Arkansas won't make you wear a helmet. It will make you wear glasses.
The equipment statute almost every rider gets backwards, what your gear is actually worth on a claim, how a total loss settles on three different kinds of bike, and why the state minimum on a motorcycle is the same number it puts on a three-row SUV — from an independent agency that places Progressive every day.
The short answer
A motorcycle is a motor vehicle in Arkansas, so the statutory floor is the same 25/50/25 that applies to a car. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 27-20-104(b), helmets are required only under 21 — but eye protection is required at every age. Progressive's motorcycle policy adds Safety Riding Apparel ($500 included, up to $3,000 purchasable), accessory coverage, Medical Payments to $25,000, and three total-loss settlement options. Cribb Insurance Group places it as an independent agency.
Read the two clauses against each other.
Arkansas repealed its universal helmet law in 1997. What replaced it is one subsection of one statute, and the way it's written catches almost everybody.
Ark. Code Ann. § 27-20-104(b) says all passengers and operators of motorcycles, motor-driven cycles and motorized bicycles used on the public streets and highways of this state shall be equipped with two things:
| § 27-20-104(b) requires | Who it applies to |
|---|---|
| Protective headgear | Operators and passengers — unless the person is 21 years of age or older. |
| Protective glasses, goggles, or a transparent face shield | Operators and passengers. No age exception is written into the clause. |
Arkansas will cite a fifty-year-old for riding without glasses and say nothing about his bare head.
That is the actual state of the law, and it is exactly backwards from what most riders assume. The helmet clause carries an age carve-out. The eye protection clause doesn't. It's flat — every operator, every passenger, every age.
We see the confusion constantly, and it runs in a predictable direction: people know Arkansas is a "no helmet law" state, and they generalize that into "no gear rules." Then they ride to Eureka Springs on a clear day in sunglasses that aren't rated, or in nothing at all because the bike has a windscreen.
Which brings us to the part an insurance agency can actually do something about.
The same statute also sets the equipment your bike has to carry to be street legal in Arkansas: a headlight visible at 500 feet, a red rear reflector visible at 300 feet, a red rear lamp visible at 500 feet in addition to the reflector, good hand or foot brakes, a horn in working order — and no bell, siren, or whistle — a standard muffler, electrical turn signals, and handholds plus footrests for the passenger if the bike is designed to carry more than one person and isn't equipped with a sidecar.
The gear the state mandates is the gear nobody insures.
Progressive's Safety Riding Apparel coverage — in the event of a covered loss, $500 of protection for helmets, eye wear, gloves, jackets, leathers and boots.
Then add up what you actually wear.
A modern full-face helmet. A real jacket with armor in it. Gloves. Boots that cover the ankle. Eye protection Arkansas requires you to have on. That list clears $500 without trying — and a lot of riders in Northwest Arkansas are wearing two or three times that much.
Progressive lets you purchase additional coverage up to $3,000 when at least one vehicle on the policy carries Comprehensive and Collision. It's a small line on a quote and almost nobody asks for it.
Here's why it matters more than the number suggests: gear is destroyed in exactly the crashes where you're least able to go replace it. The helmet did its job, so the helmet is trash. The jacket did its job, so the jacket is shredded. You're in a hospital bed and the gear that saved you is a $1,400 hole nobody budgeted for.
Ask for it by name.
Safety Riding Apparel isn't the same thing as accessory coverage, and the two get conflated constantly. Apparel is what's on you. Accessories are what's on the bike — and that's a separate $3,000 that comes free with comprehensive, with up to $30,000 purchasable and no depreciation factored in when you claim. Progressive's own instruction on accessories is to get an itemized list with prices.
Bags, a windscreen, highway pegs, an exhaust, a seat, lighting, a stereo, chrome. Two separate buckets, two separate conversations. Have both.
What's on the policy.
