Motorcycle Endorsement in Louisiana
Verified against Louisiana Office 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 →
Louisiana does not issue a separate motorcycle license: a rider adds an M endorsement to an existing Class D or E driver's license after passing a motorcycle knowledge and skills test, or by completing the state's own Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program, which is voluntary at every age and waives both tests. Louisiana is one of the strictest helmet-law states in the country, requiring a helmet of every operator and passenger with no age, insurance or experience exemption.
Louisiana's motorcycle endorsement requirements — including a $12 fee to add the endorsement, a minimum age of 16, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test — are verified against Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (see R.S. 32:408 (examination of applicants required; classes of licenses)), current as of 2026-07-28.
Louisiana Motorcycle Endorsement Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Permit | Motorcycle Learner's Permit |
| Permit minimum age | 16 years |
| Permit fee | — |
| Permit validity | — |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | 16 years |
| Endorsement fee | $12 |
| Renewal fee | — |
| Renewal period | 6 years |
| Knowledge test | Required |
| Skills test | Requiredgiven by a third-party tester |
Motorcycles, motor-driven cycles and motorized bicycles are not given a separate license class in Louisiana; the M privilege is always an endorsement on one of the basic license classes. The endorsement fee is $12 where the underlying license has a full six years left to run, and $6 where it does not.
How do you get a motorcycle endorsement in Louisiana?
- Reach the minimum permit age. You must be at least 16 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Louisiana.
- Pass the knowledge test. Louisiana requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
- Train if required. Louisiana does not require any rider to complete a safety course.
- Pass the skills test, or waive it. Louisiana requires a motorcycle skills test. Completing Louisiana's motorcycle safety course waives it.
- Pay the fee and get your endorsement. The endorsement costs $12. The minimum age for an unrestricted motorcycle endorsement in Louisiana is 16. In Louisiana 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 Louisiana
How old do you have to be to get a motorcycle permit in Louisiana?
You must be at least 16 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Louisiana.
Louisiana does not issue a motorcycle learner's permit as a separate physical document. An applicant who already holds a Class D or E driver's license passes the motorcycle written knowledge test, after which the record carries a restricted motorcycle status until the applicant either passes the on-cycle skills test or presents a completion card from the state's own Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program, which waives both remaining tests. A holder of a valid learner's license under 17 who operates a motorcycle is restricted to within three miles of home, or of wherever a parent, tutor or custodian is temporarily staying.
What is the minimum age for a motorcycle endorsement in Louisiana?
You must be at least 16 for an unrestricted motorcycle endorsement in Louisiana.
Sixteen is the minimum age at which the Office of Motor Vehicles adds a motorcycle endorsement, and no course is required at any age for it. A parent or legal guardian must consent to the application for an applicant under 18. A motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorized bicycle of under five horsepower needs no license or endorsement at all, and an autocycle needs no special endorsement.
Does Louisiana require a motorcycle knowledge test?
Yes, Louisiana requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
A written knowledge test representative of a motorcycle, waived entirely by completing the Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program.
Does Louisiana require a motorcycle skills test?
Yes, Louisiana requires a motorcycle skills test. In Louisiana, completing Louisiana's motorcycle safety course waives it.
An on-cycle skills test, which may be administered by an authorized third party rather than the Office of Motor Vehicles directly, or waived entirely by completing the Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program.
How much does a motorcycle endorsement cost in Louisiana?
A motorcycle endorsement in Louisiana costs $12.
How often do you renew a motorcycle endorsement in Louisiana?
A motorcycle endorsement in Louisiana renews every 6 years.
Completing Louisiana's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test. See Louisiana’s motorcycle safety course.
Louisiana helmet law
Required for all riders
No one may operate or ride upon a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorized bicycle without a securely fastened safety helmet, of any age, and with no exemption for insurance coverage or riding experience. Local police authorities may permit an exemption for parade or exhibition participants while actually taking part. The requirement does not reach a person in an autocycle equipped with supports meeting or exceeding safety-helmet standards, or a rollbar or roll cage. A violation carries a $50 fine that includes all court costs, with no other cost or fee added.
R.S. 32:190 · 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, testing and fee rules come from the Louisiana Revised Statutes, Title 32, as published by the Louisiana State Legislature. Training facts come from the Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program, run directly by the Louisiana State Police. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the same Title.
- Several secondary sources quote a $19 or $15 motorcycle-endorsement fee rather than the $12 or $6 this page cites from statute; the difference may be an additional handling fee charged at the point of sale that was not confirmed on a primary Office of Motor Vehicles source.
- Louisiana requires a helmet of every rider and passenger, at any age, with no exemption for insurance or riding experience — one of the strictest helmet laws among the states in this dataset.
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: R.S. 32:408 (examination of applicants required; classes of licenses)