Motorcycle Endorsement in Idaho
Verified against Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles ·
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 →
Idaho adds an M endorsement to an existing Idaho driver's licence. Every applicant takes the Idaho Transportation Department's motorcycle knowledge test; the skills test can be replaced by a qualifying Idaho STAR course, and applicants under 21 must take that course. Idaho requires a helmet only of riders and passengers under 18.
Idaho's motorcycle endorsement requirements — including a $15 fee to add the endorsement, a minimum age of 21, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test if within 24 months — are verified against Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles (see Idaho Transportation Department — Motorcycle Endorsement), current as of 2026-07-28.
Idaho Motorcycle Endorsement Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Idaho |
|---|---|
| Permit | Motorcycle Instruction Permit |
| Permit minimum age | — |
| Permit fee | $15 |
| Permit validity | 365 days |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | 21 years |
| Endorsement fee | $15 |
| Renewal fee | — |
| Knowledge test | Required, $5 fee |
| Skills test | Required, $25 feegiven by a third-party tester |
The M endorsement carries a one-time $15 fee. A valid out-of-state motorcycle endorsement transfers on passing the Idaho knowledge test and paying that fee; a foreign motorcycle licence does not transfer and requires both tests.
How do you get a motorcycle endorsement in Idaho?
- Pass the knowledge test. Idaho requires a motorcycle knowledge test. The fee is $5.
- Get your motorcycle permit. The permit costs $15. It is valid for 365 days.
- Train if required. Riders under 21 must complete a motorcycle safety course.
- Pass the skills test, or waive it. Idaho requires a motorcycle skills test. The fee is $25. Completing Idaho's motorcycle safety course waives it if within 24 months.
- Pay the fee and get your endorsement. The endorsement costs $15. The minimum age for an unrestricted motorcycle endorsement in Idaho is 21. In Idaho this is added as an endorsement on your existing driver's license rather than issued as a standalone license.
Common questions about motorcycle licensing in Idaho
How old do you have to be to get a motorcycle permit in Idaho?
The applicant must already hold an Idaho driver's licence and must pass the motorcycle knowledge test before buying the permit. A permit holder may not carry a passenger, may not ride on a highway or freeway, may ride only in daylight, and must wear a helmet if under 18. Meeting the testing requirements and adding the endorsement within one year of the permit being issued waives the $15 one-time endorsement fee.
What is the minimum age for a motorcycle endorsement in Idaho?
You must be at least 21 for an unrestricted motorcycle endorsement in Idaho.
An applicant under 21 must pass the knowledge test and successfully complete an approved motorcycle rider training course before the endorsement is added. From 21 the course is recommended but not required.
Does Idaho require a motorcycle knowledge test?
Yes, Idaho requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
Taken at any county driver's licence office and required of every applicant, including a rider transferring an out-of-state endorsement. Results are valid for one year, and the test must be passed before the skills test and before buying an instruction permit. Failing it means waiting three days and paying the $5 fee again. The study material is the Idaho Motorcycle Operator's Manual.
Does Idaho require a motorcycle skills test?
Yes, Idaho requires a motorcycle skills test. In Idaho, completing Idaho's motorcycle safety course waives it if within 24 months.
Given by a third-party skills tester rather than by a driver licensing office. The knowledge test must be passed first, and results are valid for one year. Completing a qualifying Idaho STAR course takes the place of the skills test.
How much does a motorcycle endorsement cost in Idaho?
A motorcycle endorsement in Idaho costs $15. The permit costs $15.
Completing Idaho's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test if within 24 months. See Idaho’s motorcycle safety course.
Idaho helmet law
Required for some riders
A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:
- the rider is 18 or older
No one under 18 may operate or ride on a motorcycle or motorbike without a protective safety helmet meeting standards set by the director. The requirement does not apply on private property, to vehicles used as an implement of husbandry, or to a completely enclosed autocycle. A citation carries a $50 fine, and a conviction adds no violation points and does not count as a moving traffic violation for insurance rating.
Idaho Code § 49-666 · 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, tests and fees come from the Idaho Transportation Department. Training facts come from Idaho STAR, the state's own motorcycle safety programme, which the Transportation Department names as Idaho's primary provider. Helmet rules come from the Idaho Code.
- Idaho STAR course prices are the programme's published tuition for its basic courses and may change between riding seasons.
- Idaho publishes two different deadlines for using a course to skip the skills test. The Transportation Department's endorsement page and Idaho STAR both say two years from completing the course; the April 2026 Idaho Motorcycle Operator's Manual says 25 months. Two years is used here because it is the shorter deadline and the one both web sources give. A rider close to the limit should add the endorsement before the two-year mark rather than rely on the extra month.
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: Idaho Transportation Department — Motorcycle Endorsement