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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
roadable aircraft; registration; license plates
Purpose
Effective January 1, 2027, establishes registration and licensing requirements for roadable aircraft.
Background
The U.S.
Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is
responsible for regulating civil aviation and U.S. commercial space
transportation, maintaining and operating air traffic control and navigation
systems for both civil and military aircrafts and developing and administering
programs relating to aviation safety and the National Airspace System (FAA).
Experimental airworthiness certificates are issued for certain experimental purposes,
including: 1) research and development; 2) showing compliance with regulations;
3) crew training; 4) exhibition; 5) air racing; 6) market surveys; 7) operating
an amateur-built aircraft assembled by a person solely for the person's own
education or recreation; 8) operating primary kit-built aircraft assembled by a
person from a kit manufactured by the holder of a production certificate for
that kit as prescribed; and 9) operating light sport and light sport kit-built
aircraft. Additionally, a special flight permit may be issued for an aircraft
that may not currently meet applicable airworthiness requirements but is
capable of safe flight when specified conditions are met, including for the
production flight testing of new production aircraft and conducting customer
demonstration flights in new production aircraft that have satisfactorily
completed production flight tests (14 C.F.R. §§ 21.191
and 21.197).
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has exclusive control and jurisdiction over state highways, state routes, state-owned airports and all state-owned transportation systems or modes. ADOT duties include but are not limited to: 1) registering motor vehicles and aircrafts; 2) licensing drivers; 3) collecting revenues; and 4) enforcing motor vehicle and aviation regulations and performing related functions. An aircraft based in Arizona must be registered with ADOT within 60 days of entering the state and annually renewed according to a staggered schedule set by the Director of ADOT (A.R.S. §§ 28-332; 28-8322; and 28-8322.01).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires ADOT, when registering a roadable aircraft, to:
a) combine, as best as practicable, the motor vehicle title and registration processes with the aircraft registration process; and
b) record the N-number license marking of the vehicle.
2. Sets the renewal date for both registrations to the annual renewal date determined by the staggered registration schedule for aircrafts.
3. Requires a roadable aircraft to maintain both aircraft and vehicle registrations, except if the vehicle registration is cancelled as outlined.
4. Stipulates that the vehicle registration for a roadable aircraft is canceled if the aircraft is subject to an annual license tax for:
a) an aircraft that is in storage or is being repaired;
b) a salvage aircraft that is in storage or is being restored; or
c) a maintenance aircraft owned by a nonresident.
5. Adds roadable aircraft to the list of single motor vehicles with gross vehicle weight ratings of up to 26,000 pounds for which a class D driver license is valid for operation.
6. Specifies that a class M driver license is not necessary to operate roadable aircraft.
7. Requires ADOT to issue a motorcycle-sized license plate when issuing a license plate for a roadable aircraft.
8. Defines roadable aircraft as an aircraft that has a mode of transportation that enables the aircraft to operate like a vehicle and that is manufactured to meet the federal safety standards for motorcycles.
9. Defines N-number license marking as a license number marking that is assigned by the FAA to identify roadable aircraft.
10. Makes conforming changes.
11. Becomes effective on January 1, 2027.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 15, 2026
LMM/KS/ci