# After the sale in Arizona: tags, titles, taxes, records, and who can inspect you > Arizona dealers issue a 45-day TRP after the electronic record, file title at the sale, honor a 15-day or 500-mile warranty and keep contracts 3 years. - Canonical URL: https://www.leftlanesoftware.com/blog/arizona-dealer-after-the-sale-and-inspections - Language: en-US - Spanish version (Español): https://www.leftlanesoftware.com/blog/despues-de-la-venta-en-arizona-placas-titulos-inspecciones - State: Arizona - Topic: After the sale - Last verified: 2026-11-09 _Last verified: November 9, 2026. Every rule links to its official source._ After an Arizona sale you send an electronic record and issue a temporary registration plate (TRP), which is [void after 45 days](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04551.htm). The buyer's title and registration are filed [before or at the time](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04547.htm) it issues. A [15-day or 500-mile implied warranty](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01267.htm) applies, TPT returns are due [the 20th](https://azdor.gov/business/transaction-privilege-tax/due-dates), and contract copies stay at the lot [3 years](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04403.htm). ## Arizona after-the-sale duties at a glance | What | By when | Where it goes | Source | | ------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Title in your dealership's name | Before you try to sell the vehicle | Your files | [A.R.S. 44-1267](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01267.htm) | | Emissions test passed, at your cost (Area A or B lots) | Before retail delivery | The required inspection | [A.R.S. 49-542](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/49/00542.htm) | | Warranty statements, in bold | Before the sale and in the sale agreement | To the buyer | [A.R.S. 28-4412](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04412.htm); [44-1267](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01267.htm) | | Electronic TRP record, $1 fee | Before you issue the TRP | An authorized third-party provider | [A.R.S. 28-4549](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04549.htm) | | Buyer's title and registration applications and fees | Before or at the time the TRP issues | ADOT MVD, sent by you as the buyer's agent | [A.R.S. 28-4547](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04547.htm) | | Notice of transfer | Within 15 days | ADOT MVD; a TRP record counts | [A.R.S. 28-4555](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04555.htm) | | TPT return | The 20th of the month after the tax period | ADOR | [ADOR due dates](https://azdor.gov/business/transaction-privilege-tax/due-dates) | | Contract copies 3 years; vehicle record permanently | Ongoing | At the lot | [A.R.S. 28-4403](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04403.htm) | ## What do you owe the buyer at delivery in Arizona? A titled car, any required emissions test, the warranty paperwork, and a TRP. The title comes first: "Before the seller attempts to sell a used motor vehicle the seller shall possess the title to the used motor vehicle and the title shall be in the seller's name" ([A.R.S. 44-1267](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01267.htm)). ### The temporary registration plate A TRP goes only to a "bona fide purchaser" of a vehicle not registered for the current year ([A.R.S. 28-4547](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04547.htm)). - **Record first.** Send an electronic record through an authorized third party, and pay the provider $1, before you issue the TRP ([A.R.S. 28-4549](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04549.htm)). - **Title and registration with it.** No TRP issues unless the buyer's title and registration applications are filed before or at the time the plate issues. "The dealer, as the agent of the purchaser, shall forward" the applications and fees. - **One per vehicle.** ADOT's [TRP guide](https://apps.azdot.gov/files/mvd/mvm/dealer-licensing/Content/CONTENT/AMN%20Business%20Suites/Dealer_Suite_AMN/Temporary_Registration_Plates.htm) says "A dealer may only issue one TRP per vehicle." - **Never on your own cars.** A dealer may not lend TRPs or use them on a vehicle it owns ([A.R.S. 28-4553](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04553.htm)). - **45 days.** The TRP is void when the buyer receives a plate or 45 days after issue ([A.R.S. 28-4551](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04551.htm)). - **If it runs out.