By DM Cantor’s Criminal Law Practice, a Top-Ranking Criminal Defense firm in Arizona for the last 7 years in a row by Ranking Arizona Magazine (2020 – 2026), and named the Small and Mid-Sized Law Firm of the Year at AZ Business’ 2026 Excellence in Law Awards!
DM Cantor’s Board-Certified Criminal Law Specialists (Left to Right): Partner / Director of Attorney Development, Jason Karpel; Founding Partner, David Michael Cantor; Managing Partner, Christine Whalin
David Cantor explains if you can get a DUI on a bike in Arizona in this short video:
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DUI on a Bike
A lot of people think that DUI arrests and charges are only made for people who are driving under the influence in vehicles like cars, trucks and motorbikes and not a DUI on a Bike. In Arizona it is not possible to get a DUI on a bike or horse. It is possible to get a DUI on a Bike that is motorized (whizzer). But the truth is that it is always possible to get a citation other than DUI for being intoxicated even if you are riding a bicycle or even a horse. As bizarre as that sounds, it’s true because riding a bike or a horse when your senses are impaired can put you or somebody else on the road in harm’s way.
However, whether you or someone else gets pulled over for driving under the influence will depend largely on how the state’s law defines a ‘vehicle’; some of them may include a car, minivan, SUV, truck, motorbikes and other vehicles that run on motor engines. Other states will define a ‘vehicle’ to include other things like bicycles, horses and scooters as well.
In case you have been charged with a DUI , then you can always challenge your charges in court based on these definitions. Your lawyer can argue that a horse is not a motor vehicle and if the definition of a vehicle in the state is sufficiently ambiguous, the court will not entertain your case. Look for the word motor in the ‘vehicle’ definition because if the presence of motor is mandatory then you need not worry because both horses and bicycles don’t have motors (obviously).
However, certain regions or states may have laws that specifically include targeted cyclists and drunk drivers in which it might be a bit difficult to defend yourself. Even so, the punishments and fines for DUI on a horse or bike will be different; your license may not get suspended and your fines may not be as high as that for a DUI on a motor vehicle.
Some police officers might give you a citation for disturbing public peace, reckless behavior or public intoxication in places where arrest for DUI on a horse or bike is illegal. All of this might sound extremely weird and harsh, but the main focus of law enforcement agencies is to protect public safety from all perspectives. This is because a drunk horse rider or bike rider could get in the way of the road traffic or could injure the animal itself which can become a case for animal endangerment.
If you are caught by an officer riding a horse or bike while intoxicated, then you will be expected to undergo a breathalyzer test and failure will lead you to get a citation or license revocation or even fines and community service.
Board Certified Criminal Law Specialization
As of the start of 2023, the State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization listed only 56 Criminal Law Specialists in the entire state. Of these 56, only 39 are located in Maricopa County and are allowed to handle private cases.
DM Cantor has 3 Criminal Law Specialists, the most of any firm in Arizona. When defending DUI allegations, it is critical to have as many Specialists on your legal team as is possible.
The specialization process is so rigorous that only 23 current Criminal Law Specialists were certified in the last 20 years. In addition, all specialists must be approved for re-certification every 5 years.
At DM Cantor, our Specialists have conducted Jury Trials on countless DUI cases.
Every case defended by DM Cantor includes at least 1 Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist on the legal team who is directly handling or supervising the case’s progress.
We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Contact Us
If you have questions regarding DUI Defense in Arizona , please call our offices at (602) 307-0808 to schedule your free consultation .
