Study committee reviews amended bill raising OHV weight thresholds and creating enforcement fund

Members of the Arizona Off Highway Vehicle Study Committee reviewed an amended version of Senate Bill 1519 and discussed how changes to vehicle weight thresholds would affect registration, fees and enforcement funding.

Sawyer Bessler, a legislative research analyst for the Committee on Natural Resources, told the meeting that the amended bill raises the maximum unladen weight of an ATV or OHV that must register from 2,500 pounds to 3,500 pounds and directs the Arizona Department of Transportation to adopt rules within 12 months to classify OHV usage for vehicles in the new weight band. "The amended bill established the Off Highway Vehicle Laws Enforcement Fund and required monies in the fund to be used for the sole purpose of enforcing OHV laws in Arizona," Bessler said.

Industry data presented at the committee underscored the fiscal stakes. David Aliyah, senior director of product planning at Polaris Industries, said manufacturers sold "about 11,000 new off road vehicles" in Arizona in 2025 and that "About 24% of those were over 2,500 pounds," roughly 2,600 units. Committee members asked whether ADOT or JLBC could produce a precise count; Bessler said JLBC had difficulty identifying the number and ADOT staff said they have no classification for vehicles above 2,500 pounds in their system.

The panel debated how revenue would flow if the threshold change took effect. Members discussed the potential to divert part of the vehicle license tax (VLT) for heavier OHVs into a new enforcement fund and considered whether any change should be revenue neutral for ADOT. "If we make it revenue neutral to ADOT, [that] doesn't necessarily help us with what we're trying to get done," the chair said in committee discussion.

Committee members also discussed alternatives such as raising the flat OHV user indicia (sticker) fee across the board, phasing in adjustments, or routing a portion of VLT collections to a dedicated enforcement fund. Sawyer Bessler read existing statute language explaining that indicia and distributions currently are set by rule and that monies in the Off Highway Vehicle Recreation Fund now flow to State Parks, Game and Fish, and State Land under a statutory formula.

The committee concluded its session by voting on a procedural request: one member moved that the committee ask the directors of Arizona State Parks, Arizona Game and Fish, and ADOT to indicate whether they are open to opening the rulemaking process to consider raising the OHV user indicia (sticker) fee. The motion passed on a voice vote.