** An online 30-Day General Use Permit may be issued when a TRP was voided or expired before title and registration were done. ADOT's [2019 dealer orientation](https://azdot.gov/sites/default/files/2019/08/dealer-orientation-presentation.pdf) said a dealer using one "is subject to penalty fees". Issuing a TRP before sending the electronic record, or with "a misstatement of fact", is a class 3 misdemeanor. Knowingly inserting false information is a class 2 misdemeanor (28-4553). **The daily log.** ADOT's TRP guide calls for a daily electronic TRP Activity Log checked against sales, with discrepancies reported by the close of the next business day. Keep TRP records at least 3 years ([A.R.S. 28-4552](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04552.htm)). ### Emissions in the Phoenix and Tucson areas A dealer with a place of business in Area A or Area B "shall not deliver any vehicle to the retail purchaser until the vehicle passes any inspection required" ([A.R.S. 49-542](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/49/00542.htm)). The dealer pays for the inspection and any repairs needed to pass. Area A covers parts of Maricopa, Pinal and Yavapai counties, and Area B part of Pima County ([A.R.S. 49-541](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/49/00541.htm)). Sales between dealers are exempt. So are "New vehicles before the sixth registration year after initial purchase or lease", so a late-model used car may need no test. ### The used-car implied warranty: 15 days or 500 miles Arizona has a used-car warranty. A used motor vehicle dealer "shall not exclude, modify or disclaim the implied warranty of merchantability" until midnight of the 15th calendar day after delivery or 500 miles after delivery, whichever comes first ([A.R.S. 44-1267](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01267.htm)). - **The standard.** The vehicle "functions in a safe condition" and is "substantially free of any defect that significantly limits" its ordinary use. Post-sale abuse, neglect, off-road use, racing and towing are excluded. - **Repairs.** The buyer gives reasonable notice and you get a reasonable opportunity to repair. The buyer pays half the cost of the first two repairs, up to $25 for each. Your liability stops at the purchase price. - **The contract statement.** The sale agreement "is voidable at the option of the purchaser" unless it carries the statute's statement in "bold-faced ten point or larger type set off from the body". It begins "The seller hereby warrants that this vehicle will be fit for the ordinary purposes for which the vehicle is used". Copy the full text into your forms. - **A disclosed defect.** The buyer may waive the warranty "only for a particular defect" you disclosed, by signing a statement that begins "Attention purchaser: sign here only if the dealer told you that this vehicle has the following problem(s)". **"As is" means no express warranty, nothing more.** Before the sale, you must give the buyer a written statement, set apart in bold, saying whether an express warranty or guaranty applies. If none does, it carries the words "as is - not expressly warranted or guaranteed" ([A.R.S. 28-4412](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04412.htm)); copy the exact punctuation from the statute. The implied warranty still applies. ### Fees, trade-ins and out-of-state buyers - **Doc fee.** Arizona law sets no dollar cap that we found, but a dealer that charges one must say in its vehicle ads that a document fee will be charged ([A.R.S. 44-1371](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01371.htm)). - **Broker fee.** Retail contracts must disclose "Whether or not the transaction is subject to a fee received by a broker" and the broker's name ([A.R.S. 28-4417](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04417.htm)). - **Spot delivery.** If a sale is "conditioned on final approval of financing", keep the trade-in's title and the vehicle until financing is final or the trade-in goes back to the customer (44-1371). - **Nonresidents.** The buyer signs Form 5011, an affidavit of nonresidency, you copy the out-of-state license, and the buyer can get a 90-day nonresident permit. The exemption covers state and county tax, but a buyer from a state with a lower rate and reciprocity pays Arizona TPT equal to the home-state tax. City tax applies in full unless you deliver outside Arizona ([ADOR: motor vehicle sales](https://azdor.gov/transaction-privilege-tax/motor-vehicle-sales)). **Can the buyer cancel?