| Coverage | What it does | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily Injury & Property Damage Liability | Pays for injuries and damage you cause to others. | Arkansas minimum is 25/50/25. See below — that floor is not a recommendation. |
| Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist | Covers you when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough. | Not required in Arkansas. On a motorcycle this is the coverage we argue hardest for. |
| Comprehensive & Collision | Theft, vandalism, fire, weather, animal strikes — and damage in an accident regardless of fault. | A deductible applies to each. |
| Medical Payments | Medical costs after an accident regardless of fault. | Available up to $25,000. |
| Safety Riding Apparel | Helmets, eye wear, gloves, jackets, leathers, boots. | $500 included; up to $3,000 purchasable when a vehicle carries Comp/Collision. |
| Accessories & Custom Parts Equipment | What's bolted to the bike. | $3,000 free with comprehensive; up to $30,000. Depreciation free. |
| Enhanced Injury Protection | Covers a portion of income loss, or a death benefit, as the result of a covered accident. | The one riders with families should ask about out loud. |
| Carried Contents | Your owned personal property — hunting or camping gear, for instance — stolen from the bike or damaged in an accident. | What's in the saddlebags. |
| Roadside Assistance | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. | Available on Liability Only policies, and it includes the tow vehicle. |
| Trip Interruption | Lodging, alternative transportation, and food while the bike is repaired. | Up to $500, for a breakdown or covered loss more than 100 miles from home. |
| Motorcycle Rental | Your coverages transfer to a rental or loaner motorcycle. | |
| Transport Trailer | The trailer you haul the bike on. | Available up to $10,000. |
100 miles from Bentonville is not a theoretical distance.
Trip Interruption pays up to $500 for lodging, transportation and food when a breakdown or covered loss strands you more than 100 miles from home. From here that's roughly Fort Smith and beyond, most of the Ozarks loop, Branson, Tulsa, and every mile of the ride people actually take a bike on.
The 100-mile line is drawn where the good roads start.
Three ways a bike settles, and one rule that beats all of them.
Which settlement basis applies to you depends on what you ride — specifically, on whether the book has a number for it.
| Basis | What it pays on a total loss | Which bikes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Loss Coverage (TLC) | The MSRP of a current model year motorcycle of the same make and model. | A new bike replaced at current-year MSRP, not at what yours had depreciated to. |
| Actual Cash Value (ACV) | Value based on the book. | Motorcycles with resale values available in the N.A.D.A. Appraisal Guide or Kelley Blue Book. |
| Agreed Value (AV) | The value listed on your declarations page. | Motorcycles with no resale value available in N.A.D.A. or Kelley Blue Book — and motorcycles 25 years and older. |
Progressive does not take a deduction for depreciation on partial losses.
Their words, and they add that they'll return vehicles to their pre-accident condition or better. This is the rule that touches the most riders, because most motorcycle damage isn't a total loss. It's a low-speed drop in a parking lot that takes out a fairing, a mirror, a lever and a pipe. Depreciation is what guts those claims elsewhere. Not here.
And Disappearing Deductibles reduce your deductible by 25% after each claim-free policy period — included with Total Loss Coverage, and purchasable with Agreed Value and ACV.
If your bike is old, unusual, or built rather than bought — call, don't quote online.
The settlement table above is where the interesting cases live. A bike with no book value doesn't settle the way a two-year-old Street Glide does, and a 25-year-old machine sits in its own category entirely. There are eligibility limits and maximum insurable values attached to those situations that depend on the specific bike, and they are not something to discover through a web form at 11pm.
That's not us being coy — it's that the answer genuinely depends on your VIN, and we can get it in one phone call.
The same floor they put on an SUV.
A motorcycle is a motor vehicle in Arkansas. Which means the statutory minimum on your bike is the same 25/50/25 the state puts on a three-row SUV: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage.
Sit with that for a second. The legislature set one number for every vehicle on the road, and that number hasn't kept pace with what medical care or vehicles cost. Arkansas is an at-fault state — cause an accident that exceeds your limits and the difference is personally yours. It doesn't disappear.
Roughly one in six Arkansas drivers is uninsured. Now take away the car around you.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage isn't required on an Arkansas motorcycle policy. We push for it harder here than on any other line we write, and we'd rather tell you why than sell it quietly.
In a car, being hit by an uninsured driver is a bad day and a fight with an adjuster. On a bike there's no crumple zone, no airbag, and no steel between you and the road. The same impact that dents a fender ends a career. Your UM/UIM limit is functionally the ceiling on what you can recover when someone with nothing puts you in a hospital — because you cannot collect from a person who has no money and no policy.
That's not a scare tactic. It's arithmetic, and it's the single most consequential number on a motorcycle quote.
The same pattern shows up across our carrier pages, and it's worth naming: Arkansas sets 25/50/25 on your car, and the state sets a $50,000 floor on a boat. Every one of those numbers is a floor, not a recommendation. They're the point below which the legislature decided you're a menace — not the point at which you're adequately protected. Those are very different questions and only one of them is on the statute books.
Credit-based insurance scoring
Progressive uses credit-based insurance scoring in Arkansas, as most carriers do. Arkansas regulates how, under Ark. Code Ann. § 23-67-401: permitted within limits, never the sole basis for declining, cancelling or nonrenewing, and you're entitled to reconsideration after an extraordinary life event — a divorce, a death in the family, a serious illness. It is not automatic. Nobody will ask. You have to raise it.
