driver license instruction permit; age, the official text

PREFILED    NOV 17 2025

REFERENCE TITLE: driver license instruction permit; age

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HB 2003

Introduced by

Representative
Kupper

AN
ACT

Amending sections 28-3153, 28-3154,
28-3156 and 28-3174, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to driver license
instruction permits.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 28-3153, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE28-3153. Driver license issuance; prohibitions

A. The department shall not issue the following:

1. A driver license to a person who is under
eighteen years of age, except that the department may issue:

(a) A restricted instruction permit for a class D or
G license to a person who is at least fifteen years of age.

(b) An instruction permit for a class D, G or M
license as provided by this chapter to a person who is at least fifteen years and six months of age.

(c) A class G or M license as provided by this
chapter to a person who is at least sixteen years of age.

2. A class D, G or M license or instruction permit
to a person who is under eighteen years of age and who has been tried in adult
court and convicted of a second or subsequent violation of criminal damage to
property pursuant to section 13-1602, subsection A, paragraph 1 or
convicted of a felony offense in the commission of which a motor vehicle is
used, including theft of a motor vehicle pursuant to section 13-1802,
unlawful use of means of transportation pursuant to section 13-1803 or
theft of means of transportation pursuant to section 13-1814, or who has
been adjudicated delinquent for a second or subsequent act that would
constitute criminal damage to property pursuant to section 13-1602,
subsection A, paragraph 1 or adjudicated delinquent for an act that would
constitute a felony offense in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used,
including theft of a motor vehicle pursuant to section 13-1802, unlawful
use of means of transportation pursuant to section 13-1803 or theft of
means of transportation pursuant to section 13-1814, if committed by an
adult.

3. A class A, B or C license to a person who is
under twenty-one years of age, except that the department may issue a
class A, B or C license that is restricted to only intrastate driving to a
person who is at least eighteen years of age.

4. A license to a person whose license or driving
privilege has been suspended, during the suspension period.

5. Except as provided in section 28-3315, a
license to a person whose license or driving privilege has been revoked.

6. A class A, B or C license to a person who has
been disqualified from obtaining a commercial driver license.

7. A license to a
person who on application notifies the department that the person is an
alcoholic as defined in section 36-2021 or a drug dependent person as
defined in section 36-2501, unless the person submits a medical
examination report that includes a current evaluation from an addiction
counselor indicating that, in the opinion of the counselor, the condition does
not affect or impair the person's ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.

8. A license to a person who has been adjudged to be
incapacitated pursuant to section 14-5304 and who at the time of
application has not obtained either a court order that allows the person to
drive or a termination of incapacity as provided by law.

9. A license to a person who is required by this
chapter to take an examination unless the person successfully passes the
examination.

10. A license to a person who is required under the
motor vehicle financial responsibility laws of this state to deposit proof of
financial responsibility and who has not deposited the proof.

11. A license to a person if the department has good
cause to believe that the operation of a motor vehicle on the highways by the
person would threaten the public safety or welfare.

12. A license to a person whose driver license has
been ordered to be suspended for failure to pay child support, except that a
noncommercial restricted license may be issued pursuant to section 25-518.

13. A class A, B or C license to a person whose
license or driving privilege has been canceled until the cause for the
cancellation has been removed.

14. A class A, B or C license or instruction permit
to a person whose state of domicile is not this state.

15. A class A, B or C license to a person who fails
to demonstrate proficiency in the English language as determined by the
department.

B. The department shall not issue a driver license
to or renew the driver license of the following persons:

1. A person about whom the court notifies the
department that the person violated the person's written promise to appear in
court when charged with a violation of the motor vehicle laws of this state
until the department receives notification in a manner approved by the
department that the person appeared either voluntarily or involuntarily or that
the case has been adjudicated, that the case is being appealed or that the case
has otherwise been disposed of as provided by law.

2. If notified pursuant to section 28-1601, a
person who fails to pay a civil penalty as provided in section 28-1601,
except for a parking violation, until the department receives notification in a
manner approved by the department that the person paid the civil penalty, that
the case is being appealed or that the case has otherwise been disposed of as
provided by law.

C. The magistrate or the clerk of the court shall
provide the notification to the department prescribed by subsection B of this
section.

D. Notwithstanding any other law, the department
shall not issue to or renew a driver license or nonoperating identification
license for a person who does not submit proof satisfactory to the department
that the applicant's presence in the United States is authorized under federal
law.  For an application for a driver license or a nonoperating identification
license, the department shall not accept as a primary source of identification
a driver license issued by a state if the state does not require that a driver
licensed in that state be lawfully present in the United States under federal
law.  The director shall adopt rules necessary to carry out the purposes of
this subsection.  The rules shall include procedures for:

1. Verification that the applicant's presence in the
United States is authorized under federal law.

2. Issuance of a temporary driver permit pursuant to
section 28-3157 pending verification of the applicant's status in the
United States.

