SB 1270 Arizona Senate · 57th Legislature - First Regular Session

driving; animals on lap; prohibition

SB 1270 prohibits drivers from operating a vehicle while an animal (like a pet) is on their lap. It takes effect January 1, 2026, imposing civil penalties of $75-$149 for a first violation and $150-$250 for repeat offenses. The bill specifically states that violations cannot be used to suspend or revoke a driver's license, except as noted in another statute. This law directly affects drivers transporting pets in their lap while driving in Arizona.

Issues: ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics: Driver Licensing

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 27, 2025 Last action Feb 19, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Senate Engrossed Version · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill introduces a new Arizona statute prohibiting drivers from operating a vehicle with an animal on their lap, effective January 1, 2026. It establishes civil penalties for violations ranging from $75 to $250 depending on the number of offenses, while explicitly excluding these violations from driver license suspension considerations.

Scope change

New scope: Applies to all vehicle operators in Arizona with no changes to existing vehicle regulations beyond this addition.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new prohibition against operating a vehicle while an animal is on the driver's lap.

ENFORCEMENT

Established civil penalties of $75-$149 for first violations and $150-$250 for subsequent violations starting January 1, 2026.

Added an exemption preventing driver license suspension or revocation for violations of this new section.

TECHNICAL

Changed formatting and layout from introduced version to Senate engrossed version with updated header information and statutory formatting.

Floor votes

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Full legislative history

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Committee

Feb 19, 2025

Upper · Passed

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors