New York Motorcycle Safety Course
Verified against New York State Motorcyclist 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 →
Whether New York 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.
New York's motorcycle safety course requirements — including course fees from $199 to $398 and completion waiving the state skills test if within 24 months — are verified against New York State Motorcyclist Safety Program (see New York State Motorcyclist Safety Program — Frequently Asked Questions), current as of 2026-07-28.
New York Motorcycle Safety Course at a Glance
| Program | New York State Motorcyclist Safety Program |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, which the New York DMV states it partners with to administer the program; NYSMSP is headquartered in Scotia, New York, and operates nearly 40 training sites statewide |
| Delivery model | One statewide contractorA single contractor holds the statewide training contract. |
| Typical cost | $199–$398 |
| Course length | 16 hours |
| Mandatory under age | — |
| Waives the riding skills test | Yes, if within 24 months |
| Waives the knowledge test | No |
The Basic RiderCourse (BRC) runs about 16 combined classroom and on-motorcycle hours. The Basic RiderCourse 2 License Waiver (BRC2-LW), for a rider who already owns a motorcycle and knows how to ride, is a half-day course. A 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse is also offered.
NYSMSP prices the BRC at no more than $321 at upstate locations and no more than $398 in the New York City area (Rockland, Westchester, the five boroughs, Suffolk and Nassau). The BRC2-LW is no more than $270 upstate and $346.50 downstate, and the 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse is $199 statewide. Classes must be paid by credit or debit card at booking. NYSMSP trains about 18,000 riders a year across nearly 40 sites.
What New York’s course covers
New York 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 New York differs: The Basic RiderCourse (BRC) runs about 16 combined classroom and on-motorcycle hours. The Basic RiderCourse 2 License Waiver (BRC2-LW), for a rider who already owns a motorcycle and knows how to ride, is a half-day course. A 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse is also offered.
Once you complete the course, see license requirements in New York.
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, tests and fees come from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from the New York State Motorcyclist Safety Program, which the Department of Motor Vehicles names as its partner in administering the program. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law.
- New York's first-license-or-permit fee for a Class M or MJ credential varies with the applicant's exact age and county of residence rather than a single flat amount; published figures run from roughly $69 to $108 depending on age and whether a Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District surcharge applies.
- New York's road-test waiver through a Basic RiderCourse or Basic RiderCourse 2 License Waiver completion card only applies to a course taken in New York, and lapses two years after the course is completed.
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: New York State Motorcyclist Safety Program — Frequently Asked Questions