Michigan Motorcycle Safety Course
Verified against Michigan 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 →
In Michigan, riders under 18 must complete a motorcycle safety course before they can get the endorsement. This page covers who runs the course, what it costs, how long it takes, and exactly which tests completing it can waive.
Michigan's motorcycle safety course requirements — including course fees from $50 to $350 and completion waiving the state skills test — are verified against Michigan Rider Education Program (see Michigan Department of State — Michigan Motorcycle Rider Education Program FAQ), current as of 2026-07-28.
Michigan Motorcycle Safety Course at a Glance
| Program | Michigan Rider Education Program |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | Michigan Department of State, delivered by approved public and private course sponsors |
| Delivery model | State-approved sponsorsThe state licenses sponsors, who set their own tuition; the rider picks among them at market price. |
| Typical cost | $50–$350 |
| Course length | 15 hours |
| Mandatory under age | Yes, under 18 |
| Waives the riding skills test | Yes |
| Waives the knowledge test | Yes |
Michigan runs the Basic RiderCourse at roughly 15 hours over a weekend, with about 5 hours of classroom work, often as an online eCourse, and 10 hours of on-motorcycle training across two days. Harley-Davidson sponsor sites run 20 hours because of extra classroom and range time. The programme also offers an 8-hour Intermediate Rider License Waiver / Basic RiderCourse 2 for riders who already have basic skills and bring their own motorcycle, a Three-Wheel Basic RiderCourse of 4 classroom hours plus up to 8 on-cycle hours that leads to a three-wheel-restricted endorsement, and an Advanced RiderCourse for riders who already hold the endorsement.
Tuition at public sponsors is $50. Fees at private sponsors are not regulated by the department and typically run to $350. A training motorcycle under 500cc is provided on the Basic RiderCourse; the other courses require the rider's own registered and insured motorcycle. A certificate of completion is valid for one year. Courses fill quickly and a rider may register at any location in the state.
What Michigan’s course covers
Michigan teaches the Basic RiderCourse (BRC), 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 Michigan differs: Michigan runs the Basic RiderCourse at roughly 15 hours over a weekend, with about 5 hours of classroom work, often as an online eCourse, and 10 hours of on-motorcycle training across two days. Harley-Davidson sponsor sites run 20 hours because of extra classroom and range time. The programme also offers an 8-hour Intermediate Rider License Waiver / Basic RiderCourse 2 for riders who already have basic skills and bring their own motorcycle, a Three-Wheel Basic RiderCourse of 4 classroom hours plus up to 8 on-cycle hours that leads to a three-wheel-restricted endorsement, and an Advanced RiderCourse for riders who already hold the endorsement.
Once you complete the course, see endorsement requirements in Michigan.
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.
- Endorsement rules, permits, tests and fees come from the Michigan Department of State. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Michigan Vehicle Code as published by the Michigan Legislature.
- Michigan's helmet exemption is an all-or-nothing test: a rider must satisfy every listed condition, and the conditions for a passenger differ from those for the operator.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: Michigan Department of State — Michigan Motorcycle Rider Education Program FAQ