Getting an Arizona ID or Reinstating a Driver’s License After Release from Yavapai County Jail
Getting a valid ID—or getting a license reinstated—is often the first step to unlocking everything else after release from Yavapai County Jail: jobs, housing, benefits, appointments. Here's what you need to know about local options and fees.
The biggest hurdle right after release? Proving identity. Here's something that helps: the inmate identification band counts as a legal form of ID in Yavapai County. Don't throw it away. That band can bridge the gap while working toward a state ID card or sorting out driver's license issues.
An Arizona state ID card costs $12 for most people. It's one of the smaller reentry expenses, but it punches above its weight - so many other steps get easier once there's a current ID in hand.
Anyone 65 or older can get an Arizona ID card free of charge - helpful when you're stretching every dollar right after release.
Local Mvd Offices
- ✓ Cottonwood MVD: 525 S. 12th St., Cottonwood, AZ 86326; (800) 251-5866
- ✓ Prescott MVD: 1105 Commerce Dr., Prescott, AZ 86305; (800) 251-5866
Reinstating a driver's license costs $20. That's the fee to lift the suspension or revocation - basically, what makes the license active again.
Don't bring a personal check. The $20 reinstatement fee can't be paid that way, so come with a different payment method ready.
Budget for more than $20. The reinstatement fee is separate from any driver's license application fee, so the total depends on what paperwork needs to be filed.
Note: Some reinstatements require additional proof documents or conditions before driving privileges are fully restored. If anything's unclear about the situation, call ahead to avoid a wasted trip.
- Hold onto the inmate ID band - Yavapai County’s resource guide says it can be used as a legal form of identification, so don’t throw it away if it’s still available.
- Decide whether you’re going for an ID card, a reinstatement, or both - the fees and what you need at the counter can be different depending on the goal.
- Bring the right payment method - if you’re paying a reinstatement fee, remember personal checks aren’t accepted.
- Call the MVD office before you go - it’s the quickest way to confirm what the person should bring and what they should expect to pay that day.
- ✓ Confirm the Arizona ID card fee is $12.
- ✓ If the person is 65 or older, confirm they can get the Arizona ID card free of charge.
- ✓ If reinstating a driver’s license, confirm the reinstatement fee is $20.
- ✓ Make sure you have a payment method other than a personal check for the reinstatement fee.
- ✓ Ask what the separate driver’s license application fee will be, since it’s in addition to the $20 reinstatement fee.
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