{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Dataset","name":"US Motorcycle License, Training and Helmet Law Requirements Dataset","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","dateModified":"2026-07-28","jurisdictionCount":51,"sourceMethodology":"Every record is verified against that jurisdiction's own DMV/DPS/BMV/MVA source, statute, or rider-training program, never a secondary aggregator or law-firm summary. Each of the three clusters (license, training, helmetLaw) carries its own sources[] and lastVerified date. Full methodology: https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/about#authorship","states":[{"name":"Alabama","slug":"alabama","abbreviation":"AL","overview":"Alabama issues a Class M driver license for a full-size motorcycle and, for a 14- or 15-year-old, a Class M license bearing a 'B' restriction limited to a motor-driven cycle of no more than 150cc and 200 pounds. There is no separate motorcycle instruction permit: an applicant tests directly for the Class M license at a driver license office, although the Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program's Basic RiderCourse, delivered statewide by the University of Montevallo, offers an in-course skills test that can be presented in place of the road test. Alabama requires every motorcycle operator and passenger to wear approved protective headgear, with no age or other exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Driver License Division","abbreviation":"ALEA","url":"https://www.alea.gov/dps/driver-license"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Alabama Law Enforcement Agency — Alabama Driver Manual (November 2024), Chapter 1: motor-driven cycle and motorcycle licenses","url":"https://www.alea.gov/sites/default/files/ALEA%20DL%20Manual.pdf"},{"label":"Alabama Law Enforcement Agency — Driver Licenses: Classes, Endorsements, and Restrictions","url":"https://www.alea.gov/dps/driver-license/license-and-id-cards/driver-licenses-classes-endorsements-and-restrictions"},{"label":"Alabama Law Enforcement Agency — Document Requirements and Fees","url":"https://www.alea.gov/dps/driver-license/document-requirements-and-fees"},{"label":"Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed., October 2024) — license requirements front matter","url":"https://www.alea.gov/sites/default/files/Updated%20ALEA%202024%20Motorcycle%20Manual%20Proof%209.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Driver License","permit":{"name":"No separate motorcycle instruction permit","details":"Alabama does not issue a motorcycle learner's or instruction permit distinct from the Class M license itself. An applicant who passes the motorcycle knowledge test and the road skills test at a driver license office is issued the Class M license outright, with no intermediate document, minimum holding period or supervised-riding stage beforehand. Before the road test, an examiner inspects the motorcycle for required equipment (brake lights and turn signals) and the applicant must present proof of registration and insurance; a rental vehicle may be used only if the applicant is named on the rental agreement."},"minAge":{"unrestricted":16,"details":"Any person 16 or older may obtain the Class M license to operate a motorcycle. A 14- or 15-year-old may instead obtain a Class M license carrying the 'B' restriction, limited to a motor-driven cycle."},"fees":{"initialLicense":36.25,"renewalPeriod":"4 years"},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"fee":5,"details":"A written examination on Alabama traffic laws, road signs and safe-riding practice, drawn from the Alabama Motorcycle Manual. The same $5 fee applies to any Alabama knowledge test. Automated testing is available to all applicants."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A road skills test administered by a driver license examiner. Completing the Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program's Basic RiderCourse and passing its in-course motorcycle skill test lets a rider present the completion card at a driver license office in place of this test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Class M with 'B' restriction (motor-driven cycle, ages 14-15)","engineCcMax":150,"separateCredential":true,"details":"An applicant aged 14 or 15 may take the same knowledge and road tests as an adult applicant, using a motor-driven cycle weighing no more than 200 pounds and displacing no more than 150cc, and is issued a Class M license bearing the 'B' restriction limiting operation to that vehicle only. At 16 the holder may return to a driver license office and transfer to the unrestricted Class M license without the size limits. The restricted license is valid for four years, the same term as the unrestricted license."}],"details":"A driver license examiner inspects the test motorcycle for required equipment and the applicant must present proof of registration and insurance before the road test. Alabama's base license fee and four-year renewal cycle are set by ALEA and do not vary by class beyond the commercial classes; the Class M license renews on the same $36.25, four-year cycle as any other class."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Alabama Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Safety Program","url":"https://www.dot.state.al.us/programs/motorcycleSafety.html"},{"label":"University of Montevallo, Alabama Traffic Safety Center — Motorcycle Safety Program","url":"https://www.montevallo.edu/campus-life/around-campus/alabama-traffic-safety-center/motorcycle-safety-program/"},{"label":"University of Montevallo, Alabama Traffic Safety Center — Basic Rider Course (BRC)","url":"https://www.montevallo.edu/campus-life/around-campus/alabama-traffic-safety-center/motorcycle-safety-program/basic-rider-course-brc/"},{"label":"University of Montevallo, Alabama Traffic Safety Center — Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program Registration and Course Policies","url":"https://www.montevallo.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/AMSP-Registration-and-Course-Policies.pdf"},{"label":"Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed., October 2024)","url":"https://www.alea.gov/sites/default/files/Updated%20ALEA%202024%20Motorcycle%20Manual%20Proof%209.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"AMSP","operator":"Alabama Department of Transportation, delivered statewide by the University of Montevallo's Alabama Traffic Safety Center","url":"https://www.montevallo.edu/campus-life/around-campus/alabama-traffic-safety-center/motorcycle-safety-program/"},"delivery":"college-delivered","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":275,"max":275},"lengthHours":16,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Alabama runs the Basic RiderCourse over two days, Saturday-Sunday or Tuesday-Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., pairing an approximately 5-hour self-paced MSF Basic eCourse with about 11 hours of on-motorcycle training and an in-course motorcycle skill test. The programme also offers an Experienced Rider Course (BRC2) and an Advanced Rider Course (ARC), each about $125, and trains new RiderCoaches through a $500 preparation course.","details":"The Basic RiderCourse is open to anyone 14 or older; an enrollee under 18 needs a parent or legal guardian to sign a waiver form in person at the first classroom session. The programme supplies the training motorcycle, a helmet and a face shield for the Basic course, and since 1 June 2022 has allowed a rider to bring a privately owned, registered and insured scooter instead. Courses run at sites across the state, including Montevallo, Mobile, Gadsden, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed., October 2024) — Motorcycle Operation in Alabama","url":"https://www.alea.gov/sites/default/files/Updated%20ALEA%202024%20Motorcycle%20Manual%20Proof%209.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual (18th ed., October 2024) — Motorcycle Operation in Alabama","url":"https://www.alea.gov/sites/default/files/Updated%20ALEA%202024%20Motorcycle%20Manual%20Proof%209.pdf"},"details":"No person may operate or ride upon a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle in Alabama without wearing approved protective headgear, and none may do so without wearing shoes. The rule applies to every rider and every passenger regardless of age. Alabama encourages, but does not require, a face shield or other eye protection."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages, fees and testing requirements come from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Driver Manual and Motorcycle Operator Manual. Training facts come from the Alabama Department of Transportation and the University of Montevallo's Alabama Traffic Safety Center, which delivers the state's Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program. Helmet and equipment rules are stated in the Alabama Motorcycle Operator Manual.","Alabama does not issue a separate motorcycle instruction permit. An applicant of a qualifying age tests directly for the Class M licence, with no learner's-permit stage beforehand.","Completing the Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program's Basic RiderCourse and passing its in-course skill test lets a rider present the completion card at a driver licence office in place of the road test. The programme's own materials do not state that the separate written knowledge test is also waived.","Alabama Motorcycle Safety Program course prices are the programme's own published tuition and may change between riding seasons."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/alabama","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/alabama"},{"name":"Alaska","slug":"alaska","abbreviation":"AK","overview":"Alaska issues an M1 license for any motorcycle over 50cc, an M3 license for a three-wheeled motorcycle, and an M2 permit for a 14- or 15-year-old to operate a motor-driven cycle under 50cc. Training runs through independent A.B.A.T.E. of Alaska chapters and recognised dealership sites teaching the Motorcycle Safety Foundation curriculum rather than through one statewide programme; completing a course and presenting the certificate within the current or previous calendar year waives the DMV road test, though not the written knowledge test. Alaska's helmet law is conditional: only an operator 18 or older who already holds the licence or endorsement may ride without one, while every passenger, every permit holder and anyone taking the road test must wear one regardless of age.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle License","url":"https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/motorcycle-license/"},{"label":"Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles — License Fees","url":"https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/license-fees/"},{"label":"Alaska DMV — Motorcycle Manual","url":"https://dmv.alaska.gov/media/bbxnnsrr/mcman.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"M1 Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":14,"fee":15,"validityDays":730,"holdingPeriodDays":180,"details":"Available with parental consent at 14. It requires a written motorcycle knowledge test and a vision test, is valid for two years from issue, and may be renewed once. A permit holder must ride only during daylight, may not carry a passenger, and must be accompanied by, and under the visual supervision of, a rider on a separate motorcycle who is at least 21 and holds a valid motorcycle endorsement. An applicant under 18 must hold the permit for at least six months before applying for the license; an applicant who is 18 or older when applying faces no such holding period and may present a still-valid permit in place of repeating the knowledge test."},"minAge":{"permit":14,"unrestricted":16,"details":"Anyone under 18 needs both parents' signed consent for a motorcycle permit or license. An applicant 16 or older may apply for the M1 or M3 license directly; one under 18 must first have held an instruction permit for six months."},"fees":{"permit":15,"initialLicense":20,"renewal":20,"renewalPeriod":"8 years for the M1 license, 5 years for the M3 three-wheel license, each expiring on the holder's birthday","other":[{"name":"REAL ID-compliant motorcycle license (standard or renewal)","amount":40},{"name":"Instruction permit renewal","amount":5}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"fee":0,"details":"Free when taken at a DMV office; also available online through a DMV-approved vendor for a fee the vendor sets. A still-valid motorcycle instruction permit may be presented in place of repeating this test."},"skills":{"required":true,"fee":15,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"A road test on the class of motorcycle being licensed (2-wheel for M1, 3-wheel for M3), given at a DMV office, an approved DMV business partner, or a Motorcycle Safety Foundation host site. It is waived by completing a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course and presenting the completion certificate to DMV; the certificate is valid to waive the test only for the current or the previous calendar year. A helmet is required of anyone taking this test, regardless of age."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"M2 Motor-Driven Cycle Permit (engine under 50cc, ages 14-15)","engineCcMax":49,"separateCredential":true,"details":"Available with parental consent at 14 or 15 to operate a motor-driven cycle displacing less than 50cc. It requires the same written knowledge and vision tests as the Motorcycle Instruction Permit but no road test. A motorcycle or motor scooter under 50cc may otherwise be operated on a basic Class D driver license once the rider is old enough to hold one, with no M-class credential at all."}],"details":"Motorcycles and motor scooters displacing less than 50cc may be ridden on a basic Class D driver license by a rider old enough to hold one. A road test may be taken at a DMV office, an approved DMV business partner, or a host site run by A.B.A.T.E. of Alaska, one of its regional chapters, or a Harley-Davidson dealership that DMV lists as an approved site."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle License (road-test locations and Motorcycle Safety Foundation waiver)","url":"https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/motorcycle-license/"},{"label":"A.B.A.T.E. of Alaska, Inc. — Rider Education and Training","url":"https://abateofalaska.com/msf/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":null,"delivery":"none","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant completes a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course and presents the completion certificate to DMV; the certificate waives the road test only for the current calendar year or the calendar year immediately before it, not a fixed number of months from completion"},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"Alaska runs no statewide rider-training programme, which is not the same as having no training: A.B.A.T.E. of Alaska chapters in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley and Juneau, and Harley-Davidson dealerships on the Kenai Peninsula and near Denali each independently run Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses on their own schedule and at their own price. The Division of Motor Vehicles lists those sites as places to take a motorcycle road test and accepts a Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion certificate from any provider for the road-test waiver, but it does not license training sponsors, set tuition or publish a list of approved training providers."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle License (helmet requirement)","url":"https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/motorcycle-license/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"operator"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator holds the M1, M2 or M3 license or endorsement rather than only an instruction permit","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"A rider operating on an instruction permit, or taking the DMV road test, must wear a helmet regardless of age."}],"appliesToPassengers":false,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle License (helmet requirement)","url":"https://dmv.alaska.gov/credential-services/motorcycle-license/"},"details":"Alaska requires a helmet of anyone operating a motorcycle who is under 18, anyone riding on an instruction permit, anyone taking a motorcycle road test, and every passenger regardless of age. Only an operator who is 18 or older and already holds the M1, M2 or M3 license or endorsement may ride without one."