** Arizona gives car buyers no general right to cancel that we found. You and the buyer may agree to rescind within 30 days after the title application. The paperwork must reach MVD within 15 business days, and you may not resell the vehicle at retail until you get the new title ([A.R.S. 28-4424](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04424.htm)). ## When is the title due in Arizona? At the sale. No statute we read sets a day count. The buyer's title and registration applications must be filed before or at the time you issue the TRP ([A.R.S. 28-4547](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04547.htm)). ADOT's dealer training has used a 30-day standard for title and registration ([2019 orientation](https://azdot.gov/sites/default/files/2019/08/dealer-orientation-presentation.pdf)), and the TRP dies at 45 days. You must also give ADOT "written or electronic notice of the transfer to the department within fifteen days after the transfer" ([A.R.S. 28-4555](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04555.htm)); a TRP record satisfies it. ## How does Arizona sales tax (TPT) work for dealers? The dealer reports and pays the transaction privilege tax (TPT) to the Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR). You need a current TPT license to renew your dealer license ([A.R.S. 28-4405](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04405.htm)). The state rate is 5.6 percent; county and city rates add to it. | Retail sale in | State plus county | City | Combined (computed) | | ------------------------------ | ----------------- | ----- | ------------------- | | Phoenix | 6.30% | 2.80% | 9.10% | | Tucson | 6.10% | 2.60% | 8.70% | | Mesa | 6.30% | 2.00% | 8.30% | | Chandler | 6.30% | 1.50% | 7.80% | | Unincorporated Maricopa County | 6.30% | None | 6.30% | | Unincorporated Pima County | 6.10% | None | 6.10% | Rates are from ADOR's [table effective November 1, 2026](https://azdor.gov/sites/default/files/document/TPT_RATETABLE_11012026.pdf); they change. Phoenix's city rate on the part of a single item's price above $14,338 is 2.00 percent instead of 2.80 percent. - **How often.** Annually if your estimated combined liability is under $2,000, quarterly from $2,000 to $8,000, monthly over $8,000 ([ADOR filing frequency](https://azdor.gov/transaction-privilege-tax/tpt-license/tpt-filing-frequency)). - **When.** By the 20th of the month after the period; electronic returns count if received by the month's last business day. File a $0 return for a period with no sales, as ADOR requires. - **License renewal.** The TPT license runs January 1 to December 31, with no state renewal fee. City fees apply: Phoenix $50, Mesa and Tucson $20, Chandler $2. A renewal received after the last business day of January costs 50 percent of the city fee as a penalty ([ADOR renewal](https://azdor.gov/node/290)). - **Financed sales.** You may apply to pay tax on credit sales as you collect ([A.R.S. 42-5014](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/42/05014.htm)); see [Financing your own sales in Arizona](/blog/arizona-buy-here-pay-here-financing-rules). ## What records must an Arizona dealer keep, and for how long? Contract copies for 3 years and the vehicle record permanently, at the lot. | Record | How long | Source | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | Vehicles bought, sold or exchanged, with sellers, buyers and dates (may be electronic) | Permanently | [A.R.S. 28-4403](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04403.htm) | | Copy of each customer contract | 3 years, at your established place of business | [A.R.S. 28-4403](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04403.htm) | | TRP records | At least 3 years from the date of entry | [A.R.S. 28-4552](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04552.htm) | ADOT's [dealer FAQ](https://azdot.gov/taxonomy/term/1822) says records stay at the physical location where you do business. ## Who can inspect or audit an Arizona dealership? Five bodies; ADOT's agents can walk in during business hours. | Who | What it looks at | How it starts | What it can do | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [ADOT agents and the highway patrol](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04403.htm) | Records and inventory | Entry during normal business hours | Penalties under 28-4501 ($1,000 to $3,000 per violation) and 28-4532 (up to $500) | | [ADOT Office of Inspector General](https://azdot.gov/motor-vehicles/enforcement/office-inspector-general/reporting-unlicensed-automobile-dealer-sales) | TRPs over 45 days; unlicensed dealing | Reports of old TRPs; its Incident Complaint Form | Penalties for each TRP over 45 days; suspension of TRP issuing | | [DIFI](https://difi.az.gov/sales-finance-companies-dfi), if you hold its license | Your sales finance business | An exam at the Superintendent's discretion | Bills up to $65 per examiner hour | | [Attorney General](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01531.htm) | Consumer