Starting after December 31, 2026, the state may renew a motorcycle's registration only if at least one registered owner is licensed to legally operate a motorcycle in Arizona, with exceptions, and up to 25% of the motorcycle safety fund may go to training scholarships for people from rural or low-income areas.
Official title: motorcycle registration requirements; safety fund
- Takes effect after December 31, 2026
What changes
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NowThe Department of Transportation may renew a motorcycle registration only if at least one of the registered owners is licensed to legally operate a motorcycle in Arizona.
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NowThe department may issue a 30-day temporary registration if the person shows valid proof of enrollment in a motorcycle training program approved by the department.
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NowIf a trust is the registered owner, a trustee named in the trust must be legally licensed to operate a motorcycle for the registration to be renewed. The licensing requirement does not apply to motorcycles owned by a business.
BeforeMotorcycle safety fund money was to be used to implement and support voluntary motorcycle education, awareness, training and other programs, and could cover the cost of materials for those programs.
NowUp to 75% of the fund is for those voluntary programs and materials, and up to 25% is for scholarships for motorcycle driver education programs for persons from rural or low-income areas in Arizona, to increase access to training.
Who it affects
- Motorcycle owners renewing a registration
- People enrolled in department-approved motorcycle training programs
- Trusts that own motorcycles and their trustees
- Persons from rural or low-income areas seeking motorcycle training
- Arizona Department of Transportation
- Governor's Office of Highway Safety
What you need to do
If you own a motorcycle that is not owned by a business, at least one registered owner (or, for a trust, a named trustee) needs to be licensed to legally operate a motorcycle in Arizona to renew the registration, or the owner may seek a 30-day temporary registration by showing proof of enrollment in a department-approved motorcycle training program.
What the law doesn't answer
- Whether the licensing requirement applies to a motorcycle's first registration, since the text addresses only renewals
- Whether a temporary 30-day registration can be issued more than once
- Whether a motorcycle license from another state counts
- What happens to a registration that cannot be renewed, or any penalty for riding with an expired registration
- How scholarship recipients will be chosen or how 'rural or low-income areas' will be defined
- Which training programs the department will approve
This summary describes the law as enacted. Later laws, court rulings or referendum petitions can change the picture. Check the official text for the current wording.