Motorcycle License in Colorado

Verified against Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) · 2026-07-28

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 →

Colorado adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's licence: an 'M' endorsement for a two- or three-wheel motorcycle, or a '3' endorsement restricted to three-wheel machines only. A rider can add the endorsement by passing the written and riding exams at a driver licence office, or by presenting a completion card from the state's Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) programme, which replaces both exams. Colorado has no general motorcycle helmet law; a rider or passenger must wear one only if under 18.

Colorado's motorcycle license requirements — including a $2 fee to add the endorsement, a minimum age of 18, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test — are verified against Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) (see Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles — I'm a Motorcycle Driver), current as of 2026-07-28.

Colorado Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance

Permit, minimum ages, fees, renewal, and test requirements for a motorcycle license in Colorado
Permit	Motorcycle Instruction Permit
Permit minimum age	16
Permit fee	$20
Permit validity	1095 days
Minimum age (unrestricted)	18
License fee	$2
Renewal	—
Knowledge test	Required
Skills test	Required

Colorado issues two motorcycle endorsements: 'M', which allows a two- or three-wheel motorcycle, and '3', which allows only a three-wheel motorcycle and is earned by testing on one. The endorsement cannot be added by mail, online or by phone; an in-person appointment at a driver licence office is required.

Completing Colorado's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test. See Colorado’s motorcycle safety course.

Colorado helmet law

Required for some riders

A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:

the rider is 18 years of age or older

Section 42-4-1502(4.5) requires each person under 18 riding as an operator or passenger on a motorcycle, autocycle or low-power scooter to wear a protective helmet meeting federal motorcycle-helmet standards (49 CFR 571.218), secured with a chin strap. A rider or passenger 18 or older may ride without one. A three-wheeled autocycle with a maximum design speed of 25 mph, a windshield and seat belts is exempt regardless of the occupants' ages. Violation is a class A traffic infraction.

C.R.S. § 42-4-1502(4.5) · 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.

Endorsement rules, permits, tests and fees come from the Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from the Motorcycle Operator Safety Training program, run by the Colorado State Patrol, and its public site, Ride Safe Colorado. Helmet rules come from the Colorado Revised Statutes.
A change already enacted by the Colorado legislature (HB 24-1021) will require every applicant under 21 to complete an approved motorcycle safety course before a motorcycle instruction permit is issued, but only for applications submitted on or after 1 January 2027. Everything on this page reflects the law as it stands before that date.
Motorcycle Operator Safety Training courses are taught by independently owned vendors across the state, each certified by the Colorado State Patrol. Course tuition is set by the individual vendor and is not published by the state.

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: Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles — I'm a Motorcycle Driver