fraud | A petition to a court | Up to $10,000 per willful violation | | [ADOR](https://azdor.gov/node/290) | TPT license and returns | Your filings | 50% of the city fee for a late license renewal | ## What can ADOT agents and the highway patrol do at your lot? Inspect your records and inventory, which must be available at all times. Department agents or the highway patrol may enter during normal business hours ([A.R.S. 28-4403](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04403.htm)). [A.R.S. 28-4501](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04501.htm) sets civil penalties of $1,000 to $3,000 per violation for licensed and unlicensed dealers, plus the TPT on sales made in violation, payable no later than 30 days after the order is final ([28-4504](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04504.htm)). Dealer plates may not go on "A vehicle that has been sold", and misuse carries "a civil penalty of up to five hundred dollars" ([A.R.S. 28-4532](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04532.htm)). ## What does ADOT's Office of Inspector General look at? Late TRPs and unlicensed dealing. Its Dealer Investigation Unit receives reports of TRPs over 45 days and may assess penalties for each one and suspend your ability to issue TRPs ([ADOT TRP guide](https://apps.azdot.gov/files/mvd/mvm/dealer-licensing/Content/CONTENT/AMN%20Business%20Suites/Dealer_Suite_AMN/Temporary_Registration_Plates.htm)). The Office takes curbstoning complaints on an [Incident Complaint Form](https://azdot.gov/motor-vehicles/enforcement/office-inspector-general/reporting-unlicensed-automobile-dealer-sales) with plates or VINs, ad links and photos. Rules for unlicensed sellers are in [How many cars can you sell in Arizona without a dealer license?](/blog/how-many-cars-can-you-sell-in-arizona-without-a-dealer-license) ## When do DIFI, the Attorney General and ADOR get involved? - **DIFI** examines dealers holding its sales finance license, at the Superintendent's discretion, at up to $65 per hour for each examiner ([DIFI](https://difi.az.gov/sales-finance-companies-dfi)). - **The Attorney General** can petition a court, which may impose "a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars per violation" for willful violations of the Consumer Fraud Act's section 44-1522 ([A.R.S. 44-1531](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01531.htm)). - **ADOR** expects a return every period and a current TPT license at each dealer renewal. This guide did not verify its audit practice. ## Be ready: check five recent deal files Pull five recent deal files. Each should show: 1. The title in your dealership's name before the car was offered. 2. The TRP's electronic record and its daily log line, title and registration filed no later than the TRP, and no TRP past 45 days. 3. The bold warranty statement, the "as is" or express warranty statement, and any signed defect waiver. 4. For an Area A or B lot, a passed emissions test before delivery, unless exempt. 5. The broker fee disclosure, and on a spot delivery, a trade-in held until financing was final. 6. The sale on a TPT return filed on time. If that takes all afternoon, [see how LeftLane keeps the deal file in one place](https://meetings.hubspot.com/greg954/leftlane-request-demo?uuid=b03d2fbc-01be-4deb-8a2a-bf6c5ff6943d). ## What trips people up - **Treating "30 days" as the legal title deadline.** File title and registration at the sale, when you issue the TRP. - **Issuing the TRP before the electronic record.** That is a class 3 misdemeanor. - **Thinking "as is" ends the warranty.** The 15-day or 500-mile implied warranty still applies. - **A contract without the bold warranty statement.** The buyer can void the sale. - **Delivering before the emissions test.** In Area A or B, you pay for the test and any repairs. - **Skipping a TPT return in a slow period.** A $0 return is still required. ## What changed recently - **As of November 2026.** ADOT says it "is transitioning to a new software platform" for dealers, with no date given. - **2026.** Senate Bill 1230 would have required advertised prices to include "all dealer-imposed fees". It is not law; the current [A.R.S. 28-4415](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04415.htm) contains none of it. