Motorcycle License in Missouri
Verified against Missouri Department of Revenue ·
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 →
Missouri issues a Class M licence, or an M endorsement on an existing driver's licence, to operate a motorcycle or motortricycle. Completing a rider training course approved under the state's motorcycle rider training program satisfies both the written and riding portions of the examination for one year. Missouri's helmet law now turns on age rather than training or insurance: since a 2020 amendment, a rider 26 or older may go without a helmet, except an operator who holds only an instruction permit.
Missouri's motorcycle license requirements — including a training course completion that can waive the skills test if within 12 months — are verified against Missouri Department of Revenue (see RSMo 302.020 (operation without proper licence; motorcycles; special licence; protective headgear)), current as of 2026-07-28.
Missouri Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance
| Permit | Class M Instruction Permit |
|---|---|
| Permit minimum age | 16 |
| Permit fee | $10 |
| Permit validity | 180 days |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | — |
| License fee | — |
| Renewal | — / 3 or 6 years |
| Knowledge test | Required |
| Skills test | Required |
The fee chart lists no distinct Class M full-licence or endorsement fee separate from the underlying driver's licence class (for example Class F). The Department of Revenue states an applicant 'must have a Class M license or permit (or a driver license with the M endorsement)' and must pass the Class F and Class M written, vision, road-sign and motorcycle skills tests, indicating the M authorisation typically rides on the same document and fee as the applicant's base licence class.
Completing Missouri's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test if within 12 months. See Missouri’s motorcycle safety course.
Missouri helmet law
Required for some riders
A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:
- the rider is 26 or older
For the operator only, this additional condition also applies — it does not bind a passenger:
- the operator has been issued a motorcycle licence rather than only an instruction permit — An operator 26 or older who has been issued only an instruction permit must still wear protective headgear at all times the vehicle is in motion. This carve-back does not reach a passenger: once both the passenger and the operator are 26 or older, the passenger's exemption does not depend on the operator's permit-versus-licence status.
Every rider under 26 operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle or motortricycle must wear protective headgear meeting standards the director sets. No political subdivision may impose its own headgear requirement, and no rider may be stopped, inspected or detained solely to check compliance with this subsection. Failure to wear required headgear is an infraction carrying a fine of up to $25, with no court costs and no licence points.
RSMo 302.020.2 · 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, permits, fees and testing rules come from the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Revised Statutes of Missouri. Training facts come from the Missouri Motorcycle Safety Program and the statutes establishing it. Helmet rules come from the Revised Statutes of Missouri.
- Missouri's helmet law changed in 2020. Riders 26 and older need not wear a helmet, except an operator riding on an instruction permit rather than a full licence. Some older or secondary summaries describe an insurance- and course-based exemption that is no longer the law; this page follows the statute as currently published.
- Missouri's motorcycle rider training program is delivered through a mix of community colleges, university safety centers and dealer-affiliated sites under contract with the state; course tuition is not published as a single statewide figure.
means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.
Sources
- RSMo 302.020 (operation without proper licence; motorcycles; special licence; protective headgear)
- RSMo 302.173 (driver's examination required; motorcycle rider training course; no further test)
- Missouri Department of Revenue — Driver Licence Fees
- Missouri Department of Revenue — Permit/Driver Licence/Nondriver ID Fee Chart (PDF, 08-2025)
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: RSMo 302.020 (operation without proper licence; motorcycles; special licence; protective headgear)