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages, fees and testing requirements come from the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from A.B.A.T.E. of Alaska and its regional chapters, which the Division names as approved training and road-test sites. Helmet requirements are stated on the Division's own motorcycle licensing page.","Alaska has no single statewide motorcycle training programme. Courses following the Motorcycle Safety Foundation curriculum are run independently by A.B.A.T.E. of Alaska chapters in Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valley and Juneau, and by two Harley-Davidson dealerships, each setting its own schedule and price.","Completing a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course waives the DMV road test, not the written knowledge test, and the completion certificate is only accepted in the current or the immediately preceding calendar year.","Alaska's helmet exemption applies only to a licensed operator 18 or older. Every passenger, every permit holder, and anyone taking the road test must wear a helmet regardless of age."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/alaska","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/alaska"},{"name":"Arizona","slug":"arizona","abbreviation":"AZ","overview":"Arizona issues a stand-alone Class M motorcycle license to a rider with no other driver license, and adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing Class D, Class G or commercial license. Completing an MVD-approved motorcycle education program at one of more than thirty privately run, MVD-approved schools and earning a Motorcycle Safety Foundation card lets any applicant skip both the written and the road test. Arizona's helmet law binds only riders under 18: an operator or passenger who is under 18 must wear a helmet and, unless the motorcycle has a windshield, the operator must wear eye protection, but a rider 18 or older may ride bare-headed.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division","abbreviation":"MVD","url":"https://azdot.gov/mvd"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Arizona Department of Transportation — Motorcycle License","url":"https://azdot.gov/mvd/services/driver-license-id/motorcycle-license"},{"label":"Arizona Department of Transportation — Fees (Driver License)","url":"https://azdot.gov/mvd/services/driver-services/driver-license-information/fees-driver-license"},{"label":"Arizona Motorcycle Operator Manual (17th revision), ADOT/Governor's Office of Highway Safety front matter","url":"https://apps.azdot.gov/files/mvd/mvd-forms-lib/99-0129.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit (Non-Travel)","minAge":15.5,"fee":7,"holdingPeriodDays":180,"details":"An applicant who has never held an Arizona permit or driver license must pass both the motorcycle and the standard vehicle knowledge tests to get the permit. A permit holder may carry no passenger, may not ride on a freeway or interstate, may not ride between sunset and sunrise, and may not ride when visibility is under 500 feet. The six-month holding period applies only to an applicant under 18; an applicant who is 18 or older when applying for the Class M license or endorsement is not required to have held the permit for any minimum period first."},"minAge":{"permit":15.5,"unrestricted":16,"details":"An applicant under 18 must additionally hold an Arizona instruction permit for at least six months and either complete an MVD-approved motorcycle education program or have a parent or guardian certify 30 hours of riding practice. A rider aged 16 or 17 may instead take a Class G graduated license carrying the motorcycle endorsement, which requires holding both the graduated and the motorcycle instruction permits for six months and the same education-or-practice-hours condition; the holder may keep the Class G license after 18 or upgrade to the standard Class D operator license."},"fees":{"permit":7,"initialLicense":25,"endorsementAdd":7,"renewalPeriod":"does not expire until the holder turns 65, with a required photo and vision update every 12 years; a license first issued at 60 or older is valid for 5 years instead","other":[{"name":"Non-Travel Driver License/Motorcycle License, ages 40-44","amount":20},{"name":"Non-Travel Driver License/Motorcycle License, ages 45-49","amount":15},{"name":"Non-Travel Driver License/Motorcycle License, age 50 or older, and any 5-year license","amount":10},{"name":"Restricted instruction permit","amount":3}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A first-time applicant for a license or endorsement takes both the motorcycle written test, based on the Motorcycle Operator Manual, and the standard driver license written test. One application fee covers unlimited attempts within 12 months, and a failed attempt may be retaken the next day. Completing an MVD-approved motorcycle education program and presenting the Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card waives this test."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A 10-to-15-minute demonstration of specific maneuvers on a closed, off-street track at an MVD office. Testing with a motorcycle over 100cc/7HP gives an unrestricted license; testing with a moped or motorized cart gives a '1' restriction; testing with a motorcycle of 100cc/7HP or less gives a '2' restriction; testing with a three-wheel motorcycle gives a '3' restriction. Completing an MVD-approved motorcycle education program and presenting the Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card waives this test. Testing is suspended after noon in June, July and August in extreme heat."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A moped — a pedal bicycle with a helper motor of 50cc or less and a top speed of 25 mph or less — may be operated on any class of driver license without a motorcycle endorsement, though it must be registered ($5) and insured. An applicant with an out-of-state motorcycle license that is current or expired less than a year is exempt from the education and permit-holding requirements; an out-of-state licence expired more than 12 months may require retesting."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Arizona Department of Transportation — Motorcycle License (testing waiver)","url":"https://azdot.gov/mvd/services/driver-license-id/motorcycle-license"},{"label":"Arizona Department of Transportation — Driving Schools","url":"https://azdot.gov/mvd/services/driver-services/tests-manuals-and-driving-schools/driving-schools"},{"label":"Arizona Motorcycle Operator Manual (17th revision), ADOT/Governor's Office of Highway Safety front matter","url":"https://apps.azdot.gov/files/mvd/mvd-forms-lib/99-0129.pdf"},{"label":"Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-2010 (Motorcycle safety fund; administration)","url":"https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/02010.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"MVD-approved motorcycle education program","operator":"More than thirty privately operated schools approved by the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division, supported by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety through the Motorcycle Safety Fund (A.R.S. § 28-2010) and guided by the Arizona Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council","url":"https://azdot.gov/mvd/services/driver-services/tests-manuals-and-driving-schools/driving-schools"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"Arizona has no single state-run training program; MVD approves and lists more than thirty independent driving schools that offer motorcycle courses, findable on MVD's interactive driving-school map, each setting its own class schedule and tuition. The Motorcycle Operator Manual is reprinted, with ADOT's permission, from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's national manual, and is funded jointly by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety and the Arizona Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council through the Motorcycle Safety Fund, into which $1 of every motorcycle registration fee is deposited under A.R.S. § 28-2010. An applicant under 18 may complete this education program, or have a parent or guardian certify 30 hours of riding practice instead, so a course is never the only route to a license below 18."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-964 (Motorcycles; all-terrain vehicles; motor driven cycles; equipment; exception; citations; civil penalty; community restitution)","url":"https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/00964.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator must wear protective glasses, goggles or a transparent face shield unless the motorcycle is equipped with a protective windshield. The requirement binds the operator only, not a passenger."},"penalty":{"fine":100},"statuteCitation":{"label":"A.R.S. § 28-964","url":"https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/00964.htm"},"details":"A.R.S. § 28-964 requires a protective helmet on the head of any operator or passenger of a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle or motor-driven cycle who is under 18. A law-enforcement officer may cite a violation of the helmet rule only against a rider aged 16 or 17 who holds a driver license or permit; an operator who is 18 or older can also be cited if a passenger under 18 rides without a helmet, or if the operator and an unhelmeted rider under 18 are travelling together as part of the same group. The $100 civil penalty applies to a first violation by a rider aged 16 or 17. The helmet and eye-protection rules do not apply to an enclosed three-wheeled vehicle, to a farm or agricultural vehicle used for agricultural work, or on private property."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages, fees and testing requirements come from the Arizona Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Division. Training facts come from MVD's list of approved driving schools and the Motorcycle Operator Manual's own front matter. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Arizona Revised Statutes.","Arizona has no single state-run motorcycle training programme. MVD approves more than thirty independently operated schools, each setting its own price and schedule; no statewide tuition figure is published.","Completing an MVD-approved motorcycle course and presenting the Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card waives both the written and the road test for an applicant of any age.","Arizona's helmet law applies only to riders under 18. An operator or passenger who is 18 or older may ride without a helmet."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/arizona","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/arizona"},{"name":"Arkansas","slug":"arkansas","abbreviation":"AR","overview":"Arkansas issues a Class M motorcycle operator's license to a rider 16 or older, and a Class MD special license, limited to a motor-driven cycle of 250cc or less, to a 14- or 15-year-old; a Class MD holder is automatically upgraded to the full Class M license at 16 with no further testing. The Division of Arkansas State Police administers the written and road tests, and waives the road test for an applicant who completed a Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider course within the previous 90 days; Arkansas has no single statewide training programme, so riders train through independent MSF-curriculum schools, dealership academies and rider groups. Arkansas requires a helmet only of an operator or passenger under 21, though every rider, regardless of age, must wear eye protection.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services","abbreviation":"DFA","url":"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/driver-services/licenses-ids-permits/motorcycle-license/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Arkansas Code § 27-20-106 to § 27-20-108 (motorcycle operator's license, application, examination) — Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws, 2021 Edition","url":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACT-300-Book-2021.pdf"},{"label":"Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration — Motorcycle License","url":"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/driver-services/licenses-ids-permits/motorcycle-license/"},{"label":"Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration — Non-Commercial Information (NCL)","url":"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/driver-services/licenses-ids-permits/non-commercial-information-ncl/"},{"label":"Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration — Learner's and Intermediate License","url":"https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/office/driver-services/licenses-ids-permits/graduated-licenses/learners-and-intermediate-license/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle Operator's License","permit":{"name":"Instruction Permit","minAge":14,"validityDays":730,"details":"Issued by the Division of Arkansas State Police after the applicant passes the written examination; a passing score is itself valid for 24 months. The permit lets the holder drive when accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old occupying the seat beside them, 'except in the event that the permittee is operating a motorcycle', so the usual accompanied-riding structure does not carry over unmodified to a motorcycle permittee. No fee for this permit is published by DFA; ASP, which issues it, administers and prices it directly."},"minAge":{"permit":14,"unrestricted":16,"details":"A 14- or 15-year-old may instead obtain the Class MD special license for a motor-driven cycle of 250cc or less, after Arkansas State Police certifies that the applicant passed its written and road examinations. A Class MD holder is automatically issued the full Class M license on turning 16, without repeating the examinations."},"fees":{"initialLicense":40,"renewalPeriod":"8 years, renewable up to 90 days before expiration","other":[{"name":"Class M or Class D license for a qualifying applicant 70 or older (4-year term)","amount":20}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written examination on traffic laws, ordinances, rules and regulations, administered by the Division of Arkansas State Police, together with a vision test. It is not waived by completing a rider training course."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"An actual road test on the motorcycle, assessing familiarity with its controls and the ability to operate it safely in and out of traffic, administered by the Division of Arkansas State Police. It is waived for an applicant who submits proof of completing the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's rider course, dated within 90 days before the date of the license application."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Class MD special license (motor-driven cycle, 250cc or less, ages 14-15)","engineCcMax":250,"separateCredential":true,"details":"Available to an applicant aged 14 or 15 to operate a motor-driven cycle displacing 250cc or less. It requires the applicant to furnish a certificate from Arkansas State Police showing they passed a written examination and a road test. It expires on the licensee's sixteenth birthday, at which point the holder is automatically issued the unrestricted Class M license without further examination."}],"details":"Arkansas Code defines a 'motorcycle' as displacing more than 250cc and a 'motor-driven cycle' as 250cc or less; Class M covers both. No original applicant — one never previously licensed by any jurisdiction — may take the road test without having held a valid instruction permit for at least 30 days. A person who signs a minor's application for a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle license, as a parent, guardian or other responsible adult, is liable for the minor's negligence or wilful misconduct while riding, in the same way as for a car licence."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Arkansas Code § 27-20-108(b)(3) (operator's examination — road-test waiver) — Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws, 2021 Edition","url":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACT-300-Book-2021.pdf"},{"label":"Arkansas Highway Safety Office — Motorcycle Safety","url":"https://tzdarkansas.org/programs/motorcycle-safety/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":null,"delivery":"none","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC), the current Motorcycle Safety Foundation curriculum that succeeded the course named in statute, 'Riding and Street Skills'","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant submits proof of completing the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's rider course — named in statute as 'Riding and Street Skills' and now delivered as the Basic RiderCourse — dated within 90 days before the date of the license application","validWithinMonths":3},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"Arkansas has no statewide rider-training programme of its own. The Arkansas Highway Safety Office describes its motorcycle work as public-awareness campaigning — share-the-road messaging at rallies around the state — rather than the delivery of rider training, and it has recorded that Arkansas was one of three states without a statewide motorcycle safety program at the time it was designated the state authority for motorcyclist safety. Riders train instead through independently operated Motorcycle Safety Foundation schools, rider-advocacy chapters such as ABATE, and dealership riding academies around the state; the Division of Arkansas State Police accepts a completion certificate from any of them for the road-test waiver regardless of which issued it, and publishes neither a list of approved providers nor a statewide tuition figure."