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long does an Arizona dealer have to title a car? No statute we read sets a day count. The buyer's title and registration applications must be filed before or at the time you issue the temporary registration plate. ADOT's dealer training has used a 30-day standard, and the plate is void after 45 days. You must also notify ADOT of the transfer within 15 days. ### Does Arizona have a used car warranty? Yes. A used motor vehicle dealer cannot disclaim the implied warranty of merchantability for 15 days or 500 miles after delivery, whichever comes first. The buyer pays half of the first two repairs, up to $25 each. The contract must carry the statute's bold warranty statement, or the buyer can void it. ### Can a buyer return a used car in Arizona? Arizona gives car buyers no general right to cancel that we found. A dealer and buyer may agree to rescind a sale within 30 days after the title application, with the paperwork to MVD within 15 business days. The 15-day or 500-mile implied warranty still covers repairs. ### How long must an Arizona dealer keep records? Keep a copy of each customer contract at the lot for 3 years, and the record of vehicles bought, sold and exchanged permanently. TRP records must be kept at least 3 years. ADOT agents and the highway patrol may inspect records during normal business hours. ### What is the sales tax on a car bought in Phoenix? 9.1 percent combined, computed from ADOR's table effective November 1, 2026: 6.3 percent state and county plus Phoenix's 2.8 percent. Phoenix taxes the part of a single item's price above $14,338 at a 2.0 percent city rate instead. The dealer reports and pays the tax to ADOR. ## Your next step To see deal files and payments kept in one place, [book a LeftLane demo](https://meetings.hubspot.com/greg954/leftlane-request-demo?uuid=b03d2fbc-01be-4deb-8a2a-bf6c5ff6943d). LeftLane is a dealer management system for independent and buy-here-pay-here dealers that replaces several separate tools with one. If you are on another system, LeftLane's team moves your data over, and real people answer the phone at 512-222-9549. The full start-up path is in [How to start a used car dealership in Arizona](/blog/how-to-start-a-used-car-dealership-in-arizona). ## Sources - ADOT: [TRP guide](https://apps.azdot.gov/files/mvd/mvm/dealer-licensing/Content/CONTENT/AMN%20Business%20Suites/Dealer_Suite_AMN/Temporary_Registration_Plates.htm), [Dealer Orientation (2019)](https://azdot.gov/sites/default/files/2019/08/dealer-orientation-presentation.pdf), [Dealer Licensing FAQs](https://azdot.gov/taxonomy/term/1822) and [Inspector General](https://azdot.gov/motor-vehicles/enforcement/office-inspector-general/reporting-unlicensed-automobile-dealer-sales) - TRP and title statutes: A.R.S. [28-4547](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04547.htm), [28-4549](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04549.htm), [28-4551](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04551.htm), [28-4552](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04552.htm), [28-4553](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04553.htm), [28-4555](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04555.htm) and [28-4424](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04424.htm) - Dealer statutes: A.R.S. [28-4403](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04403.htm), [28-4405](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04405.htm), [28-4412](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04412.htm), [28-4415](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04415.htm), [28-4417](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04417.htm), [28-4501](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04501.htm), [28-4504](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04504.htm) and [28-4532](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/04532.htm) - Consumer and emissions statutes: A.R.S. [44-1267](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01267.htm), [44-1371](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01371.htm), [44-1531](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/44/01531.htm), [49-541](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/49/00541.htm) and [49-542](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/49/00542.htm) - ADOR: [TPT rate table](https://azdor.gov/sites/default/files/document/TPT_RATETABLE_11012026.pdf), [filing frequency](https://azdor.gov/transaction-privilege-tax/tpt-license/tpt-filing-frequency), [due dates](https://azdor.gov/business/transaction-privilege-tax/due-dates), [license renewal](https://azdor.gov/node/290) and [motor vehicle sales](https://azdor.gov/transaction-privilege-tax/motor-vehicle-sales); [A.R.S. 42-5014](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/42/05014.htm) - [DIFI: Sales Finance Companies](https://difi.az.gov/sales-finance-companies-dfi) _This guide is general information for dealers, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Confirm with the agency or a licensed attorney in your state before you act._