How to Get a Driver's License in Arizona (Step by Step)

Step 1: find your path

In Arizona, driver licenses are issued by the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division (MVD). You can apply at an MVD office or at an Authorized Third Party driver license location, and you can make appointments through AZ MVD Now (azmvdnow.gov).

• Ages 15½–17: an instruction permit, at least six months of supervised practice, then a graduated license.
• Age 18 and older: the written and vision tests, then a road test, with no six-month holding period.
• New residents with a valid license from another U.S. state: usually no written or road test (see the last section).
• License from another country: both tests, unless your license is from Canada, Germany, South Korea or Taiwan.

The instruction permit and the written test

To get an instruction permit, you must be at least 15 years and 6 months old. Bring a completed application and the originals of your documents. If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must sign the application in front of an MVD agent; if they cannot come with you, bring an application they signed in front of a notary.

• Written test: 30 multiple-choice questions. You need 80% to pass, that is, at least 24 correct answers.
• Languages: English, Spanish, Russian, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Arabic, Korean, Tagalog, French, German and Italian. If you read a language in which the written test is not available, you can ask for a verbal test; offices give verbal tests by appointment.
• Vision test and photo: done at the office when you apply for the permit.
• Fee and validity: the instruction permit costs $7 and is valid for 12 months.
• Retakes: you can take the written test up to three times without paying another application fee, and you can retest as early as the next business day.

Permit Test @ Home: teens under 18 can take the written test at home through a parent's or guardian's AZ MVD Now account or through a participating Arizona professional driving school. The parent verifies their identity, enters the teen's information, pays the $7 fee and supervises the test.

With a permit, you may drive only with a licensed driver at least 21 years old in the front seat next to you. To prepare for the written test, try our practice tests for Arizona.

Teens: practice hours and driver education

A teen must hold an Arizona permit for at least six months before getting a graduated license. The practice requirement can be met in one of three ways:

• Supervised practice only: at least 30 hours of supervised driving, including at least 10 hours at night, and then a road test at MVD.
• A driver education program at a traffic survival school or a certified defensive driving school approved by the Arizona Supreme Court: the practice requirement drops to at least 20 hours, including at least 6 hours at night, and you still take the road test.
• High School Driver Education or an Authorized Third Party Driver License Driver Education Program: no road test is required, as long as you provide proof of completion within 12 months of issuance.

Before you sign up for a course, ask the school which of these options its program counts for.

Teens: the graduated license at 16

You can get a graduated license once you are at least 16, have held the permit for six months and have met the practice requirement. The parent's or guardian's signature that was given for the permit must be given again for the license.

For the first six months, a graduated license holder:

• may not drive between midnight and 5:00 a.m., unless a licensed parent or guardian sits in the front passenger seat, or the teen is driving to or from a sanctioned school activity, a sanctioned religious activity, work or a family emergency;
• may not drive with more than one passenger under 18, unless the passengers are the teen's siblings or a licensed parent or guardian sits in the front passenger seat.

After the first six months, if there are no extensions or suspensions, the teen may drive without these restrictions. From age 18, you can apply for a Class D driver license.

Adults 18 and older

Adults take the same tests, but the six-month permit holding period for applicants under 18 does not apply.

• Pass the written test and the vision test at an MVD office or an Authorized Third Party location.
• If you want to practice on the road before the road test, you need an instruction permit ($7, valid for 12 months). While you practice, a licensed driver at least 21 years old must sit in the seat beside you.
• Schedule and pass the road test.
• Pay the license fee, which depends on your age (see the documents and fees section).

ADOT also notes that a written or road test may be required for any driver, at any age, during an office visit.

The road test

You can schedule the road test through AZ MVD Now. Bring:

• valid identification;
• your instruction permit, held for at least six months if you are under 18 (applicants 18 and older need a passed written test);
• a parent or legal guardian, if you are under 18;
• a vehicle in good operating condition with current registration and current liability insurance (out-of-country insurance is not accepted);
• a licensed driver who accompanies you to the test.

The vehicle needs working brakes, brake lights, turn signals and horn, a windshield with no cracks, inside and outside rearview mirrors, tires in good condition, working windows, doors that open and close, and working seat belts. Driver-assist and auto-parking features may not be used during the test.

The examiner checks that you understand directions in English and know Arizona traffic signs, asks you to locate the speedometer and hazard lights, and scores your signaling, lane choice, following distance, a parking maneuver and your overall safe control of the vehicle. You fail with 21 or more points, and 8 or more points on the parking maneuver fail the whole test.

Documents, Travel ID and fees

All documents must be originals or certified copies, in English. You must prove that your presence in the United States is authorized under federal law and provide your Social Security number.

• Travel ID: the Arizona version of the federal REAL ID, marked with a star. Since May 7, 2025, an Arizona license can be used to board domestic flights only if it is a Travel ID. You need one document proving birth or legal presence (for example, a U.S. birth certificate, a U.S. passport or a Permanent Resident Card) and two documents proving Arizona residency. It costs $25 and in most cases is valid for eight years.
• Standard license: the Travel ID is not mandatory. A standard license accepts a longer list of identity documents, but you cannot use it to board a domestic flight.

Fees:

• instruction permit: $7
• driver license: $25 at ages 16–39, $20 at 40–44, $15 at 45–49 and $10 at 50 and older
• Travel ID: $25
• duplicate license: $12

New residents and foreign licenses

Arizona does not give new residents a set number of days: ADOT says to get an Arizona driver license and vehicle registration immediately once you become a resident. Arizona law requires an Arizona license if, for example, you work in Arizona, enroll your children in school at resident tuition rates, operate a business with an Arizona office, or stay in Arizona for seven months or more in a calendar year.

• Valid license from another U.S. state: bring your current license; the written and road tests are usually waived. The out-of-state vision screening costs $5, and if you are asked to take a road test, the out-of-state skill test costs $15. You also pay the license fee for your age.
• License from Canada, Germany, South Korea or Taiwan: with a current, valid license you do not take the written or road test. For South Korea and Taiwan, you must be 18 or older.
• License from any other country: you must pass both the written and the road test.
• Visitors: if you are in Arizona temporarily, you can drive with a valid license from your home country; an International Driving Permit is recommended.
• Non-citizens: your Arizona license expires on the same date as your authorized presence document.

For documents and other questions immigrants often have, see our guide on driver's licenses for immigrants.