Registering your motorcycle is basically the same as registering your car or truck in Arizona. What will probably vary are the fees.

The title fee is flat and minimal. The registration fee, too, is minor, as is the air quality research fee. All together, the three should not exceed $15.

The variable fee comes in the form of the vehicle license tax (VLT), which is assessed instead of the personal property tax that many other states charge. It is based on the manufacturer's base retail price of the automobile, but takes into account amortization, so you will pay a little less to register your vehicle each year.

If you are interested in the math, it is best to work with an example. Let's say you bought your car for $25,000. The MVD will take 60% of that value and reduce it 16.25% for each year that the vehicle has been registered in Arizona (the state will depreciate it only 15% if it was registered before August 1, 1998). The MVD then divides that number by 100. The quotient is multiplied by $2.80 if it is a new vehicle and $2.89 if it is a used vehicle. So your $25,000 automobile would have a VLT of $420 in the first year and $363.06 in the second. See how easy that was?

Mobile home owners pay a title fee of $7 alone.

Emissions Testing

Motorcycles with engine displacements greater than 90cc require emissions testing if they are registered in the metro Phoenix or Tucson testing areas.

Renewing Your Registration

Renewing your car or motorcycle can seem like a bother, but the Arizona MVD makes it simple, assuming you have your address and plate number in front of you. The online system is identical for all automobiles and takes just a few minutes―as well as a major credit card.

For general registration information, see Car Registration and Registration FAQs on this site.

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