Motorcycle License in Mississippi
Verified against Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau ·
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 →
Mississippi adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's licence. Every applicant passes a written and a riding test, though a rider who completes a safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators skips the riding test. Mississippi requires a crash helmet of every rider and passenger, with narrow exemptions for autocycles and for parade participants 18 and older.
Mississippi's motorcycle license requirements — including a $5 fee to add the endorsement, a minimum age of 16, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test — are verified against Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau (see DPS Driver Service Bureau — Motorcycle Endorsement), current as of 2026-07-28.
Mississippi Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Mississippi |
|---|---|
| Permit | Motorcycle Learner's Permit |
| Permit minimum age | 15 years |
| Permit fee | $1 |
| Permit validity | 365 days |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | 16 years |
| License fee | $5 |
| Renewal fee | — |
| Renewal period | 4 or 8 years, at the applicant's choice |
| Knowledge test | Required |
| Skills test | Required |
Mississippi law treats a motor scooter — a two-wheeled vehicle with a step-through chassis, a wheel of 10 inches or more, an engine of 50cc or less, and 2.7 brake horsepower or less if a combustion engine — the same as a motorcycle for licensing purposes; no separate lower-tier credential exists. Fee amounts are cash, debit or credit only; the Driver Service Bureau does not accept personal cheques.
How do you get a motorcycle license in Mississippi?
- Reach the minimum permit age. You must be at least 15 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Mississippi.
- Pass the knowledge test. Mississippi requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
- Get your motorcycle permit. The permit costs $1. It is valid for 365 days.
- Hold the permit. There is no minimum period you must hold the permit before taking the skills test.
- Pass the skills test, or waive it. Mississippi requires a motorcycle skills test. Completing Mississippi's motorcycle safety course waives it.
- Pay the fee and get your license. The license costs $5. The minimum age for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Mississippi is 16.
Common questions about motorcycle licensing in Mississippi
How old do you have to be to get a motorcycle permit in Mississippi?
You must be at least 15 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Mississippi.
A learner's permit issues once the written test is passed. It must be held for one year or until the holder turns 17, whichever occurs first. A permit holder may ride only with a fellow rider at least 21 years old, holding a valid driver's licence with a motorcycle endorsement, following alongside on a motorcycle or behind in a vehicle. A rider may take the riding test the same day the permit is issued.
What is the minimum age for a motorcycle license in Mississippi?
You must be at least 16 for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Mississippi.
All applicants must be at least 16 to hold a Mississippi driver's licence. The minimum age for the motorcycle learner's permit is 15. Mississippi publishes no separate minimum age for the endorsement itself beyond the 16-year-old licence floor.
Does Mississippi require a motorcycle knowledge test?
Yes, Mississippi requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
A written examination on the Motorcycle Operator's Manual, taken at a Driver Service Bureau office. It is required of every applicant, including a graduate of an AAMVA-endorsed safety class.
Does Mississippi require a motorcycle skills test?
Yes, Mississippi requires a motorcycle skills test. In Mississippi, completing Mississippi's motorcycle safety course waives it.
A riding examination taken at a Driver Service Bureau office. It is waived for an applicant who has successfully completed a motorcycle safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. A valid out-of-state motorcycle licence or endorsement waives both the written and riding tests on transfer.
How much does a motorcycle license cost in Mississippi?
A motorcycle license in Mississippi costs $5. The permit costs $1.
How often do you renew a motorcycle license in Mississippi?
A motorcycle license in Mississippi renews every 4 or 8 years, at the applicant's choice.
Completing Mississippi's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test. See Mississippi’s motorcycle safety course.
Mississippi helmet law
Required for all riders
Section 63-7-64 requires a crash helmet meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218 of every person operating or riding a motorcycle or motor scooter on a public road, with no age exemption for either an operator or a passenger. Two narrow exemptions apply: a person operating an autocycle as defined in Section 63-3-103, and a person riding in a parade at no more than 30 miles per hour who is 18 or older. A violation is punishable as a traffic offence under Section 63-9-11.
Miss. Code Ann. § 63-7-64 · 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, permit, fee and testing facts come from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety's Driver Service Bureau. The helmet requirement comes from the Mississippi Code, as enacted by House Bill 111 of 2015.
- Mississippi runs no state motorcycle training program. The Department of Public Safety accepts a safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to waive the riding test; course locations, schedules and cost are set independently by each provider.
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: DPS Driver Service Bureau — Motorcycle Endorsement