Motorcycle License in Arkansas
Verified against Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services ·
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 →
Arkansas issues a Class M motorcycle operator's license to a rider 16 or older, and a Class MD special license, limited to a motor-driven cycle of 250cc or less, to a 14- or 15-year-old; a Class MD holder is automatically upgraded to the full Class M license at 16 with no further testing. The Division of Arkansas State Police administers the written and road tests, and waives the road test for an applicant who completed a Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider course within the previous 90 days; Arkansas has no single statewide training programme, so riders train through independent MSF-curriculum schools, dealership academies and rider groups. Arkansas requires a helmet only of an operator or passenger under 21, though every rider, regardless of age, must wear eye protection.
Arkansas's motorcycle license requirements — including a $40 licence fee, a minimum age of 16, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test if within 3 months — are verified against Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services (see Arkansas Code § 27-20-106 to § 27-20-108 (motorcycle operator's license, application, examination) — Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws, 2021 Edition), current as of 2026-07-28.
Arkansas Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Arkansas |
|---|---|
| Permit | Instruction Permit |
| Permit minimum age | 14 years |
| Permit fee | — |
| Permit validity | 730 days |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | 16 years |
| License fee | $40 |
| Renewal fee | — |
| Renewal period | 8 years, renewable up to 90 days before expiration |
| Knowledge test | Required |
| Skills test | Required |
Arkansas Code defines a 'motorcycle' as displacing more than 250cc and a 'motor-driven cycle' as 250cc or less; Class M covers both. No original applicant — one never previously licensed by any jurisdiction — may take the road test without having held a valid instruction permit for at least 30 days. A person who signs a minor's application for a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle license, as a parent, guardian or other responsible adult, is liable for the minor's negligence or wilful misconduct while riding, in the same way as for a car licence.
How do you get a motorcycle license in Arkansas?
- Reach the minimum permit age. You must be at least 14 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Arkansas.
- Pass the knowledge test. Arkansas requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
- Get your motorcycle permit. It is valid for 730 days.
- Train if required. Arkansas does not require any rider to complete a safety course.
- Pass the skills test, or waive it. Arkansas requires a motorcycle skills test. Completing Arkansas's motorcycle safety course waives it if within 3 months.
- Pay the fee and get your license. The license costs $40. The minimum age for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Arkansas is 16.
Common questions about motorcycle licensing in Arkansas
How old do you have to be to get a motorcycle permit in Arkansas?
You must be at least 14 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Arkansas.
Issued by the Division of Arkansas State Police after the applicant passes the written examination; a passing score is itself valid for 24 months. The permit lets the holder drive when accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old occupying the seat beside them, 'except in the event that the permittee is operating a motorcycle', so the usual accompanied-riding structure does not carry over unmodified to a motorcycle permittee. No fee for this permit is published by DFA; ASP, which issues it, administers and prices it directly.
What is the minimum age for a motorcycle license in Arkansas?
You must be at least 16 for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Arkansas.
A 14- or 15-year-old may instead obtain the Class MD special license for a motor-driven cycle of 250cc or less, after Arkansas State Police certifies that the applicant passed its written and road examinations. A Class MD holder is automatically issued the full Class M license on turning 16, without repeating the examinations.
Does Arkansas require a motorcycle knowledge test?
Yes, Arkansas requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
A written examination on traffic laws, ordinances, rules and regulations, administered by the Division of Arkansas State Police, together with a vision test. It is not waived by completing a rider training course.
Does Arkansas require a motorcycle skills test?
Yes, Arkansas requires a motorcycle skills test. In Arkansas, completing Arkansas's motorcycle safety course waives it if within 3 months.
An actual road test on the motorcycle, assessing familiarity with its controls and the ability to operate it safely in and out of traffic, administered by the Division of Arkansas State Police. It is waived for an applicant who submits proof of completing the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's rider course, dated within 90 days before the date of the license application.
How much does a motorcycle license cost in Arkansas?
A motorcycle license in Arkansas costs $40.
How often do you renew a motorcycle license in Arkansas?
A motorcycle license in Arkansas renews every 8 years, renewable up to 90 days before expiration.
Completing Arkansas's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test if within 3 months. See Arkansas’s motorcycle safety course.
Engine-size tiers
- Class MD special license (motor-driven cycle, 250cc or less, ages 14-15) (up to 250cc, separate credential) — Available to an applicant aged 14 or 15 to operate a motor-driven cycle displacing 250cc or less. It requires the applicant to furnish a certificate from Arkansas State Police showing they passed a written examination and a road test. It expires on the licensee's sixteenth birthday, at which point the holder is automatically issued the unrestricted Class M license without further examination.
Arkansas helmet law
Required for some riders
A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:
- the rider is 21 or older
All passengers and operators of a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorized bicycle must wear protective headgear unless the rider is 21 or older. A violation of this section is a misdemeanour carrying a fine of between $10 and $50, up to 30 days in jail, or both. The requirement does not apply on a farm, on private property, or when riding specifically to move the vehicle to a farm.
Ark. Code § 27-20-104(b) · 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 and fees come from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Testing procedures, the road-test waiver and helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Arkansas Code, as compiled in the Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws book. Arkansas State Police, not DFA, administers the written and road examinations and issues the instruction permit.
- Arkansas has no statewide motorcycle training programme; the Arkansas Highway Safety Office describes its own role as public-awareness campaigning rather than rider training. Riders train through independent Motorcycle Safety Foundation schools, rider groups and dealership academies, any of which can supply the certificate that waives the road test.
- Completing a recognised rider course waives the road test only, not the written knowledge test, and the completion certificate must be dated within 90 days of the license application.
- Arkansas's helmet law applies only to a rider under 21. Every rider, regardless of age, must wear eye protection.
means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.
Sources
- Arkansas Code § 27-20-106 to § 27-20-108 (motorcycle operator's license, application, examination) — Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws, 2021 Edition
- Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration — Motorcycle License
- Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration — Non-Commercial Information (NCL)
- Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration — Learner's and Intermediate License
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: Arkansas Code § 27-20-106 to § 27-20-108 (motorcycle operator's license, application, examination) — Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws, 2021 Edition