will also need to fill out an MVD Survivor of Fallen Military Member Exemption form. This document will be available at azdot.gov/mvd close to the effective date of Jan. 1, 2017, when the exemption can be issued.

The exemption is not applicable to a spouse who re-marries. Dependents from age 18 to 23 must provide a school transcript or class schedule showing at least 12 hours of classes in order to remain eligible.

Going to a Motor Vehicle Division office? You may not have to

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PHOENIX — Want to avoid lines at MVD offices? Chances are good that you can take care of business online instead.

According to data collected by the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division, 51 percent of the transactions that happen in MVD offices every business day could be done online instead. These range from very common transactions such as renewing a vehicle registration or replacing a driver license/identification card to smaller but still important things such as getting a decal for an off-road vehicle or a customer refund.

“Imagine if the MVD offices had 51 percent fewer transactions to handle,” Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen said. “That would mean fewer people who need to make a trip to get services that are just a click away on a computer or smartphone, and it would reduce wait times for those who need to do business in the offices.”

Including those listed above, there are many MVD services that can be easily done through ServiceArizona.com, such as address and email changes, ordering a personalized or specialty license plate, voter registration, obtaining a copy of your motor vehicle record, renewing a disability placard, insurance verification, sold notices and many more. For a complete list, please go to ServiceArizona.com.

“People are a lot more comfortable using the web for all kinds of transactions that just weren’t done years ago,” Jorgensen added. “MVD is ahead of the curve online, and we welcome more Arizonans to check out ServiceArizona.com to see if they can get their needs handled there because it’s increasingly likely they can.”

Wildcats, Sun Devils, Lumberjacks sport specialty plates

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narrower_originalPHOENIX — Universities are back in session, football season is underway and school spirit is in the air ‒ and on many vehicle bumpers.

More and more alumni and other fans are showcasing school colors with specialty plates offered by the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division. In the process, they’re raising hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for scholarships.

University specialty plates ‒ red and blue for the University of Arizona, maroon and gold for Arizona State University and blue and white for Northern Arizona University ‒ generated three-quarters of a million dollars for scholarships during the fiscal year that ended June 30. Drivers purchased or renewed about 44,000 of these plates during that time.

Vehicle owners pay $25 annually for specialty plates, with $17 of that amount going to sponsoring charities and nonprofits. Getting one is as easy as visiting ServiceArizona.com.

Melinda Burke, UA Alumni Association president, said the plates are a great way to show Wildcat pride.

“Coupled with that, the purchase of an “A” plate provides scholarship monies for UA students who are Arizona residents, so it is a feel-good way to support the university,” Burke said.

The current UA plate, used since 2012, showcases the school’s signature “A.” Nearly 24,000 UA plates graced bumpers around the state last fiscal year, including the previous design featuring Wilbur the Wildcat.

ASU’s current specialty plate is gold with maroon type and features Sparky the Sun Devil, though some vehicles may have a white plate with a similar design that was sold until 2010. The nearly 18,000 ASU specialty plates purchased or renewed last fiscal year funded Medallion Scholarships for top Arizona high school seniors, according to Tracy Scott, ASU Alumni Association marketing director.

“We’ve seen an increase (in sales) since the plate was redesigned in 2010,” Scott said.

Since 2010, NAU’s specialty plate has featured the school’s snowflake-and-pine logo, but some with the older plate design featuring Louie the Lumberjack are still around. Alumni and fans purchased or renewed about 2,700 of the plates during the last fiscal year.

The dozens of specialty plates available through MVD generated $6.9 million last fiscal year for causes and charities supporting veterans, law enforcement, firefighters and more. That’s a 9 percent increase from the year before.

Grand Canyon University alumni and fans may soon be able to show their support. The Arizona State Legislature earlier this year authorized creating a specialty plate featuring that school.

Six hours to 10 minutes: Vehicle for hire application process transforms

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vehicles-for-hire-licensing_originalPHOENIX — When the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division took over the Department of Weights and Measures’ Vehicle for Hire program, it immediately began looking for ways to streamline the application process as part of an agency-wide commitment to continuous improvement.

The result: MVD reduced what had been a six-hour application process for owners of taxi, livery vehicle and limousine companies to just 10 minutes.

The application process used to be entirely manual for both applicants and staff, which was time-consuming and involved going back and forth between state employees and business owners. Now it’s offered online at ServiceArizona.com, with business owners filling in the information themselves.

Business owners used to wait for vehicle insurance information to show up in MVD’s database before proceeding with their applications. Now MVD employees can enter the information themselves on behalf of insurance companies.

The 8,500 taxis, limos and other vehicles listed in the database once had to be inspected annually, creating an aggravating process for both inspectors and business owners. Now vehicles are inspected randomly as well as when complaints are received.

“We took an outdated, inefficient application process and applied modern technology and methods to it,” said Tom Opalka, MVD commercial driver license, medical review and vehicle for hire program manager, who oversaw this process improvement. “We’re now able to save our customers time ‒ and money ‒ by automating much of the process and streamlining the rest.”