Sec. 2. Section 28-3154, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

28-3154. Instruction permit for a class D or G license

A. A person who is at
least fifteen years [and six months] of age may apply to the
department for an instruction permit for a class D or G license. The
department may issue an instruction permit to the applicant after the applicant
successfully passes all parts of the examination other than the driving test.

B. The instruction
permit entitles the permittee to drive a motor vehicle requiring a class D or G
license on the public highways for [twelve ]eighteen
months when both of the following conditions are met:

1. The permittee has the
permit in the permittee's immediate possession.

2. The permittee is
accompanied by a person who has a class A, B, C or D license, who is at least
twenty-one years of age and who occupies a seat beside the permittee.

C. A permittee may not
drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless communication device for any
reason except during an emergency in which stopping the motor vehicle is
impossible or will create an additional emergency or safety
hazard. A peace officer may not stop or issue a citation to a person
operating a motor vehicle on a highway in this state for a violation of this
subsection unless the peace officer has reasonable cause to believe there is
another alleged violation of a motor vehicle law of this state.

Sec. 3. Section 28-3156, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE28-3156. Class M instruction permit

A. A person who is at
least fifteen years [and six months] of age may apply to the
department for an instruction permit for a class M license. The
department may issue an instruction permit to the applicant after the applicant
successfully passes all parts of the examination other than the motorcycle
skill test.

B. The permit entitles the permittee to operate a
motorcycle requiring a class M license or endorsement when the permittee has
the permit in the permittee's immediate possession. The permit is
valid for [seven] twelve months from
the date of issuance.

C. The permittee shall not operate a motorcycle as
follows:

1. On a controlled access highway as defined in
section 28-601.

2. On a public highway from sunset to sunrise or
when there is insufficient light to clearly discern a person and a vehicle on
the highway at a distance of five hundred feet.

D. The department shall not issue more than two
class M permits to the same person within twenty-four months.

Sec. 4. Section 28-3174, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE28-3174. Class G driver licenses; restrictions; civil penalties;
motorcycles

A. A person who is under eighteen years of age may
apply to the department for a class G driver license if all of the following
apply:

1. The person is at least sixteen years of age.

2. The person has a valid instruction permit issued
pursuant to this article and the person has held the instruction permit for at
least [six] nine months, except that
this requirement does not apply to a person who has a currently valid driver
license issued by another jurisdiction.

3. Any of the following applies:

(a) The person has satisfactorily completed a driver
education program that is approved by the department of
transportation. If the driver education program is offered by a
public high school, the program shall be approved by the department of
transportation in consultation with the department of education.

(b) Both of the following apply:

(i) The person completes a driver education program
that is offered by a defensive driving school that is certified pursuant to
section 28-3395 and that is approved by the supreme court or a traffic
survival school.

(ii) A custodial parent or guardian of the person
certifies in writing to the department that the applicant has completed at
least twenty hours of supervised driving practice and that at least six of the
required practice hours were at night.

(c) A custodial parent or guardian of the person
certifies in writing to the department that the applicant has completed at
least thirty hours of supervised driving practice and that at least ten of the
required practice hours were at night.

B. If the applicant successfully passes the
examination prescribed in section 28-3164 and satisfies the requirements
prescribed in subsection A of this section, the department may issue a class G
driver license to the applicant.

C. Except as provided in subsection D of this
section, a class G driver license entitles the licensee to drive a motor
vehicle that requires a class G license on the public highways.

D. Except as provided in subsection K of this
section, for the first six months that a class G licensee holds the license,
the licensee shall not drive a motor vehicle on a public highway from 12:00
a.m. to 5:00 a.m. unless either:

1. The licensee is accompanied by a parent or legal
guardian who has a class A, B, C or D license and who occupies a seat beside
the class G licensee.

2. The licensee is driving directly to or from a
sanctioned school sponsored activity, the licensee's place of employment, a
sanctioned religious activity or a family emergency.

E. Except as provided in this subsection and
subsection K of this section, for the first six months that a class G licensee
holds the license, the licensee shall not drive a motor vehicle on a public
highway at any time if the licensee is driving a motor vehicle containing more
than one passenger under the age of eighteen.  This restriction does not:

1. Prohibit the licensee from driving a motor
vehicle containing passengers under the age of eighteen if the passengers are
the licensee's siblings.