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Arkansas Code § 27-20-104 (Standard equipment required) — Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws, 2021 Edition","url":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACT-300-Book-2021.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every operator and passenger, regardless of age, must wear protective glasses, goggles or a transparent face shield; unlike the headgear rule, the statute carries no age exception for eye protection."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Ark. Code § 27-20-104(b)","url":"https://www.labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/ACT-300-Book-2021.pdf"},"details":"All passengers and operators of a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorized bicycle must wear protective headgear unless the rider is 21 or older. A violation of this section is a misdemeanour carrying a fine of between $10 and $50, up to 30 days in jail, or both. The requirement does not apply on a farm, on private property, or when riding specifically to move the vehicle to a farm."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages and fees come from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Testing procedures, the road-test waiver and helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Arkansas Code, as compiled in the Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws book. Arkansas State Police, not DFA, administers the written and road examinations and issues the instruction permit.","Arkansas has no statewide motorcycle training programme; the Arkansas Highway Safety Office describes its own role as public-awareness campaigning rather than rider training. Riders train through independent Motorcycle Safety Foundation schools, rider groups and dealership academies, any of which can supply the certificate that waives the road test.","Completing a recognised rider course waives the road test only, not the written knowledge test, and the completion certificate must be dated within 90 days of the license application.","Arkansas's helmet law applies only to a rider under 21. Every rider, regardless of age, must wear eye protection."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/arkansas","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/arkansas"},{"name":"California","slug":"california","abbreviation":"CA","overview":"California issues two motorcycle licence classes: Class M1 for any two-wheeled motorcycle and Class M2 for a moped, motorised bicycle or motorised scooter. Riders under 21 must complete a California Motorcyclist Safety Program course and hold a motorcycle instruction permit for six months before applying; riders 21 and older may take the course instead of the DMV riding test, or take the riding test directly. California requires a helmet on every rider and every passenger, with no age or insurance exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"California Department of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/","phone":"1-800-777-0133"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"California DMV — Motorcycle Licenses","url":"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/motorcycle-licenses/"},{"label":"California DMV — Instruction and Learner's Permits","url":"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/instruction-permits/"},{"label":"California DMV — Licensing Fees","url":"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/licensing-fees/"},{"label":"California DMV — Motorcyclists Guide","url":"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-education-and-safety/special-interest-driver-guides/motorcyclists-guide/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M1 Motorcycle Driver's License","permit":{"name":"Class M1 or M2 Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":15.5,"validityDays":365,"holdingPeriodDays":180,"details":"Applicants aged 15½ to 21 must complete a CHP-approved California Motorcyclist Safety Program course and present a Certificate of Completion of Motorcycle Training (DL 389) before the permit is issued. Applicants aged 15½ to 17½ must also hold a certificate of completion of driver education and driver training. Riders 21 and older do not need a permit before applying for the licence. The application and its fee are valid for 12 months."},"minAge":{"permit":15.5,"unrestricted":21,"details":"A rider must be at least 15½ to apply for a motorcycle instruction permit. Riders under 21 must complete a California Motorcyclist Safety Program course and hold the permit for six months before applying for the licence. From 21 the course is recommended but not required."},"fees":{"initialLicense":46,"endorsementAdd":46,"renewal":46,"other":[{"name":"Motorcycle driving test retest","amount":7}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"passingScore":80,"details":"Multiple-choice questions drawn from the California Motorcycle Handbook. Three attempts are allowed; failing the same test three times voids the application and the applicant must reapply. Applicants who do not already hold a California driver licence also take the car knowledge test."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"The DMV riding test is conducted by appointment at a DMV office and covers a pre-trip inspection, riding in different track paths, slow riding and gear shifting. Presenting a valid DL 389 within 12 months of issue takes the place of it, although an applicant who holds no other driver licence may still be asked to perform an observation test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Class M2 (motorised bicycle, moped or motorised scooter)","separateCredential":true,"details":"Class M2 authorises a motorised bicycle, moped, motorised scooter or any bicycle with an attached motor. Class M1 covers everything Class M2 covers plus any two-wheeled motorcycle."}],"details":"A temporary licence is issued at the office and is valid for 60 days while the permanent card is produced."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"California Highway Patrol — California Motorcyclist Safety Program","url":"https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/california-motorcyclist-safety"},{"label":"California Motorcyclist Safety Program — official program site","url":"https://motorcyclesafetyca.com/"},{"label":"California DMV — Motorcycle Licenses","url":"https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/motorcycle-licenses/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"California Motorcyclist Safety Program","abbreviation":"CMSP","operator":"California Highway Patrol, through its primary contractor Total Control Training, Inc.","url":"https://motorcyclesafetyca.com/"},"delivery":"single-contractor","curriculum":{"name":"Motorcyclist Training Course (MTC)","provider":"Total Control Training, Inc.","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":21,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the Certificate of Completion of Motorcycle Training (DL 389) is presented within 12 months of issue; an applicant who holds no other driver licence may still be required to perform an observation test","validWithinMonths":12},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"The CMSP teaches a 15-hour Motorcyclist Training Course made up of 5 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of riding. It also offers the Premier Program, an extended course of 7.5 classroom hours and 13.5 riding hours that reaches intermediate skills and the skills-test waiver in one day for riders 21 and older who pass an entry skills exam.","details":"Course tuition is set by the individual training site and is not published centrally. The CMSP operates more than 100 training locations across California."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"California Vehicle Code § 27803 (safety helmets)","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=27803"},{"label":"California Vehicle Code § 27802 (helmet standards)","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=27802"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Cal. Veh. Code § 27803","url":"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=27803"},"details":"Every driver and every passenger on a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorised bicycle must wear a safety helmet meeting the standards set under Vehicle Code § 27802. The helmet must be fastened by its straps and fit securely without excessive lateral or vertical movement. The requirement does not reach a fully enclosed three-wheeled vehicle at least seven feet long and four feet wide weighing 900 pounds or more unladen."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages, permit rules and fees come from the California DMV. Training facts come from the California Highway Patrol, which administers the California Motorcyclist Safety Program, and from the program's own site. Helmet rules come from the California Vehicle Code.","Two state agencies name this course differently. The CMSP is run by the California Highway Patrol, which calls the course the Motorcyclist Training Course and names Total Control Training, Inc. as its contractor. Some DMV pages still call the same 15-hour course a Basic Rider Course, a name belonging to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's separate curriculum. This page follows the CHP as the agency that administers the programme under Vehicle Code sections 2930 to 2935.","CMSP course prices are set by each training site and are not published centrally, so no tuition figure is shown here.","The DMV publishes two different motorcycle retest fees: $7 on its motorcycle licensing page and $9 on its general licensing fee schedule. The motorcycle-specific figure is shown here."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/california","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/california"},{"name":"Colorado","slug":"colorado","abbreviation":"CO","overview":"Colorado adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's licence: an 'M' endorsement for a two- or three-wheel motorcycle, or a '3' endorsement restricted to three-wheel machines only. A rider can add the endorsement by passing the written and riding exams at a driver licence office, or by presenting a completion card from the state's Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) programme, which replaces both exams. Colorado has no general motorcycle helmet law; a rider or passenger must wear one only if under 18.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://dmv.colorado.gov/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles — I'm a Motorcycle Driver","url":"https://dmv.colorado.gov/drivers/im-motorcycle-driver"},{"label":"Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles — State DMV Fees","url":"https://dmv.colorado.gov/state-dmv-fees"},{"label":"Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 (§ 42-2-106, instruction permits; § 42-2-106 (1)(c), motorcycle permit; § 42-4-232, minimum safety standards for motorcycles)","url":"https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-42.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":16,"fee":20,"validityDays":1095,"holdingPeriodDays":365,"details":"A motorcycle instruction permit costs $20 and is issued to an applicant 16 or older; it expires three years after issuance. A permit holder under 18 must ride under the immediate, close-proximity supervision of a licensed motorcycle rider 21 or older and, under current Department of Revenue guidance, must purchase and hold the permit for 12 months before the motorcycle endorsement can be added. An applicant 18 or older is not subject to that 12-month hold and may test as soon as they are prepared."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"details":"Colorado issues a motorcycle instruction permit from age 16, but a permit holder under 18 must hold the permit for 12 months before the endorsement is added, and under 16 must ride under an MSF-certified instructor's direct supervision. From 18 a rider may test as soon as they hold the permit; no minimum hold applies."},"fees":{"permit":20,"endorsementAdd":2,"other":[{"name":"Driving skills (road test) retest","amount":15.4}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A motorcycle written exam at a driver licence office, required before a motorcycle instruction permit is issued. A Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) completion card is presented after adding the endorsement and does not remove this exam, which is taken beforehand to obtain the permit."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A motorcycle drive skills test taken by appointment at a driver licence office. Presenting an original MOST completion card takes the place of this test; the rider instead purchases a new driver licence with the endorsement added directly."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Colorado issues two motorcycle endorsements: 'M', which allows a two- or three-wheel motorcycle, and '3', which allows only a three-wheel motorcycle and is earned by testing on one. The endorsement cannot be added by mail, online or by phone; an in-person appointment at a driver licence office is required."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Ride Safe Colorado — Motorcycle Safety Training Courses","url":"https://ridesafeco.com/courses/"},{"label":"Ride Safe Colorado — home","url":"https://ridesafeco.com/"},{"label":"Colorado Secretary of State, Code of Colorado Regulations 8 CCR 1507-56 (Motorcycle Operator Safety Training Program), effective 30 December 2022","url":"https://www.sos.state.co.us/CCR/GenerateRulePdf.do?ruleVersionId=10582&fileName=8%20CCR%201507-56"},{"label":"Colorado Revised Statutes Title 43 (§§ 43-5-501 to 43-5-504, Motorcycle Operator Safety Training program and fund)","url":"https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-43.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Operator Safety Training Program","abbreviation":"MOST","operator":"Colorado State Patrol, Department of Public Safety, which certifies and licenses independent training vendors statewide","url":"https://ridesafeco.com/"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"MOST Beginners Course","provider":"Colorado State Patrol, Motorcycle Operator Safety Training Program","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"The Beginners Course pairs an e-course component with formal classroom activities and 10 hours of riding instruction over two days; motorcycles and helmets are provided. Vendors also run a one-day Intermediate Course for riders with prior experience or a permit, using their own motorcycle, and a two-day Three Wheel Course of five classroom hours and 10 riding hours for a three-wheel-only endorsement.","details":"MOST courses are taught by more than a dozen independently owned and operated training vendors across the state, each certified and licensed by the Colorado State Patrol under Code of Colorado Regulations 8 CCR 1507-56; course tuition is set by the vendor and is not published centrally by the state. Passing both a written and an on-cycle evaluation earns a MOST completion card, which a rider takes to a driver licence office to add the endorsement with no further DMV testing. Colorado law (§ 43-5-504, C.R.S.) bars the state from reimbursing a vendor's motorcycles, helmets, textbooks or other capital costs, so the vendor, not the state, sets what the rider pays."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Colorado Revised Statutes § 42-4-1502 (motorcycles and autocycles — protective helmet)","url":"https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-42.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 years of age or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":false,"details":"Colorado's motorcycle safety-equipment section (§ 42-4-232) governs seating, load and passenger footrests; it does not set a separate eye-protection requirement for a motorcycle operator or passenger of any age."},"penalty":{"points":0},"statuteCitation":{"label":"C.R.S. § 42-4-1502(4.5)","url":"https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-42.pdf"},"details":"Section 42-4-1502(4.5) requires each person under 18 riding as an operator or passenger on a motorcycle, autocycle or low-power scooter to wear a protective helmet meeting federal motorcycle-helmet standards (49 CFR 571.218), secured with a chin strap. A rider or passenger 18 or older may ride without one. A three-wheeled autocycle with a maximum design speed of 25 mph, a windshield and seat belts is exempt regardless of the occupants' ages. Violation is a class A traffic infraction."