Kentucky Motorcycle Safety Course
Verified against RideSmartKY Motorcycle Rider Education Program ·
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 →
Whether Kentucky mandates a motorcycle safety course by age is not published by the state's own program. This page covers who runs the course, what it costs, how long it takes, and exactly which tests completing it can waive.
Kentucky's motorcycle safety course requirements — including course fees from $0 to $150 and completion waiving the state skills test — are verified against RideSmartKY Motorcycle Rider Education Program (see Kentucky Transportation Cabinet — Motorcycle Credentials), current as of 2026-07-28.
Kentucky Motorcycle Safety Course at a Glance
| Program | RideSmartKY Motorcycle Rider Education Program |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, under the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, overseen by the Motorcycle Safety Education Commission and delivered through approved training centres statewide |
| Delivery model | State-approved sponsorsThe state licenses sponsors, who set their own tuition; the rider picks among them at market price. |
| Typical cost | $0–$150 |
| Course length | 20 hours |
| Mandatory under age | — |
| Waives the riding skills test | Yes |
| Waives the knowledge test | Yes |
RideSmartKY also offers the BRC2, a refresher for riders who already hold a permit or endorsement and bring their own registered, insured motorcycle, and the 3-Wheel Basic Rider Course (3WBRC) of about 16 hours, which waives the skills test on completion and waives both tests when the training site supplies the motorcycle.
The Basic RiderCourse runs roughly 15 to 20 hours, with at least 10 hours of range time on a motorcycle the training centre supplies, plus online and in-person classroom time. It is free to a rider under 18 who already holds an intermediate operator's license; otherwise tuition is capped at $150 per class and varies by training centre and region, with financial assistance available to some eligible students. RideSmartKY is funded by the Division of Driver Licensing from a share of motorcyclist fees, motorcycle licenses, permits and registrations, and has run continuously since 1992.
What Kentucky’s course covers
Kentucky teaches the RideSmartKY Basic Rider Course (BRC), developed by Kentucky Office of Highway Safety. Full detail here.
How Kentucky differs: RideSmartKY also offers the BRC2, a refresher for riders who already hold a permit or endorsement and bring their own registered, insured motorcycle, and the 3-Wheel Basic Rider Course (3WBRC) of about 16 hours, which waives the skills test on completion and waives both tests when the training site supplies the motorcycle.
Once you complete the course, see license requirements in Kentucky.
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 and fee rules come from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Division of Driver Licensing. Training facts come from RideSmartKY, the state's motorcycle rider education program administered by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Kentucky Revised Statutes.
- Kentucky Transportation Cabinet consumer pages describe eye protection as required of both the operator and any passenger; the statute's own text requires it of the operator only. This page follows the statute.
- The Basic Rider Course is free to a rider under 18 who already holds an intermediate driver's license. Tuition for other riders is capped at $150 per class and varies by training centre and region.
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: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet — Motorcycle Credentials