Motorcycle License in Maryland
Verified against Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration ·
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 →
Maryland issues a Class M motorcycle license, either added to an existing Maryland driver's license or, for a resident with no other Maryland license, as a stand-alone credential. A rider who completes a Maryland Motorcycle Safety Program course and already holds a Maryland license can skip the learner's permit, the knowledge test and the skills test entirely; a first-time Maryland applicant must obtain the permit regardless. Maryland requires a DOT-compliant helmet of every rider and every passenger, with no age exemption.
Maryland's motorcycle license requirements — including a $88 licence fee and a training course completion that can waive the skills test if within 6 months — are verified against Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (see MDOT MVA — Motorcycle License), current as of 2026-07-28.
Maryland Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance
| Permit | Class M Motorcycle Learner's Permit |
|---|---|
| Permit minimum age | 16 |
| Permit fee | — |
| Permit validity | — |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | — |
| License fee | $88 |
| Renewal | $64 / 8 years |
| Knowledge test | Required25 questions, 88% passing score |
| Skills test | Requiredgiven by a third-party tester |
A rider already holding a Maryland driver's license who satisfactorily completes a Motorcycle Safety Program course can present the completion certificate at any MVA full-service office to have Class M added, without a separate learner's permit, knowledge test or skills test, provided the certificate is presented within six months of the course. An applicant obtaining a Maryland license for the first time must still obtain the Class M learner's permit and pass both tests, whether or not a course has been completed. The Class M license, once issued, is valid on the same up-to-eight-year cycle as an ordinary Maryland driver's license.
Completing Maryland's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test if within 6 months. See Maryland’s motorcycle safety course.
Engine-size tiers
- Moped License (up to 50cc, separate credential) — Maryland defines a moped as a pedal-equipped bicycle with a motor rated at 1.5 brake horsepower or less and, if an internal combustion engine, 50cc or less piston displacement, with wheels over 14 inches in diameter; electric bicycles are excluded. A Moped License is a separate credential from the Class M motorcycle license, priced at $30 new and $25 to renew.
Maryland helmet law
Required for all riders
Section 21-1306(b) requires every individual who operates or rides on a motorcycle to wear protective headgear meeting standards the MVA Administrator establishes; the section carries no age or experience exemption and does not apply to a person riding in an enclosed cab. Subsection (e) provides that a failure to wear the required headgear may not be treated as evidence of negligence or contributory negligence, may not limit any party's liability, and may not diminish recovery for damages arising from the ownership, maintenance or operation of a motorcycle.
Md. Code, Transportation §21-1306 · 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.
- License, permit, fee and test rules come from the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Maryland Code, Transportation Article, as published by the Maryland General Assembly.
- A rider who already holds a Maryland driver's license and completes an approved Motorcycle Safety Program course within the last six months can add the Class M license without a separate learner's permit or MVA test. A rider obtaining a Maryland license for the first time must obtain the permit and pass both tests regardless of course completion.
- Maryland's helmet law applies to every operator and every passenger with no age or experience exemption; only a person riding in an enclosed cab is excluded.
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: MDOT MVA — Motorcycle License