Arizona voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would prohibit taxes on miles traveled in a motor vehicle and prevent state and local governments from limiting miles traveled by any individual in a motor vehicle. The amendment will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3, 2026.
A vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax, sometimes called a user-based mileage fee, is a charge per mile that individuals drive on public roads. Implementation of VMTs in different states has varied, with tax rates changing based on vehicle weight or time and location of travel.
According to the Tax Foundation, Oregon was the first state to implement a VMT program in 2015. Since then, 37 states have conducted research or joined regional coalitions testing VMT policies. Additionally, 24 states currently have either a pilot program or an active program implementing a VMT tax. The majority of these programs are voluntary and only apply to fully electric or hybrid vehicles. In some states, like Oregon, drivers can receive a discount on registration fees for their participation in the voluntary program. Only one state, Hawaii, currently has a mandatory VMT program. Hawaii’s VMT program requires electric vehicles to participate in the program by 2028 and light vehicles by 2033.
According to the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, no other constitution in the nation limits the ability of the legislature or local authorities to impose VMT taxes or limit the number of miles traveled in a motor vehicle. If passed, SCR 1004 would be the first of its kind.
Scot Mussi, the President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, supports the constitutional amendment due to the organization’s opposition to VMTs. He said, “As we have seen in other states, governments left to their own devices will succumb to radical attempts to track, tax, or limit their citizens’ transportation miles.”
Jacob Emmett, with the County Supervisors Association of Arizona, said the constitutional amendment “prohibits revenue options without suggesting other solutions.”
SCR 1004 is the second attempt at a proposed amendment that would prohibit vehicle miles traveled (VMT) taxes and restrict the government from limiting how many miles a person can drive. In 2024, the Arizona legislature considered House Concurrent Resolution 2018 (HCR 2018), which contained almost identical language to SCR 1004. The state House approved HCR 2018 by a vote of 31-28, but the state Senate rejected it in a 15-15 vote.
Former State Sen. Ken Bennett (R-1) was the only Republican to vote against HCR 2018 in the Senate, resulting in the measure’s failure. He lost the Republican primary later that year and was not re-elected in 2024. Following the election, Republicans increased their majority in the state Senate by one seat, shifting from a 16-14 to a 17-13 majority.
The state Senate approved SCR 1004 in a vote of 17-12. Seventeen Republicans voted yes, and 12 Democrats voted no. One Democrat did not vote. The state House passed SCR 1004 in a vote of 31-0, with 29 representatives not voting. Thirty-one Republicans voted yes, and 27 Democrats and two Republicans did not vote. In Arizona, constitutional amendments do not need to be signed by the governor to be placed on the ballot.
SCR 1004 is the first measure certified for the 2026 ballot. There are 21 potential measures that could still be placed on the ballot. Eight constitutional amendments and 12 referred statutes have been engrossed by one chamber of the state legislature and are awaiting approval by the second chamber to be placed on the ballot. Petitioners are currently gathering signatures to place a veto referendum on the ballot. The veto referendum would repeal Senate Bill 1543, which created zoning exemptions that allow corporations with international headquarters in certain Arizona municipalities to develop multifamily housing and hotels on their campuses within light industrial zones.
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