Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Course
Verified against Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, 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.
Pennsylvania's motorcycle safety course requirements — including a free state-funded course and completion waiving the state skills test if age 18+ — are verified against Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (see PennDOT — Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP)), current as of 2026-07-28.
Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Course at a Glance
| Program | Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, delivered through designated Third-Party Motorcycle Training Providers at no cost to the rider |
| Delivery model | State buys the seatsProviders compete for a state grant or contract, and the state sets or subsidizes what the rider pays. |
| Typical cost | Free |
| Course length | 17 hours |
| Mandatory under age | Yes, under 18 |
| Waives the riding skills test | Yes, if age 18+ |
| Waives the knowledge test | No |
PennDOT's PAMSP program page names the entry course the 'Basic Rider Course (BRC)', while its own Motorcycle Permit Process FAQ names the identical course, with the identical 'BRC' abbreviation, the 'Beginner Riding Clinic'; both describe the same free, licence-granting, motorcycle-and-helmet-provided course. This record follows the FAQ's fuller name and its stated 17-hour combined classroom-and-riding length; a separate PAMSP FAQ elsewhere gives 5-6 classroom hours plus 10 riding hours for the same course, a close but not identical breakdown.
PAMSP courses are free to any Pennsylvania resident or active-duty military member holding a valid Class M permit or licence. The Beginner Riding Clinic (BRC) is the entry, licence-granting course; the Intermediate Riding Clinic (IRC) is a one-day licence-granting course for experienced riders who bring their own motorcycle; a 3-Wheel Riding Clinic (3WC) grants a licence with a '9' restriction; and an Advanced Riding Clinic is offered for riders with at least 3,000 miles of experience but does not grant a licence. A rider under 18 must complete the BRC before being eligible to test, and must separately log a total of 65 supervised riding hours (the BRC counting for 15) over at least 6 months on the learner's permit.
What Pennsylvania’s course covers
Pennsylvania teaches the Beginner Riding Clinic (BRC), developed by Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program. Full detail here.
How Pennsylvania differs: PennDOT's PAMSP program page names the entry course the 'Basic Rider Course (BRC)', while its own Motorcycle Permit Process FAQ names the identical course, with the identical 'BRC' abbreviation, the 'Beginner Riding Clinic'; both describe the same free, licence-granting, motorcycle-and-helmet-provided course. This record follows the FAQ's fuller name and its stated 17-hour combined classroom-and-riding length; a separate PAMSP FAQ elsewhere gives 5-6 classroom hours plus 10 riding hours for the same course, a close but not identical breakdown.
Once you complete the course, see license requirements in Pennsylvania.
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, permit, fee and test facts come from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Training facts come from the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program, which PennDOT operates through third-party training providers at no cost to permit and licence holders. Helmet rules come from Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.
- PennDOT's own web pages give two different answers for whether a rider under 18 can reach the skills-test waiver through a second Motorcycle Safety Program course, or must always sit the Driver License Center skills exam. This page follows PennDOT's more detailed page on licensing under 18, which describes both routes as available; a different PennDOT FAQ states only the Driver License Center exam applies to a 16- or 17-year-old.
- Pennsylvania's helmet exemption for a rider 21 or older requires either two years of Class M licensure or an approved safety course. A passenger's exemption is not just about the passenger's own age: a passenger 21 or older is exempt only when riding with an operator who independently qualifies for the exemption. A passenger riding with an operator who is under 21, or who lacks the two years or the course, must wear a helmet regardless of the passenger's own age.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: PennDOT — Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP)