This guide is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws change — verify current rules with your state DOT or a licensed attorney before relying on this for any legal matter. Read full disclaimer.
The rule
In Arkansas, the DUI statute does not apply to bicyclists — it covers motor-vehicle operators only. Arkansas's DWI statute (Ark. Code § 5-65-103) applies only to operators of a 'motor vehicle,' and Ark. Code § 27-49-219 explicitly defines bicycles as devices that are not motor vehicles. Cyclists impaired in public may still face public-intoxication charges under § 5-71-212, but the DWI penalties — including a six-month licence suspension — do not attach to bicycle operation. See Ark. Code § 5-65-103 (Unlawful acts — driving while intoxicated).
A DUI charge isn't on the table for cyclists in Arkansas, but that's not a license to ride drunk — public-intoxication, reckless-conduct, and disorderly-conduct charges can still apply, and cycling impaired dramatically raises crash risk.