2. Apply if the licensee is accompanied by a parent
or legal guardian who has a class A, B, C or D license and who occupies a seat
beside the class G licensee.

F. Except as provided in subsection K of this
section, for the first six months that a class G licensee holds the license,
the licensee may not drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless communication
device for any reason except either:

1. During an emergency in which stopping the motor
vehicle is impossible or will create an additional emergency or safety hazard.

2. When using an audible turn-by-turn
navigation system if both of the following apply:

(a) The destination is not manually entered into the
wireless communication device while the licensee is driving the motor vehicle.

(b) The licensee does not manually adjust the
wireless communication device while driving the motor vehicle.

G. A peace officer shall not stop or issue a
citation to a person operating a motor vehicle on a highway in this state for a
violation of subsection D, E or F of this section unless the peace officer has
reasonable cause to believe there is another alleged violation of a motor
vehicle law of this state.

H. If a licensee is found responsible for violating
subsection D, E or F of this section, the licensee:

1. For a first violation, is subject to a maximum
civil penalty of $75. The department shall extend the restriction
prescribed by subsection D, E or F of this section for thirty days, or if the
restriction prescribed by subsection D, E or F of this section is complete, the
thirty day restriction begins on the department's receipt of the report of the
finding of responsibility.

2. For a second violation, is subject to a maximum
civil penalty of $100. The department shall extend the restriction
prescribed by subsection D, E or F of this section for sixty days, or if the
restriction prescribed by subsection D, E or F of this section is complete, the
sixty day restriction begins on the department's receipt of the report of the
finding of responsibility. If at the time of the second violation
the licensee is subject to an extension of the six month period pursuant to
paragraph 1 of this subsection, the extensions run consecutively.

3. For a third or subsequent violation, is subject
to a maximum civil penalty of $100.  On the department's receipt of the report
of the finding of responsibility, the department shall suspend the licensee's
driving privilege for thirty days. If the licensee also has a
suspension resulting from a moving civil traffic violation or a moving criminal
traffic offense as prescribed by section 28-3321, the suspensions run
consecutively.

I. A citation issued for violating subsection D of
this section shall be dismissed if the licensee to whom the citation was issued
produces any of the following evidence to the appropriate court officer on or
before the date and time specified on the citation for court appearance and in
a manner specified by the court:

1. A written, notarized letter from the parent or
legal guardian of the licensee that the licensee was going to or returning from
a sanctioned school sponsored activity, the licensee's place of employment, a
sanctioned religious activity or a family emergency.

2. A written, notarized letter from a representative
of the sanctioned school sponsored activity certifying that the licensee was
returning from the school activity.

3. A written, notarized letter from the licensee's
employer certifying that the licensee was returning from the licensee's place
of employment.

4. A written, notarized letter from a representative
of the sanctioned religious activity certifying that the licensee was returning
from the religious activity.

J. A citation issued for violating subsection E of
this section shall be dismissed if the licensee to whom the citation was issued
produces a written, notarized letter from the parent or legal guardian of the
licensee to the appropriate court officer on or before the date and time
specified on the citation for court appearance and in a manner specified by the
court that states the passengers in the vehicle with the licensee at the time
of the violation were the siblings of the licensee.

K. The restrictions imposed by subsection D, E or F
of this section do not apply beginning on the licensee's eighteenth
birthday. Any penalties or restrictions imposed pursuant to
subsection H of this section shall be fully satisfied even if the licensee is
eighteen years of age or older.

L. A person who holds a class G driver license may
apply for a class D license on or after the person's eighteenth birthday,
except that a person whose class G driver license is suspended pursuant to
section 28-3321 is not entitled to receive a class D driver license until
after the suspension period expires.

M. If a person who is under eighteen years of age
and at least sixteen years of age applies for a class M license or a motorcycle
endorsement, the department shall not issue the class M license or motorcycle
endorsement to the person unless both of the following apply:

1. The applicant has held an instruction permit
issued pursuant to section 28-3156 for at least [six] nine months, except that this requirement does not apply to a
person who has a currently valid motorcycle driver license or endorsement
issued by another jurisdiction.

2. Either:

(a) The person has satisfactorily completed a
motorcycle driver education program that is approved by the
department. If the driver education program is offered by a public
high school, the program shall be approved by the department of transportation
in consultation with the department of education.

(b) A custodial parent or guardian of the person
certifies in writing to the department that the applicant has completed at
least thirty hours of motorcycle driving practice. END_STATUTE

Sec. 5. Short title

This act may be cited as the "Juveniles
Unlocking Driver Education (JUDE) Act".