Moving to Scottsdale From Out of State: Your 90-Day Checklist

The smoothest moves to Scottsdale follow a simple order. Set up power and water before you arrive, take care of your car and driver license as soon as you become a resident, then register to vote and get your home and car ready for the heat. Here it is in three stretches.

Before you move

Find out who powers your address

Electric service in Scottsdale comes from one of two utilities: Salt River Project (SRP) or Arizona Public Service (APS). Which one you get depends on the address, not the city, so two homes a short drive apart can have different providers. Maricopa County's guidance is to contact the utilities with your address. SRP has an address lookup on its website, and APS can confirm by phone.

Schedule service to start before your move-in date. In the warm months, arriving to a house with no air conditioning is more than an inconvenience.

Set up city water, sewer and trash

The City of Scottsdale provides water, sewer, and trash and recycling collection. Its Start Service request begins with an address check, because the city asks you to confirm it actually serves the property before you apply. Homeowners provide escrow information with the request. Renters who have not had city service in the recent past may be billed a deposit. Utility Billing (480-312-2461) can answer the specifics.

If your home uses natural gas, Southwest Gas serves the Phoenix area. Not every home has gas, so confirm before you call.

Build one folder of documents

Keep these together and you can usually handle your license and plates in a single visit:

• Your current driver license or ID from your previous state
• Proof of authorized presence in the U.S. (MVD lists accepted documents)
• Your Social Security number
• Two documents showing your new Arizona address, if you want a Travel ID (a utility bill, bank statement or insurance policy works)
• Your vehicle's out-of-state title, or its registration if a lender holds the title
• Lien details if the car is financed, or a power of attorney from the leasing company if it is leased

Reset your clock

Arizona does not observe daylight saving time (the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona is the exception). Scottsdale stays on Mountain Standard Time all year. That means from spring to fall your clock matches the West Coast, and in winter it matches Denver. If you work with colleagues back home, expect your recurring meetings to shift twice a year.

The first 30 days

Know when you are officially a resident

Arizona MVD considers you a resident if any one of several things is true, including:

• You work in Arizona
• You register to vote in Arizona
• You stay in Arizona seven months or more in a calendar year
• You get a state license or pay in-state tuition

MVD's guidance on vehicles is direct: register it "as soon as you become an Arizona resident." Its new-resident page does not publish a grace period, so treat the license and plates as a first-month task, not a someday task.

Pass the emissions test first

Many vehicles registered in the Phoenix metro area need an emissions test, and the requirement also applies if you commute into the area. Some vehicles are exempt, including vehicles five years old or less, 1966 and older models, and electric vehicles.

Test before your MVD visit, since results are sent to MVD electronically. Two notes from ADOT: a car with the check engine light on cannot pass, and you should arrive with about half a tank of fresh fuel.

Handle the license and plates in one visit

MVD's new-resident page says offices are walk-in, with no appointment needed. Bring your document folder, a completed Title and Registration Application, and your out-of-state title.

Your registration fee includes the Vehicle License Tax, which is based on the vehicle's original retail price and how many years it has been registered. A newer, more expensive car costs more to register. ADOT's online fee calculator gives you an estimate before you go.

While you are there, consider the Travel ID upgrade. It lets you use your license for domestic flights and federal facilities, and it is valid for eight years. A standard Arizona license is generally valid until you turn 65, though photo updates are required along the way. After your first visit, activate an AZ MVD Now account so future renewals happen online.

Then call your auto insurer and move your policy to your Arizona address.

Days 31 to 90

Register to vote

The Maricopa County Recorder's Office handles voter registration for Scottsdale residents. You can register or update your address online at Arizona.Vote. Under current rules, registration must be complete 29 days before an election.

One Arizona detail matters here: documentary proof of citizenship is required to vote a full ballot, which covers federal, state, county and local races. Without it, a registrant is limited to federal races only. An Arizona driver license issued after October 1, 1996 can serve as that proof once MVD's records confirm it. That is one more reason to visit MVD before you register.

Get the house ready for summer

Whatever month you arrive, your first summer sets the tone. A few habits locals swear by:

• Service the air conditioning in spring, before the first triple-digit week, and change filters more often once it is running hard.
• Cover west-facing glass. West windows take the hardest afternoon sun. Shades, solar screens or exterior shade make a noticeable difference.
• Ask your electric utility about price plans. The right fit depends on when your household uses the most power.
• If you have a pool, expect the chemistry and run times to change as the water warms. Ask your pool service, or the previous owner, what the summer routine looks like.

Get the car ready too

• Keep a windshield sunshade in the car and use it every time you park outside.
• Have the battery tested before summer. Heat is hard on car batteries.
• Carry water in the car, always.
• Never leave children, pets, medications or electronics in a parked car, even for a quick stop.

Learn the season you are walking into

Monsoon season runs June 15 through September 30, according to the National Weather Service. It brings humidity, sudden storms and dust storms. ADOT's rule for dust storms is "Pull Aside, Stay Alive": if you cannot exit before the dust arrives, pull completely off the paved road, turn off all lights, set the parking brake, take your foot off the brake and wait it out with your seatbelt on.

Arizona's "Stupid Motorist Law" means a driver who goes around barricades into a flooded wash and needs rescue can be billed for that rescue. If a road is flooded, turn around and find another way.

Find your trail

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve is free, open sunrise to sunset, and has more than 225 miles of trails across more than 30,000 acres. Start with a trailhead close to your new address, such as Gateway, Tom's Thumb, Lost Dog Wash or Sunrise. In warm months, go early, carry more water than you think you need, and turn around when half of it is gone.

Settling in

By day 90, the paperwork is behind you and the city starts to feel like yours: you know which mountain you are looking at, which trailhead you can reach in ten minutes, and why a sunshade lives on your dashboard. Do the tasks in order and none of them takes more than an afternoon.