Motorcycle License in Nebraska
Verified against Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles ·
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 →
Nebraska issues a Class M license to operate a motorcycle or three-wheeled motor vehicle. Completing an approved motorcycle safety course within the preceding two years waives both the written and drive tests. Nebraska's helmet law exempts a rider 21 or older whose Class M license was earned with a safety course — a short online module for licenses issued before 1 May 2024, and the full course for licenses issued on or after that date — or who holds an out-of-state motorcycle license.
Nebraska's motorcycle license requirements — including a $10 fee to add the endorsement, a minimum age of 17, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test if within 24 months — are verified against Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (see Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-4,127 (motorcycle operation; Class M license required; issuance; examination)), current as of 2026-07-28.
Nebraska Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance
| Permit | Learner's Permit (LPD) |
|---|---|
| Permit minimum age | 15 |
| Permit fee | $13 |
| Permit validity | 365 days |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | 17 |
| License fee | $10 |
| Renewal | $29 / 5 years |
| Knowledge test | Required |
| Skills test | Required |
A Class M license may also take the form of a motorcycle endorsement on a Class O (regular operator) license. The $29 five-year fee is $24 plus a $5 security fee common to every Nebraska license and permit; a license issued to an applicant under 21 who would turn 21 in less than five years is shortened to expire on the 21st birthday instead.
Completing Nebraska's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test if within 24 months. See Nebraska’s motorcycle safety course.
Nebraska helmet law
Required for some riders
A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:
- the rider is 21 or older
- the operator holds a Nebraska Class M license or endorsement earned with a qualifying safety course — the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's three-hour Basic eCourse, if the Class M credential was issued before 1 May 2024, or the full basic motorcycle safety course under the Motorcycle Safety Education Act, if issued on or after 1 May 2024 — with proof submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles, or holds a motorcycle license issued by another state — This criterion is satisfied by the OPERATOR's course completion or out-of-state license, not the passenger's own. A passenger 21 or older is exempt only if the operator also meets this condition; the passenger need not personally complete a course. Both riders are exempt together once both are 21+ and the operator qualifies, so the criterion functionally binds both riders' outcome even though only the operator performs the qualifying act.
An operator or passenger under 21 must always wear a DOT-compliant protective helmet with chin strap. From 21, an operator is exempt only by holding a Class M license or endorsement earned through the qualifying safety course for its issue date, or by holding an out-of-state motorcycle license; a passenger 21 or older is exempt once the operator meets that same test, without needing a course of their own. A violation is an infraction carrying a $250 fine, enforced only as a secondary action unless the violation involves a person under 18 riding in a position not designed for passengers.
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279 · verified 2026-07-28
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 testing rules come from the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles and the Nebraska Revised Statutes. Training facts come from the same statutes and the Department's own list of approved motorcycle safety education sponsors. Helmet rules come from the Nebraska Revised Statutes.
- Nebraska's helmet exemption changed for licences issued from 1 May 2024: a shorter three-hour online course no longer qualifies for new Class M holders, who instead need the full basic motorcycle safety course. A rider licensed earlier keeps the shorter course as their qualifying credential.
- A passenger 21 or older is exempt from the helmet requirement only if the operator they are riding with also qualifies for the exemption; the passenger does not need a safety course of their own.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-4,127 (motorcycle operation; Class M license required; issuance; examination)