Arizona Driver's License Issue Date: Where to Find ISS, DD, and REST
When a form asks for your driver's license issue date and you're staring at an Arizona license trying to figure out which date it wants, the answer is ISS. That three-letter abbreviation appears in the lower right corner of the card and marks the date your current license was printed.
Table Of Contents
- 1. Where to find the issue date on an Arizona driver's license
- 2. What does DD mean on an Arizona driver's license?
- 3. What does REST mean on an Arizona driver's license?
- 4. What do the date fields mean: ISS vs DOB vs EXP
- 5. Arizona REAL ID: what the gold star means
- 6. How to renew your Arizona driver's license
- 7. What if you need your original license date?
- 8. Issue dates on licenses from other states
- 9. Common mistakes when entering your Arizona license issue date
Where to find the issue date on an Arizona driver's license
On the current Arizona REAL ID design, the issue date is labeled ISS and printed in the bottom right corner of the card. In a sample Arizona license, ISS might read March 1, 2016. That's the date the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) issued that specific card, not the date you first became a licensed driver.
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ISS stands for Issue Date. If you renew your license, the new card gets a new ISS date. Your license number stays the same across renewals, but ISS changes each time a new card is printed.
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What does DD mean on an Arizona driver's license?
DD stands for Document Discriminator. It's a serial number unique to your specific physical card. The DD is not the same as your license number. If you replace a lost or damaged license, the new card gets a new DD even though your license number doesn't change.
Banks, car rental companies, and background check services sometimes use the DD as a secondary verification point to confirm that a license card is authentic and hasn't been altered. If a form asks for the "document number" separate from the license number, it's usually asking for the DD.
What does REST mean on an Arizona driver's license?
REST stands for Restrictions. If the field is empty or shows None, your license has no restrictions. Common restriction codes in Arizona:
- A: Corrective lenses required while driving (glasses or contacts)
- B: Daylight driving only
- C: No freeway driving
- D: Speed restriction
- E: Automatic transmission only (no manual)
- F: Outside mirror required on driver's side
- G: Medical review required at next renewal
If you see codes you don't recognize, the Arizona MVD website lists all restriction codes and their meanings. It's not worth a trip to the office: the information is available online at azmvdnow.gov.
What do the date fields mean: ISS vs DOB vs EXP
Arizona licenses print three date fields that are easy to confuse:
- ISS: Issue date. The date the current card was printed and issued.
- DOB: Date of birth. Your birthdate, used for identity verification and age checks.
- EXP: Expiration date. The date your license expires. Standard Arizona licenses are valid for 12 years for most adults.
When a form asks for your "driver's license issue date," it wants ISS. When it asks for your "date of birth," it wants DOB. These are different dates and different fields on the card.
Arizona REAL ID: what the gold star means
If your Arizona license has a gold or black star in the upper right corner, it's REAL ID compliant. This means you can use it as a federally accepted ID for domestic flights and to enter federal buildings. From May 7, 2025, a REAL ID-compliant card (or another accepted document like a passport) is required to board commercial domestic flights.
If your Arizona license doesn't have the star, it still works for driving and most everyday identification purposes. It just can't be used for domestic air travel or federal facility access.
How to renew your Arizona driver's license
Arizona driver's licenses for most adults are valid for 12 years, which is longer than most states. When it's time to renew:
- Online renewal is available at azmvdnow.gov if you're 65 or younger, your address hasn't changed, and your license hasn't been expired for more than a year
- In-person renewal is required at an MVD or third-party provider if you need a new photo or if your information has changed
- Arizona does not require a vision test for most online renewals
The renewal fee varies depending on whether you're getting a standard or REAL ID card. Arizona outsources many MVD functions to authorized third-party providers, so you can often renew at a private office with shorter wait times than a state MVD location.
What if you need your original license date?
The ISS date on your current card tells you when this particular card was issued. If you need to know when you first became a licensed driver in Arizona (for insurance purposes, employment screening, or CDL applications), that date is in your full driving record, not on the card itself.
You can request a certified copy of your driving record online through the Arizona MVD website. It shows your original licensing date, all endorsements and restrictions over time, and your violation and accident history.
- ISS is the label for the issue date on your Arizona license. It shows when the MVD issued your current card.
- ISS is not your date of birth (DOB) and not your expiration date (EXP): enter the date next to ISS when a form asks for "license issue date."
- If you renewed your license, the ISS date on your current card reflects the renewal, not your original license date.
- The DD field (Document Discriminator) is a card serial number, not a date: do not enter it as an issue date.
Issue dates on licenses from other states
Every state places the issue date differently. Most use ISS, but some vary. California uses ISS in the lower center. New York spells out "Issued" in full. Georgia encodes it only in the barcode on the back. If you're looking at an out-of-state license and can't find the issue date, look for ISS, ISSUED, or the date that isn't your birthdate or expiration.
Common mistakes when entering your Arizona license issue date
- Use the date next to ISS when any form asks for your "license issue date" or "date issued"
- Check the date format the form expects: some want MM/DD/YYYY, others want YYYY-MM-DD
- If you have a renewed license, use the ISS date on your current card, not the date you first got a license
- Keep a photo of your license on your phone for quick reference when filling out online forms
- Renew your license before the EXP date: many employers and landlords reject a license within 60 days of expiry
- Update your address within 30 days of moving to keep your license record current
- Don't enter your DOB (date of birth) when a form asks for the issue date: they are completely different fields
- Don't enter your EXP (expiration date) as the issue date: expiration is when the license ends, not when it was issued
- Don't use the issue date from an old expired license if you have a current one
- Don't enter the DD (Document Discriminator) number as your issue date: it's a card serial number, not a date
- Don't guess the date if you can't read your license clearly: order a replacement to avoid entering incorrect information
- Don't assume the issue date is the same as your birthday: they are unrelated