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, permits, tests and fees come from the Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from the Motorcycle Operator Safety Training program, run by the Colorado State Patrol, and its public site, Ride Safe Colorado. Helmet rules come from the Colorado Revised Statutes.","A change already enacted by the Colorado legislature (HB 24-1021) will require every applicant under 21 to complete an approved motorcycle safety course before a motorcycle instruction permit is issued, but only for applications submitted on or after 1 January 2027. Everything on this page reflects the law as it stands before that date.","Motorcycle Operator Safety Training courses are taught by independently owned vendors across the state, each certified by the Colorado State Patrol. Course tuition is set by the individual vendor and is not published by the state."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/colorado","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/colorado"},{"name":"Connecticut","slug":"connecticut","abbreviation":"CT","overview":"Connecticut adds an 'M' motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's licence, and a rider must complete an approved novice motorcycle safety course before the endorsement is added regardless of age; there is no path that skips training. A learner's permit lets a rider practise for up to 60 days while working toward the endorsement. Connecticut requires a helmet only of an operator or passenger under 18, but requires vision protection of every operator regardless of age.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://portal.ct.gov/dmv","phone":"860-263-5700"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Connecticut DMV — Get a Motorcycle Learner's Permit","url":"https://portal.ct.gov/dmv/licenses-permits-ids/get-learners-permit/get-motorcycle-learners-permit"},{"label":"Connecticut DMV — Get a Driver's License Endorsement","url":"https://portal.ct.gov/DMV/Licenses/Licenses/Motorcycle-License/Motorcycle---Endorsement---Obtaining"},{"label":"Connecticut DMV — Contact the DMV","url":"https://portal.ct.gov/dmv/resources/dmv-contact-us"},{"label":"Connecticut General Statutes § 14-289d (vision-protecting devices for operators of motorcycles or motor-driven cycles)","url":"https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_248.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle (M) Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","minAge":16,"fee":16,"validityDays":60,"details":"Issued after passing the motorcycle knowledge and vision test at a DMV office; the novice motorcycle safety course is not required to obtain the permit itself. An applicant under 18 must present a notarized Certificate of Parental Consent (Form 2-D). A permit holder may ride only in Connecticut, only in daylight, may not carry a passenger, may not ride on a limited-access highway, and must wear vision-protecting equipment and protective headgear meeting the specifications of Connecticut General Statutes § 14-289g regardless of age. The permit may be renewed once, for a further 60 days, within the same calendar year it was issued."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"details":"Connecticut does not publish a minimum age for the M endorsement itself distinct from the age needed to hold the underlying Connecticut driver's licence and the 16-year-old minimum stated for the motorcycle learner's permit. An applicant under 18 needs a notarized Certificate of Parental Consent at each step."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":30,"other":[{"name":"Motorcycle learner's permit fee","amount":16},{"name":"Permit renewal within the same calendar year","amount":16}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"fee":40,"questionCount":16,"details":"A combined knowledge and vision test fee of $40 covers a 16-question multiple-choice test based on the Connecticut Motorcycle Operator's Manual and the Connecticut Driver's Manual, taken by appointment at a DMV office. This test is required of every applicant to obtain the learner's permit and is not waived by completing the novice safety course, since the course is taken after the permit stage."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"Connecticut has no separate DMV-administered road skills test for a motorcycle. The skills evaluation is built into the mandatory Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP) novice course, which every applicant must complete and pass; the course's own completion certificate is what is presented to add the endorsement."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A duplicate licence fee of $30 also covers the mail-in process by which an active-duty service member stationed outside Connecticut, holding an MSF or CONREP course certificate, may have the endorsement added without a further in-person exam. An endorsement that also carries a '3' restriction limits the holder to three-wheel motorcycles only."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Connecticut Department of Transportation — Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP)","url":"https://portal.ct.gov/dot/travel-gateway/motorcycle-resources/conrep"},{"label":"Connecticut DMV — Get a Motorcycle Learner's Permit (motorcycle endorsement steps and fees)","url":"https://portal.ct.gov/dmv/licenses-permits-ids/get-learners-permit/get-motorcycle-learners-permit"},{"label":"CT State Community College — Motorcycle Rider Education","url":"https://ctstate.edu/workforce-development/motorcycle-courses"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Connecticut Rider Education Program","abbreviation":"CONREP","operator":"Connecticut Department of Transportation, which licenses training hosts and sponsors statewide, including CT State Community College campuses and independent private providers","url":"https://portal.ct.gov/dot/travel-gateway/motorcycle-resources/conrep"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":150,"max":850},"lengthHours":16,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"CT State Community College's Basic Rider Course pairs the MSF eCourse (about 5 hours, completed independently before class) with roughly 11 hours of classroom and on-cycle range training over two days, and ends with a written knowledge test and a riding skills evaluation. Riders with prior experience and their own motorcycle may instead take the one-day Basic Rider Course 2 - License Waiver (BRC2-LW), pairing a 4-hour eCourse with about 6 hours of range time; it requires at least 600 street-riding miles or six months' experience. Semiprivate and private lesson formats are also offered at CT State campuses.","details":"The Connecticut Rider Education Program is licensed by the state and delivered at multiple host sites: CT State Community College campuses (Gateway, Manchester, Naugatuck Valley, Quinebaug Valley, Tunxis) plus independent licensed providers including a Harley-Davidson dealership riding academy and a private motorcycle school. Motorcycles are provided for the Basic Rider Course; CT State prices its Basic Rider Course at $260 for residents, the BRC2-LW at $150, and semiprivate and private lesson formats at $425 and $850. Completing an approved course, at any host, is mandatory to obtain the endorsement — Connecticut has no path that allows a DMV-administered road test in place of it."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Connecticut General Statutes § 14-289g (protective headgear for motorcycle or motor-driven cycle operators and passengers under eighteen years of age)","url":"https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_248.htm"},{"label":"Connecticut General Statutes § 14-289d (vision-protecting devices for operators of motorcycles or motor-driven cycles)","url":"https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_248.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 years of age or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every motorcycle or motor-driven cycle operator, regardless of age, must wear goggles, glasses or a face shield with lenses of safety glass or plastic unless the motorcycle is equipped with a conforming windshield or wind screen. This duty binds the operator; § 14-289d does not extend it to a passenger."},"penalty":{"fine":90},"statuteCitation":{"label":"Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-289g","url":"https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_248.htm"},"details":"No person under 18 may operate or ride as a passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle unless wearing protective headgear meeting the minimum specifications of 49 CFR 571.218. A rider or passenger 18 or older may ride without one. Violation is an infraction carrying a fine of not less than $90. Separately, and without any age limit, every motorcycle learner's permit holder must wear protective headgear while riding on the permit, regardless of age, as one of the permit's own restrictions."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, permits, tests and fees come from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, which directs the Connecticut Rider Education Program, and from CT State Community College, one of the program's licensed hosts. Helmet and vision-protection rules come from the Connecticut General Statutes.","Connecticut requires every motorcycle endorsement applicant to complete an approved novice safety course; there is no DMV-administered road test that substitutes for it, at any age.","While riding on a motorcycle learner's permit, Connecticut requires protective headgear regardless of the rider's age, even though the general helmet law (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-289g) applies only under 18.","Course tuition varies by host. CT State Community College publishes $260 for its standard Basic Rider Course and $150 for its intermediate licence-waiver course; other licensed hosts, including a private school and a dealership riding academy, set their own prices, which are not published centrally."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/connecticut","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/connecticut"},{"name":"Delaware","slug":"delaware","abbreviation":"DE","overview":"Delaware adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's licence. An applicant 18 or older may pass a written exam and a road skills test at the Division of Motor Vehicles, or complete the state's Motorcycle Rider Education Program to waive both; an applicant under 18 must complete the program. Delaware requires every rider and passenger to carry an approved helmet, but only riders and passengers up to 19, and any newly endorsed rider (and their passenger) within their first two years, must actually wear it.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://dmv.de.gov/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles — Drivers License/Identification Cards (Motorcycle Endorsement)","url":"https://dmv.de.gov/DriverServices/drivers_license/index.shtml?dc=dr_lic_motorcycle"},{"label":"Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles — Driving Courses (Additional Motorcycle Riding Courses)","url":"https://dmv.de.gov/DriverServices/driving_courses/index.shtml?dc=dr_crs_adrmotorcycle"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","validityDays":180,"holdingPeriodDays":10,"details":"Issued after passing the motorcycle knowledge examination; valid for six months and may be extended once for a further six months on payment of a $5 extension fee, applied for before the existing permit expires. A permit holder may not carry a passenger, may ride only between sunrise and sunset, may not ride on the federal interstate system, and must wear an approved safety helmet and eye protection at all times. A permit must be held at least 10 days before the road skills test may be taken."},"minAge":{"details":"The Division does not publish a minimum age for the motorcycle instruction permit or endorsement beyond requiring the applicant already hold a Delaware driver's licence. An applicant under 18 who wants to take the state's Basic Rider Course must first hold a full, unrestricted Class D licence — Delaware does not admit a Graduated Driver's License holder to the course — which itself is available from age 17 after 12 months on a Level 1 learner's permit, so course-based enrolment before 18 is possible only from 17."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":12,"other":[{"name":"Motorcycle instruction permit extension (additional 6 months)","amount":5}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written examination required of every applicant 18 or older who does not complete the Motorcycle Rider Education Program. Completing the approved program waives it."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A road skills test at a DMV facility, conducted every weekday except Wednesday and not administered in rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog or high winds. The requirement that a licensed accompanying driver 21 or older be present for a road exam does not apply to the motorcycle skills exam. Completing the Motorcycle Rider Education Program waives it; a graduate instead receives a Student Completion Card to present at a DMV office."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Anyone who operates a motorcycle, motorbike or other two- or three-wheeled motor-driven vehicle on Delaware's highways must hold a driver's licence with a motorcycle endorsement. An applicant under 18 must have the application signed by a parent or legal guardian and must complete the Motorcycle Rider Education Program's Basic Rider Course; the written and road tests are not an alternative route for a minor. An applicant who passes the knowledge and skills examination on a three-wheeled motor vehicle receives a 'Three-Wheel Only' restriction added to the motorcycle endorsement, rather than a separate credential."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle Training Courses","url":"https://dmv.de.gov/DriverServices/driving_courses/index.shtml?dc=dr_crs_motorcycle"},{"label":"Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles — Advanced Rider Course - Sport Bike Techniques","url":"https://dmv.de.gov/DriverServices/driving_courses/index.shtml?dc=dr_crs_advmotorcycle"},{"label":"Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles — Additional Motorcycle Riding Courses","url":"https://dmv.de.gov/DriverServices/driving_courses/index.shtml?dc=dr_crs_adrmotorcycle"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Rider Education Program","abbreviation":"MREP","operator":"Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles","url":"https://dmv.de.gov/DriverServices/driving_courses/index.shtml?dc=dr_crs_motorcycle"},"delivery":"state-run","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":{"min":50,"max":50},"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Delaware's Basic Rider Course runs the MSF eCourse as Segment 1 (completed independently before class), a classroom segment, and an on-cycle riding segment, typically over two days (Saturday–Sunday or a split Wednesday schedule). Students must complete the eCourse, attend all sessions, and pass both a multiple-choice knowledge test and a riding skills evaluation. A separate one-day Additional Riding Course is open only to a student who previously passed the Basic Rider Course's knowledge test (minimum 80%) and completed its riding skills evaluation, or who failed the Basic Rider Course and re-enrols within 90 days.","details":"Registration for the Basic Rider Course costs $50 for Delaware residents and $200 for out-of-state residents; the Additional Riding Course costs $35 for residents and $100 for out-of-state residents. Motorcycles and loaner helmets are provided. An applicant under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign a waiver in person on the first day and must already hold a full, unrestricted Class D driver's licence — Delaware does not permit enrolment on a Graduated Driver's Licence. Graduates receive an MSF Student Completion Card, which is also used to claim a 10% discount on motorcycle liability insurance."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"21 Delaware Code § 4185 (operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle; helmet and eye protection requirements)","url":"https://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c041/sc11/index.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 19 years of age or older","minAge":19,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the rider is not, and is not riding with, a person who obtained a motorcycle endorsement less than two years ago","appliesTo":"both","detail":"A 'newly-endorsed person' is anyone who obtained a motorcycle endorsement on or after 30 July 2023. For the first two years after obtaining the endorsement, that person must wear a helmet and eye protection regardless of age, and so must any passenger they carry, even if the passenger is 19 or older."