unlawful flight; reckless endangerment; violation.

Plain English Breakdown

The official metadata indicates the bill passed both chambers but also lists a House third read failure, creating uncertainty about final enactment status.

SB1502: Penalties for Fleeing Police and Reckless Endangerment

This bill sets specific felony penalties for drivers who flee from police, increasing the severity if they endanger others or cause harm.

What This Bill Does

• Keeps fleeing a marked or known unmarked police vehicle as a class 5 felony under current rules.
• Upgrades the crime to a class 4 felony if the driver recklessly endangers another person's life while fleeing.
• Makes it a class 2 felony if the driver causes serious physical injury during the flight.
• Makes it a class 2 felony if the vehicle is carrying a child under age 15 during the flight.
• Makes it a class 2 felony if the driver is found guilty of driving under the influence while fleeing.

Who It Names or Affects

• Drivers who willfully flee or attempt to elude official law enforcement vehicles.
• People operating motor vehicles in ways that endanger others during police pursuits.
• Minors under age 15 riding in vehicles involved in unlawful flight incidents.

Terms To Know

Class 2, 4, and 5 Felony

Categories of serious crimes with different prison sentences; class 2 is the most severe listed here.

Recklessly Endangers

Operating a vehicle in a way that creates an unreasonable risk to another person's life.

Official Law Enforcement Vehicle

A police car, either marked with lights or unmarked if the driver knew it was official.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill text does not specify exact prison sentences for each felony class in this summary.
• The effective date is listed as a general future date but no specific calendar day is provided in this document.
• This summary reflects the Senate version; the House later voted to fail on third reading.

Official Summary Text

SB1502 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

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COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR
s.b. 1502

unlawful
flight; reckless endangerment; violation.

Purpose

Classifies willfully fleeing or attempting to elude a pursuing official
law enforcement vehicle and operating a vehicle in a manner that recklessly
endangers the life of another person as a class 4 felony, or a class 2 felony
under outlined conditions.

Background

A driver of a motor vehicle who willfully flees or attempts to elude a
pursuing official law enforcement vehicle is guilty of a class 5 felony if the
law enforcement vehicle is either: 1) being operated with flashing lights as
permitted for emergency and law enforcement vehicles and is appropriately
marked to show that it is an official law enforcement vehicle; or 2) unmarked
and the driver either admits to knowing the vehicle was an official law
enforcement vehicle or evidence shows that the driver knew the vehicle was an
official law enforcement vehicle (
A.R.S.

� 28-622.01
).

A class 5 felony carries a presumptive prison sentence of one and a half
years and a fine of up to $150,000 to be determined by the court. A class 4
felony carries a presumptive prison sentence of two and a half years, and a
class 2 felony carries a presumptive prison sentence of five years (A.R.S. ��
13-702

and
13-801
).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact
to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.

Classifies,
as a class 4 felony, a driver of a motor vehicle who operates the vehicle in a
manner that recklessly endangers the life of another person while willfully
fleeing or attempting to elude a pursuing official law enforcement vehicle as prescribed.

2.

Classifies,
as a class 2 felony, a driver of a motor vehicle who willfully flees or attempts
to elude a pursuing official law enforcement vehicle as prescribed, if any of
the following applies:

a)

the driver causes serious physical injury to another person;

b)

the vehicle is transporting a minor who is under 15 years old; or

c)

the driver of the vehicle is found guilty of driving under the influence
of alcohol or drugs or driving while under the extreme influence of alcohol or
drugs.

3.

Makes
conforming changes.

4.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

Prepared by Senate Research

February 9, 2026

KJA/SDR/hk

Current Bill Text

SB1502 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed

unlawful flight;
reckless endangerment; violation.

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SENATE BILL 1502

AN
ACT

AMENDING section 28-622.01, Arizona Revised
Statutes; relating to unlawful flight.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

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

Section 1. Section 28-622.01, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
28-622.01
.
Unlawful flight from pursuing law enforcement vehicle; violation;
classification; marked and unmarked vehicles; reckless endangerment

a.
A driver of a motor vehicle
who wilfully flees or attempts to elude a pursuing official law enforcement
vehicle is guilty of a class 5 felony if the law enforcement vehicle is either:

1. Being operated in the manner described in section
28-624, subsection C and is appropriately marked to show that it is an
official law enforcement vehicle.

2. Unmarked and either of the following applies:

(a) The driver admits to knowing that the vehicle
was an official law enforcement vehicle.

(b) Evidence shows that the driver knew that the
vehicle was an official law enforcement vehicle.

B. A driver of a motor vehicle is
guilty of a class 4 felony if the driver violates subsection a of this section
and the driver operates the motor VEHICLE in a manner that recklessly endangers
the life of another person while fleeing or attempting to elude a PURSUING
OFFICIAL law enforcement vehicle.

c. A driver of a motor vehicle is
guilty of a class 2 felony if the driver violates subsection a of this section
and any of the following applies:

1. the driver caused serious physical
injury as defined in section 13-105 to another person.

2. the motor vehicle was transporting
a minor who is under fifteen years of age.

3. the driver of the MOTOR vehicle is
found guilty of a violation of section 28-1381 or 28-1382.

END_STATUTE