Major AMA Rule changes - 2026 & Beyond

The new AMA rules governing Motocross are as follows: 

1. Effective in 2027, a racer will need to be 14 years old to race any Amateur class.  

2. C class racers with an RPV of 13 or higher may be advanced if they have 2 previous years in the C class 

3. Eliminated the date for submitting advancement appeals, can only appeal once per year  

4. Lights with non-glass lenses are now allowed  

5. In Motocross all entrants must wear chest and back protection, it may be under or over the jersey but must cover the sternum, the anterior and posterior ribs, and spine from T1 to T 12   

6. In timed practices the racer must use the bike that is to be raced 

7. NEW: mandatory rule only one rider and one other person allowed in the starting area for all AMA races.  

8. RED CROSS FLAG. white with a red cross emergency personnel and recovery vehicles may be on the track. Competitors must ride with extreme caution until they have passed the incident that caused the flag. No passing, gaining an advantage and jumps must be rolled failure to comply will result in a loss of 10 positions or a disqualification, subject to referee discretion 

9. YELLOW FLAG. Ride with caution, no passing, no gaining an advantage, jumps must be rolled until past the incident that caused the flag. Failure to comply will result in a 5 position loss or disqualification subject to referee discretion.  

10. Eliminate wheel base requirement for minibike classes 

11. Schoolboy 2 class will now allow 250 cc 2 stroke 

12. Competing on a machine that exceeds class displacement limits will result in a 6 month suspension from all AMA activity for first violation and 1 year suspension for subsequent violations  

13. Protests must have a faith basis in fact. Protests deemed by the race official to be frivolous or filed with the intention of harassing, annoying, or disturbing a pretested racer may not be accepted and may be penalized for conduct detrimental to the sport of MX. 

All ARMCA competition events are governed by the AMA rulebook as well as the ARMCA rulebook.  Changes to the AMA rulebook are done at AMA Congress in October every year – if you want to suggest a rule change for the AMA rulebook, talk to one of our AMA congress delegates before August of each year in order to get your proposal included in that year’s AMA Congress proceedings.  If you’d like to suggest a change to the ARMCA rulebook, use the form below (or otherwise include all relevant information) and send your proposal to the ARMCA secretary before Sept. 15th to be considered at that year’s annual meeting.

Here’s how our rule change process works:

  • The deadline for submitting rule change proposals is September 15th of the year it is being voted on.

  • Proposed rule changes are submitted to the D23 Board for review and authentication.

  • The board determines if the rule is valid and accurate from the AMA and D23 standpoint.

  • Rules are sent out to the members for review before the annual meeting.

  • Rule author must be present at the Annual Meeting for the rule to be voted on by the members present.

  • Successful rule changes are added to the rule book for the racing season after the annual meeting (i.e. Dec. 2023 annual meeting rules implemented 2024).

Rule Change Proposal Form

The deadline for submitting rule change proposals is September 15th of the year it is being voted on.

Have you reached out to your Class or Discipline representative to discuss your proposed rule? This is recommended to ensure the rule encompasses your desired outcome and is a valid rule that is in line with the AMA Rulebook.