Due to two pending laws coming out of this year’s legislative session, more improvements are coming to the Vehicle for Hire program later this month.  Instead of requiring a company to apply for an annual permit for each taxi, livery vehicle and limousine, MVD will issue one permit to the company for all of its vehicles to operate for three years at a time – similar to how transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft are permitted.

Streamlining the Vehicle for Hire program is just one example of how the Motor Vehicle Division is, like ADOT as a whole, continuously improving to benefit Arizonans.

For information on the Motor Vehicle Division, visit azdot.gov/mvd.

MVD looks for ways to get Arizonans out of line and safely on the road

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PHOENIX — In the not-so-distant past, someone retaking a road test at an Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division office had to stand in line – not to retake the test but to re-verify the application, a process that required spending several minutes at a window after taking a number and waiting to be called.

Today, that returning individual will retake the test first. Once he or she passes, a customer service representative will then process the rest of the application.

The change, which saves time for the test-taker as well as other waiting customers, is just one of the ways MVD is innovating to achieve its strategic vision of getting customers out of line and safely on the road.

“We’re continually looking to see where we can save time or even a visit to an office,” ADOT Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen said. “’Out of line and safely on the road’ is the way we’re doing business to benefit the residents of this state.”

Jorgensen, who became MVD director in March 2015, said there are several reasons behind the push to streamline processes and create more value for customers, starting with a philosophy his father shared.

“He would tell us, ‘If you see something that needs to be done, do it,’” Jorgensen said. “That saying has stuck with me, and I use it every day.”

He shares that philosophy with employees, noting that suggestions and feedback from those working at MVD offices have driven process improvements.

Another philosophy that drives Jorgensen is “a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

“It’s important to build momentum. Sometimes we have to build the race car while in the race,” Jorgensen said. “We have identified a lot of projects at MVD that will help us build that momentum and carry us to greater things.”

MVD’s vision is part of an agency-wide commitment to continuous improvement that involves every aspect of ADOT operations.

For MVD, finding new ways to leverage technology is another way to get customers out of line. That starts with expanding what can be done through ServiceArizona.com. The website and the 43 ServiceArizona kiosks at MVD offices and courthouses around Arizona offer more than 20 motor vehicle services such as vehicle registration renewal and ordering replacement driver licenses and specialty license plates, with more to come.

ServiceArizona initiatives include rolling out online appointment scheduling for all MVD offices. That’s already happening on a smaller scale for those wishing to convert driver licenses to the new Voluntary Travel ID at select MVD offices.

“We live in a time where technology allows people to conduct a lot of business anytime and anywhere,” Jorgensen said. “We want to do the same with the MVD and reduce or even eliminate the need to physically come into an office.”

An innovative approach is allowing MVD to modernize its computer system over the next few years through a partnership with IBM, which maintains ServiceArizona.com. A portion of all sales through ServiceArizona.com are going toward computer system improvements that will make motor vehicle services more accessible and efficient.

MVD also continues expanding options and convenience for customers through Authorized Third Party providers, with 165 businesses statewide providing services including a growing number offering driver licenses.

Ultimately, getting customers out of line and safely on the road is about helping people get what they need from the MVD in a timely and efficient way.

“Like most people who become public servants, MVD employees ‒ myself included ‒ want to help others, make things better and be part of a solution,” Jorgensen said. “It’s happening here at the MVD. We’re making a difference every day.”

Take advantage of MVD alternatives

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PHOENIX — By expanding the use of technology and third-party options, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is making it ever easier for motorists to renew vehicle registrations, apply for driver licenses and more without visiting MVD offices.

Numbers for 2015 tell the story:

4.4 million: That’s the number of transactions by residents processed last year through ServiceArizona.com. That’s an increase from 4.2 million in 2014. This past year, 60 percent of all vehicle registration renewals were done through ServiceArizona. In addition, 3.3 million transactions were processed through ServiceArizona.com by businesses like car dealerships, bringing the total to 7.7 million transactions. ServiceArizona is accessible through desktops, laptops and mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

4 million: That’s the number of 2015 transactions processed by Authorized Third Party businesses conveniently located around the state. It’s an increase from 3.8 million in 2014.

By comparison, Motor Vehicle Division offices, which typically handle more complex transactions, processed 3.1 million in 2015.

Another notable number: 22. That’s how many Authorized Third Party businesses offer assistance with driver licenses and identification cards in addition to the vehicle title and registration available at most authorized businesses. That’s an increase from seven such businesses in 2014. The Motor Vehicle Division aims to continue to increase that number.

Offering more options to customers is among the ways the Motor Vehicle Division is improving service and meeting Governor Doug Ducey’s call for innovation and efficiency in state government.

“At MVD, our vision is to get Arizona ‘out of the line and safely on the road.’  Our private industry partners and online service options through ServiceArizona.com make these important transactions more convenient for Arizonans to conduct,” Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen said.

Other alternatives include 39 ServiceArizona kiosks located in many Motor Vehicle Division offices and a couple of city courthouses. These kiosks offer the same functionality as the ServiceArizona website.

For more information, visit ServiceArizona.com.

A list of Authorized Third Party businesses and MVD offices can be found at azdot.gov/mvdlocations.