Motorcycle License in Illinois
Verified against Illinois Secretary of State, 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 →
Illinois adds a motorcycle classification to an existing driver's licence: Class L for a motor-driven cycle under 150cc and Class M for any motorcycle. The state runs the Cycle Rider Safety Training Program, whose courses are free to Illinois residents 16 and older and whose completion card removes both the written and the riding exam for graduates 18 and older. Illinois has no motorcycle helmet requirement, although eye protection is required by statute.
Illinois's motorcycle license requirements — including a $5 fee to add the endorsement, a minimum age of 18, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test if age 18+ and within 12 months — are verified against Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services (see 625 ILCS 5/6-118 (licence and permit fee schedule)), current as of 2026-07-28.
Illinois Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Illinois |
|---|---|
| Permit | Class M or Class L Instruction Permit |
| Permit minimum age | 16 years |
| Permit fee | — |
| Permit validity | 365 days (730 days for ages 16–17) |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | 18 years |
| License fee | $5 |
| Renewal fee | $5 |
| Renewal period | 4 years |
| Knowledge test | Required |
| Skills test | Required |
A driver's licence expires four years from the date of issue, so the motorcycle classification it carries renews on the same cycle. An eight-year option must be offered to qualified applicants no later than 1 July 2027.
How do you get a motorcycle license in Illinois?
- Reach the minimum permit age. You must be at least 16 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Illinois.
- Pass the knowledge test. Illinois requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
- Get your motorcycle permit. It is valid for 365 days.
- Train if required. Riders under 18 must complete a motorcycle safety course.
- Pass the skills test, or waive it. Illinois requires a motorcycle skills test. Completing Illinois's motorcycle safety course waives it if age 18+ and within 12 months.
- Pay the fee and get your license. The license costs $5. The minimum age for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Illinois is 18.
Common questions about motorcycle licensing in Illinois
How old do you have to be to get a motorcycle permit in Illinois?
You must be at least 16 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Illinois.
An applicant 18 or older receives a 12-month permit for a Class L or Class M motorcycle. An applicant aged 16 or 17 receives a 24-month permit, and two kinds are available: one for a motor-driven cycle, and one for a motorcycle other than a motor-driven cycle, which is issued only to an applicant who has already successfully completed a motorcycle training course approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Permit riding is limited to daylight hours under the direct supervision of a licensed motorcycle operator who is 21 or older with at least a year of driving experience.
What is the minimum age for a motorcycle license in Illinois?
You must be at least 18 for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Illinois.
From 18 no training course is required. A rider under 18 must have successfully completed an IDOT-approved motorcycle training course before being licensed to operate a motorcycle other than a motor-driven cycle, and must still pass the written and riding exams at a Driver Services facility.
Does Illinois require a motorcycle knowledge test?
Yes, Illinois requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
A separate motorcycle written examination at a Driver Services facility. A Cycle Rider Safety Training Program completion card takes the place of it for graduates 18 and older, for one year from the course completion date.
Does Illinois require a motorcycle skills test?
Yes, Illinois requires a motorcycle skills test. In Illinois, completing Illinois's motorcycle safety course waives it if age 18+ and within 12 months.
A motorcycle road examination at a Driver Services facility. A Cycle Rider Safety Training Program completion card takes the place of it for graduates 18 and older, for one year from the course completion date. Graduates aged 16 or 17 must present the card and still take both exams.
How much does a motorcycle license cost in Illinois?
A motorcycle license in Illinois costs $5.
How often do you renew a motorcycle license in Illinois?
A motorcycle license in Illinois renews every 4 years. Renewal costs $5.
Completing Illinois's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test if age 18+ and within 12 months. See Illinois’s motorcycle safety course.
Engine-size tiers
- Class L (motor-driven cycle under 150cc) (up to 149cc, separate credential) — Class L covers a motor-driven cycle of less than 150cc. Class M covers any motorcycle.
Illinois helmet law
No helmet requirement
Section 11-1404 is the Illinois Vehicle Code provision setting the special equipment persons riding motorcycles must wear, and it requires eye protection only. No helmet requirement appears in it or elsewhere in the Code, so Illinois riders and passengers of any age may ride without a helmet.
625 ILCS 5/11-1404 · 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, permits and fees come from the Illinois Vehicle Code and the Illinois Secretary of State. Training facts come from the Cycle Rider Safety Training Act and the Illinois Department of Transportation, which runs the programme. The absence of a helmet requirement is stated on the authority of the Illinois Vehicle Code's motorcycle equipment section.
- Cycle Rider Safety Training Program courses are free. A provider may take a registration fee set by the Department — currently $20 — which is refunded when the course is completed.
- Illinois is changing how this training is delivered. Public Act 104-0408 took effect on 1 January 2026 and opened the programme to a wider range of providers in place of the previous regional centres, and the Department has an open funding opportunity for new administering partners. Course locations and the administering organisation may change during 2026.
means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.
Sources
- 625 ILCS 5/6-118 (licence and permit fee schedule)
- 625 ILCS 5/6-107.1 (instruction permit for a minor)
- 625 ILCS 5/6-103 (what persons shall not be licensed or granted permits)
- 625 ILCS 5/6-105 (instruction permits, 18 and older)
- 625 ILCS 5/6-115 (expiration of driver's license)
- 625 ILCS 5/1-145.001 (definition of a motor driven cycle — the 150cc line)
- Illinois Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Training (Class L and Class M classifications)
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: 625 ILCS 5/6-118 (licence and permit fee schedule)