How to Obtain an Arizona Motorcycle License
Obtaining a motorcycle license in Arizona requires you to be at least 16 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, you must apply for a Graduated Class G license, which requires you to hold an instructional permit for six months and complete a certified motorcycle-training course. To get an instruction permit, you must already possess an Arizona driver’s license or an Arizona instruction permit. To apply for an instruction permit, you must first pass a written knowledge exam . Once you have the instruction permit, you can practice driving a motorcycle •only• with a qualified supervisor. The qualified supervisor must be at least 21 years old, have a valid Arizona driver’s license, and have a minimum of five years of motorcycle driving experience. Once you have held the instruction permit for six months and completed the motorcycle training course, you will be permitted to apply for a motorcycle endorsement.
Arizona Motorcycle Helmet Laws
The law requires that all motorcycle operators and passengers under the age of 18 wear protective helmets that meet federal safety standards. There is, however, no legal requirement that those over the age of 18 wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. However, all riders should know that wearing a helmet significantly reduces the odds of being killed in a crash. According to one national study, not wearing a helmet increases the chance of a motorcyclist being killed by 40%. Given that statistics, helmets should be heavily encouraged — especially for amateur riders.
Arizona Motorcycle Equipment Requirements
All motorcycles must have the following equipment to be legally operated in Arizona:
Mirrors – Every motorcycle must have at least one but not more than two rear-view mirrors that are adjusted to reflect to the rider a view of the road for a distance of 200 feet to the rear of the motorcycle.
Lighting – All motorcycles manufactured and sold for use on public roadways must have a functioning light that illuminates the license plate when the head light is on. The light must make the license plate visible from a distance of 50 feet. Motorcycles manufactured after July 1, 1973 must also have the following functions:
Exhaust – Exhaust system requirements for California motorcycles vary from those for Arizona motorcycles. Arizona motorcycles must comply with exhaust requirements but the emissions compliance do not apply to motorcycles manufactured before January 1, 1972.
Arizona Traffic Laws and Safety Guidelines
Like any other motor vehicle, motorcyclists must abide by all traffic rules. A majority of the traffic rules that apply to motorcycles are similar to those that apply to cars and trucks. However, there are some differences that can impact your safety and liability. For example, under Arizona Revised Statute 28-907, lane splitting is illegal, meaning that you can no longer ride a motorcycle between two slow-moving vehicles.
Motorcyclists are also expected to obey the speed limit, and under A.R.S. 28-701, they are not allowed to exceed the speed limit. If the motorcyclists is violating the speed limit by ten miles per hour or less, he or she will be charged with a civil traffic violation . Exceeding the speed limit by more than ten miles per hour, on the other hand, is considered a criminal violation, and you may end up spending 30 days in jail. If the person accessing the speed limit by more than 20 miles per hour, he or she may spend 120 days in jail.
While some might argue that speeding is just about the vehicle, motorcyclists must be concerned with the vehicles around them and their blind spots. When merging onto the freeway, signal your lane changes, and check your blind spot—including the vehicle next to you—prior to changing lanes.
Liability and Insurance Obligations
Liability and Insurance Requirements for Motorcycle Riders
Like every other state, Arizona requires you to carry at least a minimum amount of liability insurance before you can legally operate a motorcycle on public roads. Arizona Revised Statute Section 28-4009 requires all motorcycle operators to carry a policy of liability insurance that meets or exceeds the following coverage limits:
• $15,000 per person for bodily injury
• $30,000 per accident for bodily injury
• $10,000 per accident for property damage
However, these amounts are relatively low. You may want to consider sufficient underinsured / uninsured motorist coverage to cover you for the costs of an injury you suffered because of another driver hitting you and failing to have insurance.
Penalties for Breaking Motorcycle Laws
Violating Motorcycle Laws in Arizona may land you a ticket or even possibly jail time in some cases. Here are the consequences of some common motorcycle law violations and how those may affect you.
Speeding is a common violation by motorcyclists. Usually you are given a ticket with a certain fine amount. The fine amount will increase with the number of miles per hour you were driving over the speed limit. If you can pay an increased fine, there are ways to avoid or at least reduce the points that will be placed against your driving record due to the ticket. The fine may range from $10 to $750.
Parking is another frequent violation encountered by motorcyclists. Motorcycles are only allowed to park in a conventional parking space as long as the motorcycle does not obstruct traffic lanes and is parked according to official service markings. Four violations of the parking regulations will lead to a fine between $200 and $500, depending on the severity.
Reckless driving and aggressive driving are two separate offenses in Arizona, and motorcyclists are certainly not excluded from liabilities regarding either offense. Penalties usually involve a fine ranging between $300 and $1,000. In some cases jail time is required along with 90 days of being on probation.
For motorcyclists, speeding in excess of 20 miles per hour the posted speed limit is considered criminal speeding. The fines will range from $150 to $500. Reckless driving is a misdemeanor that may cost you anywhere from $300 to $1,000 in fines, and in some cases prison time along with 90 days to 6 months on probation. Additional costs include the cost of an appeal , a mandatory driving test, an insurance increase or loss, community service work, DUI classes, therapy, work furloughs and vehicle registration fees.
The penalties of not wearing a motorcycle helmet while riding are not very severe in Arizona, but a fine is always a possibility. Helmets are required for all motorcycle riders in Arizona unless the motorcyclist is 18 years of age or older and makes an informed choice to ride without a helmet after signing a release of liability form. All motorcycle riders aged 17 and younger in Arizona must wear a helmet.
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a class 1 misdemeanor. Fines range from $250 to $2,500 with up to 180 days in jail. Arizona has strict DUI laws. Breath, blood and urine tests are used to determine blood alcohol concentration levels. Penalties are more severe for motorists that have a .15 BAC or higher, or that have been convicted of DUI in the past seven years.
When you are mixing other drugs with alcohol, you are looking at especially severe penalties. Alcohol use in combination with other drugs may lead to felony charges and permanent patient responsibility for health care costs for others.
The first offense of a DUI for motorcyclists could end up costing $20,000 to $30,000, but DUI is definitely not the only violation that could bankrupt you. Arizona fines for speed limit sign violations range from $200 to $400. Aggressive driving fines range from $350 to $700. Reckless driving fines will range from $250 to $750. Driving under the influence fines range from $900 to $1,200 with additional court costs.