What Arkansas law says about riding an electric dirt bike, question by question. 6 of 6 answered from official text. Where the state has no rule on a question, the page says "No statewide rule found" and what the law does cover.
Published
Reviewed . Sources: Ark. Code Ann. § 27-21-102(1)(A); Ark. Code Ann. §§ 27-20-202(a), 27-20-206; Ark. Code Ann. § 27-20-104(b); Ark. Code Ann. §§ 27-20-106(b), 27-20-101(1)-(2), 27-20-116, 27-21-107(a), 27-21-102(1)(A)(i); Ark. Code Ann. §§ 27-14-703(1)-(2), 27-20-104(a), 27-20-106(a), 27-20-101(1)-(2), 27-20-116; Ark. Code Ann. §§ 27-51-1702, 27-51-1703(2).
The answers
Is an electric dirt bike an off-highway vehicle?
No statewide rule found
No statewide off-highway vehicle class for a two-wheeled machine found. Section 27-21-102 of the all-terrain vehicle chapter defines an "all-terrain vehicle" as a vehicle that has three, four, or six wheels, is 50 inches or less in width, is equipped with nonhighway tires, is designed primarily for off-road recreational use, and has an engine displacement of no more than 1,000 cc.
That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.
No statewide off-road registration, decal or permit rule found. Section 27-20-202 requires all owners of three-wheeled, four-wheeled, or six-wheeled all-terrain vehicles that are not otherwise required to be registered by law to register them with the Secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration within 30 calendar days of acquiring them, and § 27-20-206 gives those owners a numbered license decal to be attached to the left front side of the vehicle.
That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.
No statewide off-road helmet rule found. Section 27-20-104(b) covers all passengers and operators of motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, and motorized bicycles used upon the public streets and highways of this state, who must be equipped, under standards set forth by the Office of Motor Vehicle, with protective headgear unless the person is 21 years of age or older, and with protective glasses, goggles, or transparent face shields.
That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.
No statewide age, supervision or training rule for operating an off-road motorcycle found. Section 27-20-106(b) makes it unlawful to operate a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle in this state without a current valid motorcycle operator's license, with a special license for a person 14 years of age but under 16 for a motor-driven cycle whose motor displaces 250 cc or less; the subchapter defines both vehicles by a motor that displaces more than, or not more than, 250 cubic centimeters, and exempts persons who operate them on a farm, on private property, or specifically for moving to a farm. Section 27-21-107 sets its age rule (12 years of age or older, or under direct supervision of a person at least 18, on a parent's or guardian's land, or with the owner's permission) for an "all-terrain vehicle", defined as a vehicle that has three, four, or six wheels.
That is not the same as no rule: land managers, local governments and tracks set their own, so ask whoever manages the ground before you ride.
Every motor vehicle when driven or moved upon a highway is subject to Arkansas's registration chapter, with listed exceptions that include a vehicle driven or moved upon a highway only for the purpose of crossing the highway from one property to another, and a vehicle driven or moved in conformance with the chapter's provisions relating to manufacturers, transporters, dealers, lienholders, or nonresidents or under a temporary registration permit. The motorcycle subchapter defines "motorcycle" and "motor-driven cycle" as a motor vehicle with a seat or saddle designed to travel on no more than three wheels, with a motor that displaces more than 250 cc or 250 cc or less. Those used upon the public streets and highways must be equipped with at least one but not more than two headlights, a red rear reflector, a red rear lamp, good hand or foot brakes, a horn, a standard muffler, handholds and passenger foot support when designed to carry more than one person (unless equipped with a sidecar), and electrical turn signals. A person 16 years of age or older may not operate a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or similarly classified motor vehicle that is subject to registration upon the public streets and highways unless the person holds a current valid motorcycle operator's license. Persons who operate these vehicles on a farm, on private property, or specifically for moving to a farm are exempt from the subchapter.
Arkansas's Electric Bicycle Act defines an electric bicycle as a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts that meets one of three classes. A Class 1 electric bicycle has a motor that provides assistance only when the operator is pedaling and ceases to assist at 20 mph; a Class 2 has a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and is not capable of providing assistance at 20 mph; a Class 3 has a motor that provides assistance only when the operator is pedaling and ceases to assist at 28 mph. For the purposes of the Act, an electric bicycle is not a motor vehicle.
This page restates state law in plain words and links the text it came from. It is not legal advice. Cities, counties and the agencies that manage federal land (the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service) add rules of their own, so check with whoever manages the ground you plan to ride.