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every operator or passenger, regardless of age, must wear eye protection approved by the Secretary of the Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Unlike the helmet-wearing duty, this eye-protection duty carries no age or experience exemption."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"21 Del. C. § 4185(b)","url":"https://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c041/sc11/index.html"},"details":"Delaware's helmet rule has a layer most states do not: every operator and passenger, of any age, must have an approved safety helmet in their possession while riding, even when the law does not require them to wear it. Wearing it is mandatory for anyone up to 19, and for any newly endorsed rider (endorsed on or after 30 July 2023) and their passenger during that rider's first two years, regardless of age. A rider who is 19 or older and beyond their own first two years of endorsement may carry the helmet without wearing it. Violation is a civil or administrative assessment of not less than $25 nor more than $50; no other court cost may be added and it is not a criminal offence."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, permits, tests and fees come from the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles, which also designs and runs the state's own Motorcycle Rider Education Program directly. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Delaware Code.","Delaware's helmet law has two layers. Every rider and passenger must carry an approved helmet at all times, but only has to wear it if they are under 19, or if they (or the rider they are travelling with) obtained their motorcycle endorsement within the last two years.","The Motorcycle Rider Education Program's Basic Rider Course costs $50 for Delaware residents and $200 for out-of-state residents; a shorter Additional Riding Course for prior graduates costs $35 and $100 respectively."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/delaware","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/delaware"},{"name":"District of Columbia","slug":"district-of-columbia","abbreviation":"DC","overview":"The District of Columbia adds an 'M' motorcycle endorsement to an existing DC driver's licence, but DC DMV runs no motorcycle training or skills-testing programme of its own: since 2015 a resident must pass DC's own knowledge test and separately complete a motorcycle demonstration (skills) course accepted from any US jurisdiction. DC requires a helmet and eye protection of every rider and passenger, with no age exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DC DMV","url":"https://dmv.dc.gov/","phone":"202-737-4404"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"DC DMV — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://dmv.dc.gov/service/get-motorcycle-endorsement"},{"label":"DC DMV — DC DMV Implements New Policy for Obtaining a Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://dmv.dc.gov/release/dc-dmv-implements-new-policy-obtaining-motorcycle-endorsement"},{"label":"DC DMV — Renew or Replace a Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://dmv.dc.gov/service/renew-or-replace-motorcycle-endorsement"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle (M) Endorsement","permit":{"name":"None — DC DMV no longer issues a motorcycle learner's permit","details":"DC DMV eliminated the Motorcycle Learner Permit in 2015 along with its own Motorcycle Demonstration Skills test. There is no permit stage: a resident instead passes the DC DMV Motorcycle Knowledge Test and separately completes a motorcycle demonstration course accepted from any US jurisdiction before the endorsement itself is added."},"minAge":{"details":"DC DMV does not publish a minimum age for the motorcycle endorsement on its service pages. The endorsement is added to an existing DC driver's licence, so the practical floor is whatever age DC issues that underlying licence."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":20},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"The DC DMV Motorcycle Knowledge Test, offered at all DC DMV Service Centers Tuesday through Saturday, 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. Passing it is required of every applicant and is not waived by the demonstration course."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"DC DMV stopped administering its own Motorcycle Demonstration Skills test in 2015. An applicant must instead complete a Motorcycle Demonstration Course approved by any US jurisdiction and submit the resulting certificate of completion to DC DMV for verification within six months of its issuance; DC DMV then approves it and the applicant pays online to have the endorsement added."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"The motorcycle endorsement automatically transfers to a renewed or replaced DC driver's licence, including when the underlying licence had expired and the holder had to retake a knowledge or road test to renew it, so it carries no separate renewal fee or period of its own."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"DC DMV — DC DMV Implements New Policy for Obtaining a Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://dmv.dc.gov/release/dc-dmv-implements-new-policy-obtaining-motorcycle-endorsement"},{"label":"DC DMV — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://dmv.dc.gov/service/get-motorcycle-endorsement"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":null,"delivery":"none","curriculum":{"name":"Motorcycle Demonstration Course","provider":"the US jurisdiction whose approved course the applicant completes","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"The District prescribes no curriculum. It names the requirement a Motorcycle Demonstration Course and accepts a certificate of completion from any US jurisdiction's approved course, so the syllabus, the length and the price are all set by whichever jurisdiction the applicant trains in — most often an MSF Basic RiderCourse taken in Maryland or Virginia.","details":"The District runs no motorcycle rider-training programme and no DC-administered skills test of its own. Since a 1 July 2015 policy change, DC DMV 'no longer issues Motorcycle Learner permits or administers the Motorcycle Demonstration Skills tests to District residents who want to obtain a Motorcycle (M) endorsement.' Instead, a resident completes whatever motorcycle demonstration (skills) course is available to them — commonly an MSF Basic RiderCourse taken in a neighbouring state or through a private DC-area provider — and DC DMV accepts a certificate from any US jurisdiction, provided it is submitted within six months of issuance. Because DC does not designate, run or pay for the course, it has no curriculum of its own to name, no published tuition, and no fixed length; those facts belong to whichever jurisdiction's programme the applicant actually attends."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Metropolitan Police Department — Collateral List for Moving, Parking, and Non-Moving Violations (T218, 18 DCMR § 2215, motorcycle helmet/eye-protection violation)","url":"https://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/Collateral_Book_Updated_January_2025.pdf"},{"label":"DC Municipal Regulations — 18 DCMR § 2215, Riding on Motorcycles and Motor-Driven Cycles and Riding in Autocycles (section record)","url":"https://dcregs.dc.gov/Common/DCMR/SectionList.aspx?SectionNumber=18-2215"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"DC's motorcycle-riding regulation ties eye protection to the same section as the helmet mandate: a rider cited for riding without a helmet is cited alongside a want of goggles, safety glasses, or a windshield, under the same 18 DCMR § 2215 violation code."},"penalty":{"fine":75},"statuteCitation":{"label":"18 DCMR § 2215","url":"https://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/Collateral_Book_Updated_January_2025.pdf"},"details":"The DC Municipal Regulations require every motorcycle operator and passenger to wear a protective helmet and eye protection (goggles, safety glasses, or an approved windshield in place of goggles), with no age exemption — DC is one of a small group of jurisdictions with a fully universal helmet law. The Metropolitan Police Department's own published fine schedule sets the civil fine for failing to wear the required helmet, goggles, safety glasses or windshield on a motorcycle at $75, under ticket code T218; a lower $25 fine (T216) applies to the same failure on a motor-driven cycle, a distinct, lower-powered class of vehicle under DC law."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules and fees come from the DC Department of Motor Vehicles. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the DC Municipal Regulations, cited here through the Metropolitan Police Department's own published fine schedule for the violation.","The District of Columbia does not run a motorcycle rider-training programme and has not administered its own motorcycle skills test since 2015. A resident must complete an approved motorcycle demonstration (skills) course in another US jurisdiction and bring the certificate back to DC DMV within six months.","DC's helmet law applies to every rider and passenger regardless of age; there is no exemption for adult riders as there is in most states."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/district-of-columbia","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/district-of-columbia"},{"name":"Florida","slug":"florida","abbreviation":"FL","overview":"Florida adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing Class E driver's licence, or issues a restricted 'Motorcycle Only' licence to a rider who wants no other class. Every first-time applicant must complete the Basic RiderCourse through the Florida Rider Training Program before licensure, and graduates are exempted from the state's separate motorcycle knowledge and skills exams. Florida's helmet law exempts a rider over 21 who carries at least $10,000 of motorcycle medical-benefit insurance, and the exemption reaches an operator and a passenger alike.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"FLHSMV","url":"https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/motorcycle-rider-education-endorsements/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Fla. Stat. § 322.12(5) (motorcycle examination; mandatory safety course)","url":"https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/322.12"},{"label":"Fla. Stat. § 322.18(2), (4) (licence issuance and renewal term)","url":"https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/322.18"},{"label":"FLHSMV — Motorcycle Rider Education & Endorsements","url":"https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/motorcycle-rider-education-endorsements/"},{"label":"FLHSMV — Motorcycle Rider Education & Endorsements FAQs","url":"https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/motorcycle-rider-education-endorsements/faqs/"},{"label":"FLHSMV — Fees","url":"https://www.flhsmv.gov/fees/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class E Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Learner's Licence (general Class E; Florida issues no motorcycle-specific instruction permit)","minAge":16,"details":"Florida has no motorcycle instruction permit. A rider who wants a restricted 'Motorcycle Only' licence rather than an endorsement on an existing Class E licence must be at least 16, and if under 18 must first hold the general Class E Learner's Licence for one year with no traffic convictions. A rider 18 or older need only hold a Learner's Licence, with no minimum holding period stated. Every first-time applicant of any age must separately complete the Basic RiderCourse before the endorsement or the Motorcycle Only licence can be issued."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"details":"A rider may enter the Motorcycle Only pathway at 16, but under 18 must first hold a Learner's Licence for a year with a clean record and complete Joshua's-Law-style driver requirements that attach to the underlying Class E credential. From 18 the one-year hold and parental involvement no longer apply."},"fees":{"initialLicense":48,"endorsementAdd":7,"renewal":48,"renewalPeriod":"8 years","other":[{"name":"Tax collector office transaction fee (in place of a driver licence office)","amount":6.25},{"name":"Motorcycle knowledge exam subsequent-attempt fee","amount":5},{"name":"Motorcycle skills exam subsequent-attempt fee","amount":10}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A separate motorcycle knowledge examination under § 322.12(5)(a), in addition to the general Class E written test. Every first-time motorcycle applicant must complete the Basic RiderCourse before licensure, and the department exempts a graduate who presents the completion certificate within a year from this examination."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"A motorcycle riding demonstration under § 322.12(5)(a), administered at a driver licence office. Basic RiderCourse graduates are exempted on the same certificate as the knowledge exam."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A driver's licence expires 8 years from issue for an applicant under 80 (6 years at 80 or older) under § 322.18(2), so the endorsement it carries renews on the same cycle. Florida reciprocates an out-of-state motorcycle endorsement without the course, except that an Alabama endorsement is reciprocated only if a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse completion card accompanies it. A moped, motor-driven cycle or motorised scooter of 50cc or less and no more than 2 brake horsepower, incapable of exceeding 30 mph, needs no endorsement at all."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Fla. Stat. § 322.0255 (Florida Motorcycle Safety Education Program — courses, providers, registration fee cap)","url":"https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/322.0255"},{"label":"Fla. Stat. § 322.12(5) (mandatory course; examination exemption)","url":"https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/322.12"},{"label":"FLHSMV — Florida Rider Training Program Courses (curriculum, hours, sponsor network)","url":"https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/motorcycle-rider-education-endorsements/florida-rider-training-program-courses/"},{"label":"FLHSMV — Motorcycle Rider Education & Endorsements","url":"https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/motorcycle-rider-education-endorsements/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Florida Rider Training Program","abbreviation":"FRTP","operator":"Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which authorises Sponsors (course providers) statewide and compensates them under § 322.0255(4)","url":"https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/motorcycle-rider-education-endorsements/florida-rider-training-program-courses/"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC) / Basic RiderCourse updated (BRCu)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the Basic RiderCourse, 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse or Sidecar/Trike Education Program is completed at an FRTP-authorised Sponsor and the endorsement or licence is obtained within one year of course completion","validWithinMonths":12},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the Basic RiderCourse, 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse or Sidecar/Trike Education Program is completed at an FRTP-authorised Sponsor and the endorsement or licence is obtained within one year of course completion","validWithinMonths":12},"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"FRTP Sponsors deliver the 15-hour Basic RiderCourse, and most now provide the updated Basic RiderCourse updated (BRCu). Florida also runs a 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse and, through the Evergreen Safety Council, a Sidecar/Trike Education Program, either of which independently qualifies an unendorsed rider for the restricted 'S' endorsement.","details":"Every Florida resident who wants a first motorcycle endorsement or Motorcycle Only licence, of any age, must complete an FRTP course; the requirement is not age-gated the way it is in most other states. A Sponsor may charge a registration fee capped at $20, which § 322.0255(5) requires to be refunded on completion — a student who registers and does not finish forfeits it. That cap governs the registration fee only; neither the statute nor the Department publishes what a Sponsor charges in tuition, so no course price is shown here. Insurance, a training motorcycle, a helmet and a student handbook are supplied for the Basic RiderCourse and BRCu."