2026 Election: Arizona Prop 141 explained: What to know about the proposed ban on vehicle mileage taxes

PHOENIX – In November, Arizona voters will decide on a proposed constitutional amendment that would prevent the state from taxing drivers based on distance driven.

What is Proposition 141?

What we know:

Proposition 141 made it to the ballot by legislative referral, meaning lawmakers voted to put the measure on the ballot. It amends the Arizona Constitution to prohibit taxes or fees based on vehicle miles traveled and puts restrictions on how governments can monitor how far drivers are traveling.

Proposition 141 does not apply to the following:

• The miles traveled by a person in a motor vehicle if the vehicle is commercial that operates in more than one state and an interstate agreement is established for reporting fuel taxes or registration fees.
• The miles traveled by a person in a motor vehicle if the vehicle is owned and operated by Arizona, or a county, city, town, municipal corporation or other political subdivision of Arizona.

A “no” vote on the ballot measure would maintain “the current constitutional language related to taxation,” according to the Arizona Legislature.

By the numbers:

Proposition 141 centers on the fact that revenue from Arizona’s 18-cent gas tax is decreasing. Money from the tax funds road improvement projects. However, cars are getting more fuel efficient, and with more people driving electric vehicles, fewer gallons of gas are being sold.

According to the Department of Energy, there were 4,700 electric vehicles in Arizona in 2016. In 2025, that number had climbed to nearly 142,000. In order to make up for the shortfall, there has been talk of implementing a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax. Proposition 141 would prohibit that.

What is a vehicle miles traveled tax?

A VMT tax, also called a user-based mileage fee or a road-usage charge, is a charge that motorists pay per mile that they drive on public roads.

Have any other states implemented a VMT tax?

Yes. As of 2025, 37 states had conducted research or joined regional coalitions that tested VMT policies. Of these 37 states, 24 of them had either a pilot program or an active VMT tax program.

The case for and against Proposition 141

What they’re saying:

The vote to put the proposition on the ballot was split along party lines, with state Republican lawmakers supporting the proposition and the majority of Democrats opposing it.

Supporters of Proposition 141 argue it will protect privacy, businesses, and the economy.

Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman

“This, at its core, says that the government shall not tax or track you for the miles that you drive. We all know that there is a push within the radical environmentalist fringe that wants to eliminate the internal combustion engine. They want to make sure that you can’t have freedom of mobility to go where you please, when you please, and how you please, and to enjoy the greatest country on God’s green earth. We have some of the best geography in the entire world, and we think that it should be fundamentally protected.”

However, opponents say it will tie lawmakers’ hands as they look for new revenue sources as gas tax money continues to decline.

Arizona State Senator Priya Sundareshan

“How do we fund our highways? How do we repair roads without that kind of revenue without that kind of information? It’s premature to be prohibiting things…without even finding out information about vehicle mileage.”

What’s next:

Voters will decide the fate of Proposition 141 on midterm election day, Tuesday, November 3.

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