admin Print this, stick it on the fridge, and check things off. Everything a new Arizona resident needs to handle in the first month.
Updated October 2026. Rules and fees change; confirm with the official source linked in each section.
Week 1: the essentials
- Utilities on: electric, water/trash, gas, internet (guide)
- A/C checked and thermostat programmed; change filters monthly in summer
- USPS change of address
- Find the nearest urgent care and ER
- Learn trash, recycling and bulk-trash days
Weeks 1–2: driving
- Arizona auto insurance (guide)
- Arizona driver license or Travel ID (guide)
- Emissions test if you’re in metro Phoenix or Tucson, then title & register (guide)
- Sunshade, emergency water and a phone charger in every car
Weeks 2–4: life admin
- Register to vote through the Arizona Secretary of State. Arizona requires documentary proof of citizenship for full-ballot registration; an Arizona license issued after October 1996 usually covers it.
- License your dog. Maricopa County and most other counties require a dog license and current rabies vaccination.
- Enroll kids in school; research open enrollment, charters and ESAs (guide)
- Find a primary care doctor, dentist, pediatrician and vet
- Update your address with banks, employer, the IRS (Form 8822) and Social Security if you receive benefits
- Licensed professional? Arizona offers universal license recognition for many occupations licensed in another state. Check with your board.
- Get a library card
Home
- Schedule pest control (scorpions, roaches, termites)
- Pool owners: learn your equipment and chemistry, or hire weekly service
- Check irrigation timers and drip lines
- Homeowners: confirm your primary-residence classification with the county assessor (why it matters)
- Renting but thinking about buying? Start here
Fun (don’t skip)
- Watch a sunset from a mountain-preserve trailhead
- Eat a Sonoran hot dog
- Pick a spring-training team
- Plan your first Grand Canyon or Sedona trip (day trips)
- Bookmark this weekend’s events