The discounts — without invented numbers.
Progressive applies these if you qualify. Some vary and aren't available in every state and situation.
| Discount | How you get it |
|---|---|
| Safe and Steady Rider | New. For riders 45 or older with four or more years of riding experience and no chargeable violations or at-fault accidents. If that's you, say so — it's new enough that it doesn't occur to people to mention. |
| Motorcycle License / Endorsement | When the operator holds a valid motorcycle license. Applies to specific coverages. |
| Safety Course | For operators who've completed a state-approved safety course in the past three years. Applies to specific coverages. |
| Anti-Lock Brake | When the bike has ABS. Applies to specific coverages. |
| Responsible Driver | When none of the listed operators has a driving record surcharge on the policy. |
| Multi Vehicle | More than one vehicle on the policy — on motorcycle, the discount is based on how many. |
| Multi Policy | Another policy in force with Progressive — auto, boat, manufactured home, motor home, snowmobile, travel trailer, or commercial auto. |
| Homeowner | When you own a home. |
| Advance Quote | Starting the quote at least one day before the policy begins. It scales with how far ahead you quote. |
| Paid In Full | Paying 100% of the premium at the point of sale. |
| Transfer | At new business, when prior insurance qualifies as continuous. |
| EFT / Automatic Card Payment | Automatic deduction from your bank account, or a card used for all payments on an ACP bill plan. |
| Prompt Payment | On new business, and on renewals in effect 12 continuous months with no late fees or NSF. |
| Claim Free Renewal | At renewal, when no at-fault or comprehensive claims of $1,000 or more were filed in the previous period. |
| Association | For active members of select associations. Worth asking — it's the one nobody thinks to mention. |
Two forgiveness features, and one has a real number on it.
Accident Forgiveness — at renewal, you aren't charged for an at-fault accident, subject to the product's terms.
Small Claims Forgiveness — every claim where Progressive's total payout was $500 or less is waived at renewal. On a motorcycle that's a meaningful backstop, because a tipped-over bike in a gravel driveway is frequently exactly that size.
Why there are no percentages on this page.
Our Progressive auto page lists Arkansas discount percentages with real numbers, because Progressive publishes an Arkansas auto discount schedule. Those are auto figures. They don't describe this line, and we won't borrow them.
No published Arkansas percentage schedule exists for the motorcycle program that we've been able to source. We'll quote it and tell you what it actually came out to — and note Progressive's own caveat, which most agencies don't repeat: discounts don't apply to a policy already sitting at the minimum written premium. The list can be longer than the discount.
Who's behind the policy.
On May 1, 2026, AM Best affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of aa for the members of The Progressive Corporation, with a stable outlook. Financial strength answers one narrow question — whether a carrier can pay. Progressive can.
Progressive handles claims directly, 24/7, by phone, at progressive.com, or in the mobile app.
Narrower than some agencies imply.
We do not adjust your claim and we cannot overrule an adjuster. We'd rather be straight about that than let you find out at the worst possible moment — and on a motorcycle claim, the worst possible moment is worse.
What we do: tell you whether a claim is worth filing before you file it, make sure the coverage that should respond is identified — including the apparel and accessory coverages people forget they bought — chase the file when it stalls, and move you to another of our markets afterward if Progressive is no longer the right fit. That last one is the part a captive agent structurally cannot do.
The policies around this one.
Arkansas motorcycle questions.
Does Arkansas require a motorcycle helmet?
Only under 21. Arkansas repealed its universal helmet law in 1997. Ark. Code Ann. § 27-20-104(b) now requires protective headgear for operators and passengers unless the person is 21 years of age or older. At 21 the requirement drops away.
What does not drop away is eye protection — the same subsection requires protective glasses, goggles, or a transparent face shield for all passengers and operators, with no age exception written into it. Arkansas will cite a 50-year-old for riding without eye protection and say nothing about his bare head. Almost nobody knows that.
What are the minimum motorcycle insurance limits in Arkansas?
The same 25/50/25 that applies to cars — $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 property damage. A motorcycle is a motor vehicle in Arkansas, so the same statutory floor applies to a bike as to a three-row SUV.
That is a strange result when you think about it, and it is why we rarely recommend writing at the minimum. Arkansas is an at-fault state: cause an accident that exceeds your limits and the gap is personally yours.
Does Progressive cover my helmet and riding gear?
