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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
commercial vehicles; operator; lawful presence
Purpose
Prohibits a person from operating a commercial motor vehicle without evidence of the person's lawful presence in the United States, allows a law enforcement officer to request such evidence from an operator and impounds the vehicle of an operator who fails to provide evidence.
Background
A state agency or political subdivision of the state may not issue a license to an individual if the individual does not provide acceptable documentation of citizenship or alien status by presenting any of the following documents indicating that the individual's presence in the United States is authorized under federal law: 1) an Arizona driver license issued after 1996 or an Arizona nonoperating identification license; 2) a driver license issued by a state that verifies lawful presence in the United States; 3) a birth certificate or delayed birth certificate issued in any U.S. state, territory or possession or a U.S. certificate of birth abroad; 4) a U.S. passport; 5) a foreign passport with a U.S. visa; 6) an I-94 form with a photograph; 7) a U.S. citizenship and immigration services employment authorization document or refugee travel document; 8) a U.S. certificate of naturalization or citizenship; 9) a tribal certificate of Indian blood or a tribal or U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs affidavit of birth; or 10) any other license that is issued by the federal government, any other state government, a state agency or a political subdivision of the state that requires proof of citizenship or lawful alien status before issuing the license (A.R.S. § 41-1080).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits a person from operating a commercial motor vehicle in Arizona unless the person can provide an acceptable document as evidence of the person's lawful presence in the United States.
2. Allows a law enforcement officer to request evidence of lawful presence from a person operating a commercial motor vehicle.
3. Prohibits a commercial driver license issued by another state or foreign jurisdiction from being used as evidence of a commercial motor vehicle operator's lawful presence.
4. Requires a law enforcement agency to impound a commercial motor vehicle, and its cargo, that is operated by a person who fails to provide evidence of lawful presence in the United States, until the citations and all charges related to the impoundment are cleared.
5. Assigns the responsibility of impoundment charges to the owner of the commercial motor vehicle.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 5, 2026
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