Motorcycle License in Arizona
Verified against Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division ·
Compiled and verified against primary state DMV/DPS/BMV sources by GetMotorcycleLicense Research Team — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
Arizona issues a stand-alone Class M motorcycle license to a rider with no other driver license, and adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing Class D, Class G or commercial license. Completing an MVD-approved motorcycle education program at one of more than thirty privately run, MVD-approved schools and earning a Motorcycle Safety Foundation card lets any applicant skip both the written and the road test. Arizona's helmet law binds only riders under 18: an operator or passenger who is under 18 must wear a helmet and, unless the motorcycle has a windshield, the operator must wear eye protection, but a rider 18 or older may ride bare-headed.
Arizona's motorcycle license requirements — including a $7 fee to add the endorsement, a minimum age of 16, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test — are verified against Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (see Arizona Department of Transportation — Motorcycle License), current as of 2026-07-28.
Arizona Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Arizona |
|---|---|
| Permit | Motorcycle Instruction Permit (Non-Travel) |
| Permit minimum age | 15.5 years |
| Permit fee | $7 |
| Permit validity | — |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | 16 years |
| License fee | $7 |
| Renewal fee | — |
| Renewal period | does not expire until the holder turns 65, with a required photo and vision update every 12 years; a license first issued at 60 or older is valid for 5 years instead |
| Knowledge test | Required |
| Skills test | Required |
A moped — a pedal bicycle with a helper motor of 50cc or less and a top speed of 25 mph or less — may be operated on any class of driver license without a motorcycle endorsement, though it must be registered ($5) and insured. An applicant with an out-of-state motorcycle license that is current or expired less than a year is exempt from the education and permit-holding requirements; an out-of-state licence expired more than 12 months may require retesting.
How do you get a motorcycle license in Arizona?
- Reach the minimum permit age. You must be at least 15.5 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Arizona.
- Pass the knowledge test. Arizona requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
- Get your motorcycle permit. The permit costs $7.
- Hold the permit, and train if required. You must hold the permit at least 180 days before taking the skills test. Arizona does not require any rider to complete a safety course.
- Pass the skills test, or waive it. Arizona requires a motorcycle skills test. Completing Arizona's motorcycle safety course waives it.
- Pay the fee and get your license. The license costs $7. The minimum age for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Arizona is 16.
Common questions about motorcycle licensing in Arizona
How old do you have to be to get a motorcycle permit in Arizona?
You must be at least 15.5 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Arizona.
An applicant who has never held an Arizona permit or driver license must pass both the motorcycle and the standard vehicle knowledge tests to get the permit. A permit holder may carry no passenger, may not ride on a freeway or interstate, may not ride between sunset and sunrise, and may not ride when visibility is under 500 feet. The six-month holding period applies only to an applicant under 18; an applicant who is 18 or older when applying for the Class M license or endorsement is not required to have held the permit for any minimum period first.
What is the minimum age for a motorcycle license in Arizona?
You must be at least 16 for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Arizona.
An applicant under 18 must additionally hold an Arizona instruction permit for at least six months and either complete an MVD-approved motorcycle education program or have a parent or guardian certify 30 hours of riding practice. A rider aged 16 or 17 may instead take a Class G graduated license carrying the motorcycle endorsement, which requires holding both the graduated and the motorcycle instruction permits for six months and the same education-or-practice-hours condition; the holder may keep the Class G license after 18 or upgrade to the standard Class D operator license.
Does Arizona require a motorcycle knowledge test?
Yes, Arizona requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
A first-time applicant for a license or endorsement takes both the motorcycle written test, based on the Motorcycle Operator Manual, and the standard driver license written test. One application fee covers unlimited attempts within 12 months, and a failed attempt may be retaken the next day. Completing an MVD-approved motorcycle education program and presenting the Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card waives this test.
Does Arizona require a motorcycle skills test?
Yes, Arizona requires a motorcycle skills test. In Arizona, completing Arizona's motorcycle safety course waives it.
A 10-to-15-minute demonstration of specific maneuvers on a closed, off-street track at an MVD office. Testing with a motorcycle over 100cc/7HP gives an unrestricted license; testing with a moped or motorized cart gives a '1' restriction; testing with a motorcycle of 100cc/7HP or less gives a '2' restriction; testing with a three-wheel motorcycle gives a '3' restriction. Completing an MVD-approved motorcycle education program and presenting the Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card waives this test. Testing is suspended after noon in June, July and August in extreme heat.
How much does a motorcycle license cost in Arizona?
A motorcycle license in Arizona costs $7. The permit costs $7.
How often do you renew a motorcycle license in Arizona?
A motorcycle license in Arizona renews every does not expire until the holder turns 65, with a required photo and vision update every 12 years; a license first issued at 60 or older is valid for 5 years instead.
Completing Arizona's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test. See Arizona’s motorcycle safety course.
Arizona helmet law
Required for some riders
A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:
- the rider is 18 or older
A.R.S. § 28-964 requires a protective helmet on the head of any operator or passenger of a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle or motor-driven cycle who is under 18. A law-enforcement officer may cite a violation of the helmet rule only against a rider aged 16 or 17 who holds a driver license or permit; an operator who is 18 or older can also be cited if a passenger under 18 rides without a helmet, or if the operator and an unhelmeted rider under 18 are travelling together as part of the same group. The $100 civil penalty applies to a first violation by a rider aged 16 or 17. The helmet and eye-protection rules do not apply to an enclosed three-wheeled vehicle, to a farm or agricultural vehicle used for agricultural work, or on private property.
A.R.S. § 28-964 · verified 2026-07-28
Source Notes
Where a source is stale, conflicting, or required a judgment call, we document it here rather than presenting a single confident-sounding number. See our methodology for how these calls are made.
- Licence classes, ages, fees and testing requirements come from the Arizona Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division. Training facts come from MVD's list of approved driving schools and the Motorcycle Operator Manual's own front matter. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Arizona Revised Statutes.
- Arizona has no single state-run motorcycle training programme. MVD approves more than thirty independently operated schools, each setting its own price and schedule; no statewide tuition figure is published.
- Completing an MVD-approved motorcycle course and presenting the Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card waives both the written and the road test for an applicant of any age.
- Arizona's helmet law applies only to riders under 18. An operator or passenger who is 18 or older may ride without a helmet.
means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: Arizona Department of Transportation — Motorcycle License