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Fla. Stat. § 316.211 (equipment for motorcycle and moped riders)","url":"https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/316.211"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is over 21 years of age","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"insurance","exemptWhen":"the rider is covered by an insurance policy providing at least $10,000 in medical benefits for injuries incurred in a crash while operating or riding a motorcycle","minMedicalCoverage":10000,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Section 316.211(2) binds the operator only ('a person may not operate a motorcycle unless...'), with no windshield exception. A passenger has no independent eye-protection duty under this section."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Fla. Stat. § 316.211","url":"https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/316.211"},"details":"Both the age and the insurance criteria must be met together for the exemption to apply, and each binds an operator and a passenger identically — Florida's statute reads 'operate or ride upon' for both the base headgear duty and the exemption, unlike states that spare a passenger the insurance requirement. A person under 16 riding a moped needs a helmet regardless; riders of a very low-power cycle (50cc or less, 2 brake horsepower or less, incapable of 30 mph) and anyone in an enclosed cab are outside the section altogether. A violation is a noncriminal, nonmoving traffic infraction under Chapter 318, so no fine amount or point value is set within § 316.211 itself."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages, fees and test rules come from the Florida Statutes and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from the Florida Rider Training Program, which FLHSMV administers through authorised Sponsors.","Florida requires the Basic RiderCourse of every first-time motorcycle applicant, regardless of age — this is broader than the age-gated training mandates common in other states.","Florida's helmet exemption for riders over 21 with at least $10,000 of motorcycle medical-benefit insurance applies equally to an operator and a passenger; Florida does not split the exemption's conditions between them the way some states do.","No course price is shown for Florida. State law caps the registration fee a Sponsor may charge at $20 and requires it to be refunded when the course is completed, but that cap covers registration only, and neither the statute nor the Department publishes what Sponsors charge in tuition. An unpublished price is not the same as a free course, so none is stated here."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/florida","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/florida"},{"name":"Georgia","slug":"georgia","abbreviation":"GA","overview":"Georgia issues a Class M Motorcycle License, reachable either by completing a Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program course for a 90-day test waiver or by testing directly at a Department of Driver Services centre. The Basic Rider Course is entirely optional at every age — Georgia is one of the few states that never requires it. Georgia's helmet law is universal: every operator and passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet regardless of age, with no insurance or experience exemption of any kind.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Georgia Department of Driver Services","abbreviation":"DDS","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/georgia-licenseid/motorcycle-licensepermit"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Georgia DDS — Get a Motorcycle License (Class M)","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/georgia-licenses-ids-and-permits/new-license-id-or-permit/how-do-i-class-m-motorcycle-license"},{"label":"Georgia DDS — Get a Motorcycle Permit (Class MP)","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/georgia-licenses-ids-and-permits/new-license-id-or-permit/how-do-i-motorcycle-permit"},{"label":"Georgia DDS — Fees and Terms","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/fees-and-terms"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Class M Instructional Permit (MP)","minAge":16,"fee":10,"validityDays":180,"details":"An MP is eligible for only one renewal. The Motorcycle Knowledge Exam score attached to it expires after one year; if the Motorcycle Riders Skills Test is not passed within that year, the knowledge exam must be retaken before the skills test can be scheduled again."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":17,"details":"An applicant for the Class M license itself must be at least 17. The Class M Instructional Permit is available a year earlier, at 16, for riders who want to practise before testing."},"fees":{"permit":10,"initialLicense":32,"renewal":32,"renewalPeriod":"8 years"},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"Required at a DDS Customer Service Center unless the applicant presents a 90-Day Motorcycle License Test Waiver earned by completing a Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program course."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"The Rider Skills Test (RST-2W for two wheels, RST-3W for three) is required at a DDS Customer Service Center unless the applicant presents the 90-Day Motorcycle License Test Waiver. An applicant testing directly must provide their own insured motorcycle, gear and DOT-approved helmet."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Georgia offers two routes to the Class M license with no preference given to either: complete a Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program course for the 90-day waiver of both exams, or visit a DDS Customer Service Center and test directly. Neither the Class MP permit nor the GMSP course is a mandatory step for any applicant."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Georgia DDS — Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program (GMSP)","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/regulated-programs/motorcycle-safety-program"},{"label":"Georgia DDS — Motorcycle License/Permit (GMSP course summary)","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/georgia-licenseid/motorcycle-licensepermit"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"GMSP","operator":"Georgia Department of Driver Services, taught by state- and nationally-certified Rider Coaches at DDS-operated training locations and DDS-certified private training locations","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/regulated-programs/motorcycle-safety-program"},"delivery":"state-run","curriculum":{"name":"Basic Rider Course (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the Basic Rider Course or Basic Rider Course 2 is completed and the Class M license is obtained within 90 days of the course completion date","validWithinMonths":3},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the Basic Rider Course or Basic Rider Course 2 is completed and the Class M license is obtained within 90 days of the course completion date","validWithinMonths":3},"typicalCost":{"min":250,"max":300},"lengthHours":20,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"GMSP delivers the Basic Rider Course as a 2-3 day course combining a 5-hour eCourse, 5 hours of in-person classroom instruction and 10 hours of riding. GMSP also offers a one-day Basic Rider Course 2 for riders with existing basic skills and a one-day Advanced Rider Course focused on risk assessment, braking and cornering; only the Basic Rider Course and Basic Rider Course 2 carry the 90-day test waiver.","details":"GMSP is administered directly by the Department of Driver Services rather than procured through competing sponsors: the program lists both 'DDS Operated Motorcycle Training Locations' and 'Certified Private Motorcycle Training Locations', and a single statewide price schedule ($250 for a Georgia resident, $300 for a non-resident on the Basic Rider Course; $100/$150 on Basic Rider Course 2 and the Advanced Rider Course) applies at every location regardless of which type it is. Training motorcycles and helmets are provided. A rider under 18 who completes the Basic Course must still turn 17 before the 90-day waiver period expires and must separately satisfy Joshua's Law driver-education requirements to be licensed."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-13 (Specifications for Protective Headgear for Vehicular Users, implementing O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315)","url":"https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/570-13"},{"label":"Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-12 (Motorcyclists' Eye Protection, implementing O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315)","url":"https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/570-12"},{"label":"Georgia DDS — Motorcycle Operator Manual, Section 3: Before You Ride","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/section-3-you-ride"},{"label":"Georgia DDS — Motorcycle Operator Manual, Section 8: Passengers, Cargo, and Group Riding","url":"https://dds.georgia.gov/section-8-passengers-cargo-and-group-riding"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Eye protection is required in Georgia for riders generally; the Motorcycle Operator Manual states it as a plain requirement rather than a windshield-conditioned one."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315","url":"https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/570-13"},"details":"Georgia requires a DOT-compliant helmet of every operator and every passenger, with no age, experience or insurance exemption of any kind — a rider 18, 68 or any age in between must wear one. The Department of Driver Services' own rider manual states plainly that 'Georgia requires a DOT compliant helmet' and that 'your passenger should wear the same protective gear as you'. The standard for approved headgear is set by Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-13-.02 by reference to 49 C.F.R. § 571.218, the federal Motorcycle Helmets standard (FMVSS 218)."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages, permits, fees and test rules come from the Georgia Department of Driver Services. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from Georgia's administrative rules implementing O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315 and from the Department's own rider manual, since Georgia's official codified statute text has no free .gov-hosted mirror.","The Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program is entirely optional at every age; completing it earns a 90-day waiver of the state's written and riding tests, but an applicant may test directly at a DDS Customer Service Center instead.","Georgia's helmet law has no exemption for age, riding experience or insurance coverage. Every operator and passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/georgia","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/georgia"},{"name":"Hawaii","slug":"hawaii","abbreviation":"HI","overview":"Hawaii issues a Class 2 motorcycle license, applied for and issued through each county's own driver licensing office rather than a single statewide DMV. Under Act 66, effective 19 May 2025 and binding on new applications from 24 December 2025, every Class 2 Instruction Permit applicant must complete a state-approved Basic Rider Course before the permit itself can be issued. Hawaii's helmet law requires a helmet of an operator or passenger under 18 only; a rider 18 or older may ride without one.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"County driver licensing offices (Hawai'i has no single statewide DMV; the City & County of Honolulu and the Counties of Hawai'i, Maui and Kaua'i each issue licences under Hawai'i Revised Statutes Chapter 286), coordinated with the Hawai'i Department of Transportation's rider-training standards","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/motorcycles-motor-scooters-and-mopeds-general-information/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Hawai'i Department of Transportation — Motorcycles, Motor Scooters and Mopeds General Information (Act 66 update, current)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/motorcycles-motor-scooters-and-mopeds-general-information/"},{"label":"Hawai'i Department of Transportation — General Information: Motorcycles, Scooters and Mopeds (PDF)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2022/03/General-Information-Motorcycles-Scooters-and-Mopeds.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class 2 Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Class 2 Instruction Permit","details":"Under Act 66, every applicant for a Class 2 Instruction Permit must complete a state-approved Basic Rider Course before applying, effective for new applications from 24 December 2025. A permit holder may not carry a passenger or ride at night. A permit may be renewed only if a skills test was attempted before it expired; if it expires without an attempted skills test, the holder must wait three months before applying for another. An applicant under 18 combining the motorcycle designation with a driver's licence must hold the permit for 180 days and submit both a Driver Education certificate and a Behind-the-Wheel Motorcycle certificate before the skills test."},"minAge":{"details":"No primary Hawai'i source fetched for this record states a single statewide minimum age for the Class 2 permit or licence; fees, and some procedural details, are set at county level under HRS § 286-111. The state-approved Basic Rider Course that Act 66 now requires before permit issuance is itself open from age 16, which sets a practical floor, but this is a training-provider enrollment age, not a stated statutory permit minimum, so it is not recorded as license.minAge.permit."},"fees":{},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written motorcycle knowledge test and a vision screening are required before permit issuance, in addition to the Basic Rider Course now required by Act 66. An applicant who does not already hold a Class 3 (regular) licence must also pass the rules-of-the-road written test."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A road test is required unless the applicant instead passes one of the state-certified motorcycle safety courses offered on Oahu or Hawai'i Island, which waives it."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Hawai'i Revised Statutes § 286-111 assigns the fee for each category of instruction permit to the council of each county rather than to a single statewide schedule, so this record does not state one permit or licence fee as though it were uniform statewide."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Hawai'i Department of Transportation — Motorcycles, Motor Scooters and Mopeds General Information (Act 66 requirement, provider list)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/motorcycles-motor-scooters-and-mopeds-general-information/"},{"label":"Hawai'i Department of Transportation — General Information: Motorcycles, Scooters and Mopeds (PDF)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2022/03/General-Information-Motorcycles-Scooters-and-Mopeds.pdf"},{"label":"Hawai'i Motorcycle Operator Manual (Version 5, 2017)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2017/09/Motorcycle-Manual-Version-5-2017.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"State-approved Basic Rider Course requirement (Act 66, amending HRS § 286-110)","operator":"Hawai'i Department of Transportation, delivered by University of Hawai'i Community Colleges — Leeward Community College on Oahu, and Hawai'i Community College on Hawai'i Island (currently suspended; contact the college for status)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/motorcycles-motor-scooters-and-mopeds-general-information/"},"delivery":"college-delivered","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC) – Hawai'i Edition","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the course completion certificate is presented to the examiner of drivers within 90 days of the course completion date; since Act 66, the certificate is also required before a Class 2 Instruction Permit can be issued at all","validWithinMonths":3},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":18,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Hawai'i's Basic RiderCourse pairs a 3-hour e-course, completed before the in-person sessions, with 5 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of on-motorcycle training over two days.","details":"Act 66 (effective 19 May 2025) moved course completion ahead of permit issuance rather than leaving it as an alternative to the state's later road test: from 24 December 2025, every new Class 2 Instruction Permit application requires the course first. The course remains open to riders 16 and older. Hawai'i's own Motorcycle Operator Manual is derived from the same NHTSA/Motorcycle Safety Foundation cooperative-agreement template used in other states' manuals, corroborating the curriculum identity, though the Department's own general-information pages describe the requirement only as 'a state-approved Basic Rider Course' without naming the Motorcycle Safety Foundation directly."