Maryland Motorcycle Safety Course
Verified against Maryland Motorcycle Safety 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 →
In Maryland, riders under 18 must complete a motorcycle safety course before they can get the license. This page covers who runs the course, what it costs, how long it takes, and exactly which tests completing it can waive.
Maryland's motorcycle safety course requirements — including completion waiving the state skills test if within 6 months — are verified against Maryland Motorcycle Safety Program (see MDOT MVA — Motorcycle Training & Education), current as of 2026-07-28.
Maryland Motorcycle Safety Course at a Glance
| Program | Maryland Motorcycle Safety Program |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration, delivered through training providers approved under agreement with the Maryland Department of Transportation and the MVA |
| Delivery model | State-approved sponsorsThe state licenses sponsors, who set their own tuition; the rider picks among them at market price. |
| Typical cost | — |
| Course length | — |
| Mandatory under age | Yes, under 18 |
| Waives the riding skills test | Yes, if within 6 months |
| Waives the knowledge test | Yes, if within 6 months |
The Maryland Motorcycle Safety Program also offers a Basic Rider Course 2 - License Waiver for riders with current on-street experience who need to get licensed, a Basic Rider Course 2 - Skills Practice restricted to riders who already hold a Class M license, a Three-Wheel Basic Rider Course, and an Advanced Rider Course described as the civilian version of a Motorcycle Safety Foundation military training program.
Training centres operate under agreement with the Maryland Department of Transportation and the MVA; the MVA does not accept a motorcycle safety program certificate from any other state or the military unless the issuing provider is similarly approved. A completion certificate is submitted electronically to the MVA and is valid for only six months from the date of completion, pass or fail, and is never renewed once expired. A separate FAST TRACK program lets a rider who has not taken a course take the knowledge and riding tests back-to-back in one appointment, with a second same-day attempt allowed on either test if the first attempt fails; FAST TRACK is described by the MVA as not a substitute for rider training.
What Maryland’s course covers
Maryland teaches the Entry-Level Basic Rider Course updated (BRCu), developed by Motorcycle Safety Foundation. Full detail here.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic RiderCourse is designed for beginning riders aged 16 and up, pairing about five hours of classroom or online learning with about ten hours of on-motorcycle training, and it ends in a written knowledge test and a rider skills test.
How Maryland differs: The Maryland Motorcycle Safety Program also offers a Basic Rider Course 2 - License Waiver for riders with current on-street experience who need to get licensed, a Basic Rider Course 2 - Skills Practice restricted to riders who already hold a Class M license, a Three-Wheel Basic Rider Course, and an Advanced Rider Course described as the civilian version of a Motorcycle Safety Foundation military training program.
Once you complete the course, see license requirements in Maryland.
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.
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: MDOT MVA — Motorcycle Training & Education