Yes, and this is the coverage riders most often don't know they have. Progressive's Safety Riding Apparel coverage includes $500 of protection for helmets, eye wear, gloves, jackets, leathers, and boots in the event of a covered loss. Additional coverage up to $3,000 can be purchased when at least one vehicle on the policy carries Comprehensive and Collision.
Add up what you actually wear — a modern helmet, a real jacket, gloves, and boots clear $500 without much effort, and gear is destroyed in exactly the crashes where you're least able to go replace it.
How does Progressive settle a total loss on a motorcycle?
Three ways, and which one applies depends on your bike. Total Loss Coverage pays the MSRP of a current model year motorcycle of the same make and model. Actual Cash Value applies to motorcycles with resale values available in the N.A.D.A. Appraisal Guide or Kelley Blue Book. Agreed Value applies to motorcycles with no resale value available in those guides, and to motorcycles 25 years and older.
Separately — and this is the one worth reading twice — Progressive does not take a deduction for depreciation on partial losses, and states it will return vehicles to their pre-accident condition or better. Most motorcycle damage isn't a total loss, which makes the partial loss rule the one that touches more riders.
Is uninsured motorist coverage required on a motorcycle in Arkansas?
No, it isn't required. It is also the coverage we argue hardest for on a motorcycle policy, and we'd rather say why than sell it quietly.
Roughly one in six Arkansas drivers is uninsured. A rider hit by one of them has no vehicle around him, no airbag, and no crumple zone — the injuries are catastrophic at speeds a car would shrug off. Your uninsured and underinsured motorist limit is functionally the ceiling on what you can recover when someone with nothing puts you in a hospital. That's not a scare tactic; it's arithmetic.
Is lane splitting legal in Arkansas?
Arkansas has no statute that specifically addresses lane splitting — the practice isn't named in the code one way or the other. What does exist is the general rule at Ark. Code Ann. § 27-51-302 requiring a vehicle to be driven entirely within a single lane and not moved from that lane until the driver has ascertained the movement can be made safely.
What that means for a rider filtering between stopped traffic is a legal question, and we're an insurance agency, not your lawyer. We won't hand you a conclusion we're not qualified to give. If you want a real answer, ask an Arkansas attorney.
If our insurance guides and coverage comparisons are helpful, mark Cribb Insurance as a preferred source so more Northwest Arkansas families can find our local explanations.
Progressive is one of 40+ carriers we represent.
Which means we can tell you honestly whether Progressive is the right home for your bike — or whether one of our other markets fits it better, which is a real possibility if what you ride is old, custom, or unusual. Send your declarations page and we'll read it back in plain English: what your limits actually are, whether your gear is covered, and what happens on a total loss. Same conversation, no wrong answer. And if what you have is already right, we'll tell you that too.
Cribb Insurance Group Inc. is an independent insurance agency licensed in Arkansas. We are not Progressive, and this page is not endorsed, sponsored, reviewed, or approved by Progressive. “Progressive,” “Carried Contents,” and related marks are trademarks of Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and its affiliates, used here nominatively to identify products we are appointed to place. Progressive motorcycle policies are issued by Progressive affiliates. N.A.D.A. Appraisal Guide and Kelley Blue Book are trademarks of their respective owners and are referenced only to describe how loss settlement operates; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.
This page describes coverage in general terms for informational purposes only. It is not a policy, not an offer of insurance, and not a guarantee of coverage, availability, eligibility, or price. Coverage, discounts, program terms, eligibility, settlement options and availability vary by state, by product, by policy, and over time, and are subject to underwriting approval and to the terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions of the policy actually issued. Loss settlement options described here are subject to eligibility requirements and maximum insurable values that depend on the individual motorcycle. If anything on this page conflicts with the issued policy, the policy controls.
Statements about Arkansas law are general information based on our reading of the cited authorities as of the date below, and are not legal advice. Nothing on this page should be relied on to determine what equipment the law requires you to wear or carry, whether any riding practice is lawful, or how any statute would apply to your circumstances. Arkansas law changes; verify current requirements with the Arkansas Office of Motor Vehicle or an Arkansas attorney. Nothing on this page is a statement about how helmet use, eye protection, or comparative fault would affect any claim or lawsuit.
Financial strength ratings are opinions of an insurer's ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations, are subject to change, are not recommendations to purchase, hold or terminate any policy, and do not address an insurer's claims-handling practices; current ratings are at ambest.com. Rates and premiums are not quoted on this page; your premium depends on your motorcycle, coverage selections, limits, deductibles, riding history, location, and other factors.
Last reviewed July 2026.