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Hawai'i Department of Transportation — Motorcycles, Motor Scooters and Mopeds General Information (current; cites HRS 286 (2)(e) helmet duty)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/motorcycles-motor-scooters-and-mopeds-general-information/"},{"label":"Hawai'i Department of Transportation — General Information: Motorcycles, Scooters and Mopeds (PDF, HRS § 286-81(2)(e) permit-phase helmet duty)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2022/03/General-Information-Motorcycles-Scooters-and-Mopeds.pdf"},{"label":"Hawai'i Motorcycle Operator Manual (Version 5, 2017) — operator and passenger helmet and eye-protection rule","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2017/09/Motorcycle-Manual-Version-5-2017.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Any operator or passenger, of any age, must wear glasses, goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle is equipped with a windshield — unlike the helmet duty, Hawai'i's eye-protection rule is not age-gated."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"HRS § 286-81(2)(e)","url":"https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/safe-communites/motorcycles-motor-scooters-and-mopeds-general-information/"},"details":"Hawai'i's Motorcycle Operator Manual states plainly: 'Any operator or passengers under 18 years of age must wear an approved safety helmet securely fastened with a chin strap.' A rider 18 or older, operator or passenger, may ride without one. This is distinct from Hawai'i's moped rule under Act 222 (effective 25 June 2025), which makes a helmet mandatory for every moped rider regardless of age — the motorcycle rule recorded here is age-gated, the moped rule is not."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licensing rules come from the Hawai'i Department of Transportation and Hawai'i Revised Statutes Chapter 286. Hawai'i has no single statewide DMV: each county issues driver licences and instruction permits, and sets its own permit fees under HRS § 286-111, so this page cannot state one statewide fee figure with confidence and does not attempt to.","Effective 24 December 2025, Hawai'i requires a state-approved Basic Rider Course before a Class 2 Instruction Permit can be issued at all — a recent change (Act 66) that a rider planning to apply should check is still current.","Hawai'i's motorcycle helmet law applies only to a rider under 18; this differs from Hawai'i's separate moped helmet law, which applies to a moped rider of any age."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/hawaii","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/hawaii"},{"name":"Idaho","slug":"idaho","abbreviation":"ID","overview":"Idaho adds an M endorsement to an existing Idaho driver's licence. Every applicant takes the Idaho Transportation Department's motorcycle knowledge test; the skills test can be replaced by a qualifying Idaho STAR course, and applicants under 21 must take that course. Idaho requires a helmet only of riders and passengers under 18.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"ITD DMV","url":"https://itd.idaho.gov/itddmv/","phone":"208-584-4343"},"licenseTerm":"endorsement","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Idaho Transportation Department — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://itd.idaho.gov/dmv/drivers-licenses-id-cards/motorcycle-endorsement/"},{"label":"Idaho Transportation Department — Drivers Licenses & ID Cards","url":"https://itd.idaho.gov/dmv/drivers-licenses-id-cards/"},{"label":"Idaho Motorcycle Operator's Manual","url":"https://itd.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Motorcycle_manual.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","fee":15,"validityDays":365,"details":"The applicant must already hold an Idaho driver's licence and must pass the motorcycle knowledge test before buying the permit. A permit holder may not carry a passenger, may not ride on a highway or freeway, may ride only in daylight, and must wear a helmet if under 18. Meeting the testing requirements and adding the endorsement within one year of the permit being issued waives the $15 one-time endorsement fee."},"minAge":{"unrestricted":21,"details":"An applicant under 21 must pass the knowledge test and successfully complete an approved motorcycle rider training course before the endorsement is added. From 21 the course is recommended but not required."},"fees":{"permit":15,"endorsementAdd":15,"other":[{"name":"Duplicate motorcycle instruction permit","amount":20}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"fee":5,"details":"Taken at any county driver's licence office and required of every applicant, including a rider transferring an out-of-state endorsement. Results are valid for one year, and the test must be passed before the skills test and before buying an instruction permit. Failing it means waiting three days and paying the $5 fee again. The study material is the Idaho Motorcycle Operator's Manual."},"skills":{"required":true,"fee":25,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"Given by a third-party skills tester rather than by a driver licensing office. The knowledge test must be passed first, and results are valid for one year. Completing a qualifying Idaho STAR course takes the place of the skills test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"The M endorsement carries a one-time $15 fee. A valid out-of-state motorcycle endorsement transfers on passing the Idaho knowledge test and paying that fee; a foreign motorcycle licence does not transfer and requires both tests."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Idaho STAR — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://idahostar.org/motorcycle-endorsement/"},{"label":"Idaho STAR — Course Listing","url":"https://idahostar.org/course-listing/"},{"label":"Idaho STAR — About Us","url":"https://idahostar.org/about-us/"},{"label":"Idaho Transportation Department — Motorcycle Endorsement (motorcycle safety courses)","url":"https://itd.idaho.gov/dmv/drivers-licenses-id-cards/motorcycle-endorsement/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Idaho STAR Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"STAR","operator":"Idaho Division of Career Technical Education, with the College of Southern Idaho as fiscal agent","url":"https://idahostar.org/"},"delivery":"state-run","curriculum":{"name":"Idaho STAR Basic Rider Training (BRT)","provider":"Idaho STAR Motorcycle Safety Program","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":21,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the endorsement is added within two years of passing a qualifying course — an Idaho STAR Basic, Basic II or Intermediate course, or, where no Idaho STAR course is available locally, another accepted Motorcycle Safety Foundation course taken in or outside Idaho","validWithinMonths":24},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":174,"max":199},"lengthHours":17,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"Idaho STAR runs Basic Rider Training in two formats: a traditional course of about 17 hours over three days at $199, and an eBRT at $174 that pairs 4 to 6 hours of online classroom work with about 9 hours of riding. The Basic II course costs $174 and pairs 4 to 6 hours of online classroom work with about 5 hours of riding. Motorcycles are provided; riders bringing their own must use a machine of 400cc or less on Basic. An Intro to Riding session costs $60 and does not lead to the endorsement. Completion cards are mailed within 10 business days. A rider under 17 must have completed an approved driver education course before enrolling in a motorcycle training course, and a rider under 18 needs a waiver signed by a parent or guardian before riding. The programme was created in 1994 and began training riders in 1996."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Idaho Code § 49-666 (motorcycle, motorbike, UTV and ATV safety helmets and seatbelts)","url":"https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title49/T49CH6/SECT49-666/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":50,"points":0},"statuteCitation":{"label":"Idaho Code § 49-666","url":"https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/Title49/T49CH6/SECT49-666/"},"details":"No one under 18 may operate or ride on a motorcycle or motorbike without a protective safety helmet meeting standards set by the director. The requirement does not apply on private property, to vehicles used as an implement of husbandry, or to a completely enclosed autocycle. A citation carries a $50 fine, and a conviction adds no violation points and does not count as a moving traffic violation for insurance rating."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, tests and fees come from the Idaho Transportation Department. Training facts come from Idaho STAR, the state's own motorcycle safety programme, which the Transportation Department names as Idaho's primary provider. Helmet rules come from the Idaho Code.","Idaho STAR course prices are the programme's published tuition for its basic courses and may change between riding seasons.","Idaho publishes two different deadlines for using a course to skip the skills test. The Transportation Department's endorsement page and Idaho STAR both say two years from completing the course; the April 2026 Idaho Motorcycle Operator's Manual says 25 months. Two years is used here because it is the shorter deadline and the one both web sources give. A rider close to the limit should add the endorsement before the two-year mark rather than rely on the extra month."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/idaho","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/idaho"},{"name":"Illinois","slug":"illinois","abbreviation":"IL","overview":"Illinois adds a motorcycle classification to an existing driver's licence: Class L for a motor-driven cycle under 150cc and Class M for any motorcycle. The state runs the Cycle Rider Safety Training Program, whose courses are free to Illinois residents 16 and older and whose completion card removes both the written and the riding exam for graduates 18 and older. Illinois has no motorcycle helmet requirement, although eye protection is required by statute.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services","abbreviation":"SOS","url":"https://www.illinois.gov/agencies/agency.sos.html","phone":"217-782-7044"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"625 ILCS 5/6-118 (licence and permit fee schedule)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K6-118.htm"},{"label":"625 ILCS 5/6-107.1 (instruction permit for a minor)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K6-107.1.htm"},{"label":"625 ILCS 5/6-103 (what persons shall not be licensed or granted permits)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K6-103.htm"},{"label":"625 ILCS 5/6-105 (instruction permits, 18 and older)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K6-105.htm"},{"label":"625 ILCS 5/6-115 (expiration of driver's license)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K6-115.htm"},{"label":"625 ILCS 5/1-145.001 (definition of a motor driven cycle — the 150cc line)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K1-145.001.htm"},{"label":"Illinois Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Training (Class L and Class M classifications)","url":"https://idot.illinois.gov/travel-and-maps/safety/safety-training/motorcycle-training.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle Classification","permit":{"name":"Class M or Class L Instruction Permit","minAge":16,"validityDays":365,"validityDaysByAgeBand":[{"minAge":16,"maxAge":17,"days":730}],"details":"An applicant 18 or older receives a 12-month permit for a Class L or Class M motorcycle. An applicant aged 16 or 17 receives a 24-month permit, and two kinds are available: one for a motor-driven cycle, and one for a motorcycle other than a motor-driven cycle, which is issued only to an applicant who has already successfully completed a motorcycle training course approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Permit riding is limited to daylight hours under the direct supervision of a licensed motorcycle operator who is 21 or older with at least a year of driving experience."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"withTraining":16,"details":"From 18 no training course is required. A rider under 18 must have successfully completed an IDOT-approved motorcycle training course before being licensed to operate a motorcycle other than a motor-driven cycle, and must still pass the written and riding exams at a Driver Services facility."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":5,"renewal":5,"renewalPeriod":"4 years","other":[{"name":"Original 4-year driver's license","amount":30}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A separate motorcycle written examination at a Driver Services facility. A Cycle Rider Safety Training Program completion card takes the place of it for graduates 18 and older, for one year from the course completion date."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"A motorcycle road examination at a Driver Services facility. A Cycle Rider Safety Training Program completion card takes the place of it for graduates 18 and older, for one year from the course completion date. Graduates aged 16 or 17 must present the card and still take both exams."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Class L (motor-driven cycle under 150cc)","engineCcMax":149,"separateCredential":true,"details":"Class L covers a motor-driven cycle of less than 150cc. Class M covers any motorcycle."}],"details":"A driver's licence expires four years from the date of issue, so the motorcycle classification it carries renews on the same cycle. An eight-year option must be offered to qualified applicants no later than 1 July 2027."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"625 ILCS 35/4 (Cycle Rider Safety Training Act — courses, providers and contract award)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500350K4.htm"},{"label":"625 ILCS 35/2.03 (definition of an approved Cycle Rider Safety Training Course)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500350K2.03.htm"},{"label":"625 ILCS 35/7 (award of contracts to qualifying providers)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500350K7.htm"},{"label":"Illinois Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Training (Cycle Rider Safety Training Program)","url":"https://idot.illinois.gov/travel-and-maps/safety/safety-training/motorcycle-training.html"},{"label":"Illinois Department of Transportation — Rider Courses","url":"https://idot.illinois.gov/travel-and-maps/safety/safety-training/motorcycle-training/rider-courses.html"},{"label":"Illinois GATA Catalog of State Financial Assistance — Cycle Rider Safety Training Program applicant eligibility","url":"https://omb.illinois.gov/public/gata/csfa/Program.aspx?csfa=3786"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Cycle Rider Safety Training Program","abbreviation":"CRSTP","operator":"Illinois Department of Transportation, which awards course contracts to qualifying providers; Southern Illinois University's Motorcycle Rider Program currently administers the courses statewide","url":"https://idot.illinois.gov/travel-and-maps/safety/safety-training/motorcycle-training.html"},"delivery":"competitive-contract","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the graduate is 18 or older; a graduate aged 16 or 17 must present the completion card and still take the riding exam at a Secretary of State Driver Services facility","minAge":18,"validWithinMonths":12},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the graduate is 18 or older; a graduate aged 16 or 17 must present the completion card and still take the written exam at a Secretary of State Driver Services facility","minAge":18,"validWithinMonths":12},"typicalCost":{"min":0,"max":0},"lengthHours":20,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Illinois delivers the Basic RiderCourse as roughly 20 hours of classroom and on-motorcycle instruction over three days. The programme also runs a 10-hour Basic Rider Course 2 for riders 18 and older with previous experience, and a Three Wheel Basic Rider Course of about 20 hours.","details":"Courses are open to any Illinois resident 16 or older who holds a valid driver's licence or permit. A provider may charge a registration fee set by the Department — currently $20 — which is refunded on completion of the course, so the course itself costs nothing. Riders under 18 need written consent from a parent or guardian, and a parent or guardian must be present at check-in for the first session. Completion cards are valid as a licence waiver for one year. The programme is funded from a share of motorcycle licence and licence-plate fees, which are statutorily restricted to motorcycle training."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"625 ILCS 5/11-1404 (special equipment for persons riding motorcycles)","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K11-1404.