Arizona House bill by Rep. Dunn defines off-highway vehicles, sets user fees, passes House and Senate

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Timothy “Tim” Dunn seeks to clarify definitions and regulatory requirements for off-highway vehicles, aiming to establish user fees and exemptions while directing fee allocations to designated funds, according to the Arizona State Senate.

It passed both chambers as of June 4, clearing the House by a vote of 41-11 and the Senate by a vote of 17-11.

The bill, introduced as SB1517 on Feb. 3, during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature, was formally listed with the short title: ‘off-highway vehicles; weight’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends sections of Arizona law related to off-highway vehicles (OHVs). It defines an “all-terrain vehicle” based on specific criteria, such as width and weight, and clarifies terms related to OHVs, including their design for recreational nonhighway use. Operators of certain OHVs must acquire either a resident or nonresident user indicia issued by the Arizona Department of Transportation for vehicles designed for unimproved terrain with a weight of 3,500 pounds or less. User fees collected from these indicia are allocated 70% to the off-highway vehicle recreation fund and 30% to the highway user revenue fund. Temporary general use registration is possible for nonresidents owning an OHV titled in another state but cannot exceed 30 days in duration. The bill exempts OHVs used exclusively for agriculture, ranching, construction, mining, or building trades from these requirements. Effective regulations and fees will follow the prescribed processes.

In the House, 23 Democrats and 18 Republicans voted in favor while one Democrat and 10 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, one Democrat and 16 Republicans voted in favor while 10 Democrats and one Republican voted against it.

Dunn introduced the bill in the Arizona Senate on Feb. 3 during the first regular session of the 57th Legislature.

Dunn graduated from the University of Arizona in 1989 with a BS.

Timothy Dunn is currently serving in the Arizona State Senate, representing the state’s 25th Senate District. He replaced previous state senator Sine Kerr in 2025.

The bill was signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs on June 20.

In Arizona, the legislative process begins when a bill is introduced in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. It is then assigned to one or more committees for discussion and possible amendment. If approved by committee, the bill proceeds to floor debate and voting in both chambers. If both chambers pass the bill, it is sent to the governor, who may sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature. The Arizona Legislature convenes annually in regular session starting the second Monday in January. Lawmakers introduce hundreds of bills each session, though only a portion make it into law. You can learn more about the legislative process on the Arizona State Legislature website.