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"none","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":null,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Operators and passengers must wear glasses, goggles or a transparent shield. Glasses and shields must be shatter-resistant; goggles must not restrict peripheral vision. A windshield extending above eye level satisfies the requirement. Contact lenses do not."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"625 ILCS 5/11-1404","url":"https://www.ilga.gov/Documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K11-1404.htm"},"details":"Section 11-1404 is the Illinois Vehicle Code provision setting the special equipment persons riding motorcycles must wear, and it requires eye protection only. No helmet requirement appears in it or elsewhere in the Code, so Illinois riders and passengers of any age may ride without a helmet."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages, permits and fees come from the Illinois Vehicle Code and the Illinois Secretary of State. Training facts come from the Cycle Rider Safety Training Act and the Illinois Department of Transportation, which runs the programme. The absence of a helmet requirement is stated on the authority of the Illinois Vehicle Code's motorcycle equipment section.","Cycle Rider Safety Training Program courses are free. A provider may take a registration fee set by the Department — currently $20 — which is refunded when the course is completed.","Illinois is changing how this training is delivered. Public Act 104-0408 took effect on 1 January 2026 and opened the programme to a wider range of providers in place of the previous regional centres, and the Department has an open funding opportunity for new administering partners. Course locations and the administering organisation may change during 2026."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/illinois","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/illinois"},{"name":"Indiana","slug":"indiana","abbreviation":"IN","overview":"Indiana adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing Indiana driver's licence. A resident reaches it either by completing an approved driver education course and a Ride Safe Indiana safety course at 16, or by holding a motorcycle learner's permit and passing a knowledge and skills exam from 16 years and 270 days. Indiana's helmet law binds only a rider under 18; an operator or passenger 18 or older may ride without one, although a learner's-permit holder of any age must still wear one under the permit's own restrictions.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"BMV","url":"https://www.in.gov/bmv/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Indiana BMV — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://www.in.gov/bmv/licenses-permits-ids/learners-permits-and-drivers-licenses-overview/motorcycle-learners-permit/motorcycle-endorsement"},{"label":"Indiana BMV — Motorcycle Learner's Permit","url":"https://www.in.gov/bmv/licenses-permits-ids/learners-permits-and-drivers-licenses-overview/motorcycle-learners-permit/"},{"label":"Indiana BMV — Driver's License Fees","url":"https://www.in.gov/bmv/fees-taxes/drivers-license-fees/"},{"label":"Indiana BMV — Fee Chart","url":"https://www.in.gov/bmv/files/Fee_Chart.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","fee":9,"details":"Available to an Indiana resident who already holds a valid Indiana driver's licence, on passing a knowledge test based on the Motorcycle Operator's Manual. An applicant under 18 needs a parent or guardian's signature on an Agreement of Financial Liability. A permit holder may ride only during daylight hours and must wear a DOT-compliant helmet regardless of age, under the permit's own restrictions rather than the state's general helmet law."},"minAge":{"withTraining":16,"details":"Indiana offers two routes to the endorsement with two different minimum ages. Completing an approved driver education course and a Ride Safe Indiana safety course opens the endorsement at exactly 16. Testing directly instead — a knowledge exam, a motorcycle learner's permit, and a skills exam with an approved Ride Safe Indiana testing provider — requires the applicant to be at least 16 years and 270 days old. No single 'unrestricted' age applies across both routes, so it is not recorded as a plain number here."},"fees":{"permit":9,"endorsementAdd":19,"renewal":0},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"Based on the Indiana Motorcycle Manual, taken at a BMV branch to obtain the learner's permit. Not required at all on the driver-education-and-safety-course route to the endorsement."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"The skills exam is given by an approved Ride Safe Indiana testing provider rather than by the BMV itself. The applicant must supply the motorcycle used for the exam. Failing it means waiting until the next business day to retry, or two months after a third failure."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A first-time endorsement carries a one-time $19 fee. As long as the endorsement stays valid on the licence, no fee is charged again at renewal. An out-of-state motorcycle endorsement transfers on request through myBMV.com."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Indiana BMV — Motorcycle Endorsement (two routes; RSI course)","url":"https://www.in.gov/bmv/licenses-permits-ids/learners-permits-and-drivers-licenses-overview/motorcycle-learners-permit/motorcycle-endorsement"},{"label":"Ride Safe Indiana — Motorcycle Endorsement FAQs (PDF)","url":"https://www.in.gov/rsi/files/rsi-motorcycle-faqs.pdf"},{"label":"Ride Safe Indiana — home page","url":"https://www.in.gov/rsi/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Ride Safe Indiana","abbreviation":"RSI","operator":"Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, delivered through independently authorised Ride Safe Indiana providers across the state","url":"https://www.in.gov/rsi/"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Entry Level Motorcycle Safety Course (Basic RiderCourse curriculum)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":20,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"RSI's Entry Level Motorcycle Safety Course runs approximately 20 hours: 7 hours of classroom instruction and 13 hours of riding exercises in a controlled environment, though the exact length depends on the provider. RSI also offers an advanced-skills training course and a three-wheel motorcycle entry-level course, neither of which is required for the base endorsement.","details":"Motorcycle safety courses in Indiana are administered by Ride Safe Indiana providers, each of which sets its own schedule and course fee; RideSafeIndiana.com lists current providers and prices rather than the BMV publishing one. Training motorcycles are supplied; a rider should bring their own DOT-compliant helmet, since only some providers loan one. Graduation results are submitted to the BMV electronically, and the graduate may then add the endorsement online at myBMV.com without a branch visit for either test."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Indiana Code Title 9, Motor Vehicles (2022 compilation) — IC 9-19-7-1, Minors; protective headgear and face shields; exception for autocycles","url":"https://www.in.gov/ipac/files/Title-9-Indiana-Code-2022.pdf"},{"label":"Indiana BMV — Motorcycle Operator Manual, 21st Edition (learner's-permit helmet restriction)","url":"https://www.in.gov/rsi/files/motorcycle-operators-manual.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Required only of a rider under 18, under the same subsection as the helmet duty. Indiana has no separate universal eye-protection requirement for a rider 18 or older."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Ind. Code § 9-19-7-1","url":"https://www.in.gov/ipac/files/Title-9-Indiana-Code-2022.pdf"},"details":"IC 9-19-7-1(b) requires an individual less than 18 years of age who is operating or riding on a motorcycle or motor driven cycle to wear a DOT-standard helmet and protective glasses, goggles or a transparent face shield. The section does not apply to a person in an autocycle. Violating this chapter is a Class C infraction under IC 9-19-7-3. Separately from this age-based rule, the BMV's own restrictions on a Motorcycle Learner's Permit require the permit holder to wear a helmet regardless of age — so a permit holder 18 or older is still bound by a helmet duty, just not the one recorded in conditions[] here, which describes the general statutory rule for a licensed rider."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, permits, tests and fees come from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from Ride Safe Indiana, the BMV's authorised motorcycle safety program. Helmet rules come from the Indiana Code as published in a full-text compilation hosted directly on in.gov, since Indiana's official code browser is a JavaScript application this project's tooling could not fetch directly.","Indiana's helmet law applies only to a rider under 18. A rider 18 or older who holds the full motorcycle endorsement may ride without a helmet, but a rider of any age who holds only a motorcycle learner's permit must still wear one under the permit's own restrictions.","Ride Safe Indiana course fees are set by each individual training provider and are not published by the state as a single figure."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/indiana","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/indiana"},{"name":"Iowa","slug":"iowa","abbreviation":"IA","overview":"Iowa classifies motorcycle riding privileges as a Class M license, issued either on its own or added to an existing driver's license as an endorsement. Every applicant passes a motorcycle knowledge test, and a rider under 18 must also complete the Iowa Motorcycle Rider Education course before the Class M license can be issued; completing that course waives the road skills test at any age. Iowa has no motorcycle helmet requirement of any kind.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division","abbreviation":"Iowa DOT","url":"https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Iowa Administrative Code 761-602.13 (Class M noncommercial driver's license)","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/rule/02-05-2025.761.602.13.pdf"},{"label":"Iowa Code 321.191 (fees for driver's licenses)","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.191.pdf"},{"label":"Iowa Code 321.180 (instruction permits, commercial learner's permits, and chauffeur's instruction permits)","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.180.pdf"},{"label":"Iowa Code 321.180B (graduated driver's licenses for persons aged fourteen through seventeen)","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.180B.pdf"},{"label":"Iowa Department of Transportation — Get a Motorcycle, Moped, or Autocycle License","url":"https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/get-or-renew-drivers-licenses-ids-permits/motorcycle-moped-or-autocycle"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":14,"validityDays":1460,"details":"An applicant must pass the motorcycle knowledge test and a vision screening before the permit is issued. It is valid for a single four-year term with no renewal. A permit issued together with a driver's license the applicant already holds costs $2 for each year of that license's remaining validity; a permit issued to an applicant who holds no other license or permit costs $14 for the full four-year term. A permit holder under 18 must be accompanied within sight and hearing distance, on or in a different vehicle, by a licensed motorcycle operator who is a parent, guardian, immediate family member 21 or older, an approved driving instructor, or another person 25 or older with the parent or guardian's written permission; a permit holder who already holds an Iowa license or permit valid for a motorcycle or motorized bicycle may ride without an accompanying person."},"minAge":{"permit":14,"unrestricted":18,"withTraining":16,"details":"Iowa Administrative Code 761-602.13(2) sets 16 as the minimum age for the Class M license or endorsement itself. An applicant under 18 must additionally submit proof of completing an Iowa-approved motorcycle rider education course before the Class M privilege will be issued; from 18 no course is required."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":2,"renewalPeriod":"8 years, or 2 years for a license issued before age 17 years 11 months or at age 78 or older","other":[{"name":"Motorcycle instruction permit, issued with an existing license (per year of that license's remaining validity)","amount":2},{"name":"Motorcycle instruction permit, standalone (full four-year term, no other license held)","amount":14},{"name":"Class M license only (per year of validity)","amount":6},{"name":"Moped (motorized bicycle) license only, 2-year term","amount":8}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written motorcycle knowledge test, required of every applicant regardless of age or training."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A motorcycle riding skills test. Successfully completing the Iowa Motorcycle Rider Education course waives it at any age; the course is mandatory rather than optional for an applicant under 18."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Iowa issues the Class M privilege either as a standalone license, valid only for a motorcycle or motorized bicycle, or added to an existing driver's license as an endorsement carrying the same expiration date as that license. A standalone Class M license runs for 8 years, shortened to 2 years for an applicant under 17 years 11 months of age or 78 or older."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Iowa Code 321.179 (motorcycle rider education fund)","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.179.pdf"},{"label":"Iowa Code 321.180B (Class M license education requirement, subsection 5)","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.180B.pdf"},{"label":"Iowa Department of Transportation — Motorcycle & Moped Education","url":"https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/driver-education/motorcycle-moped-education"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Rider Education (MRE) Program","abbreviation":"MRE","operator":"Iowa Department of Transportation, delivered through a network of approved sponsors including community colleges, ABATE of Iowa chapters and dealership-affiliated training sites","url":"https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/driver-education/motorcycle-moped-education"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":150,"max":349},"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Iowa delivers the Basic RiderCourse as 15 hours, split 5 classroom and 10 range. It also offers a roughly 5-hour Basic Rider Course II, mostly range time, at $75 to $125, and a one-day Advanced Rider Course covering hazard perception, braking and cornering for riders who already hold the endorsement.","details":"Any person 14 or older, licensed or not, may take the course. It is required by law for an applicant under 18 before the Class M license is issued, and optional for an applicant 18 or older who wants the road skills test waived. The program is funded in part by the $2-per-year motorcycle validation fee (Iowa Code 321.191(5)), by motorcycle rider education license plate sales, and by student tuition, which is set by the sponsoring location rather than by the Department and varies from $150 to $349 for the Basic Rider Course. Courses run seasonally from early April through mid-October."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Iowa Code 321.275 (operation of motorcycles and motorized bicycles)","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.275.pdf"},{"label":"Iowa Department of Transportation — Get a Motorcycle, Moped, or Autocycle License (autocycle helmet and safety-equipment note)","url":"https://iowadot.gov/drivers-licenses-ids/get-or-renew-drivers-licenses-ids-permits/motorcycle-moped-or-autocycle"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"none","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":null,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Iowa Code 321.275","url":"https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.275.pdf"},"details":"Section 321.275 is the Iowa Code provision governing how a motorcycle or motorized bicycle must be operated on the highways — passenger seating, footrests, headlights, lane position and packages. It sets no helmet requirement for an operator or passenger of any age, and no other section of Chapter 321 does either. The Department of Transportation states the same conclusion directly: Iowa law does not require helmets for motorcycles or autocycles."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["License and permit rules, ages and fees come from the Iowa Code, the Iowa Administrative Code, and the Iowa Department of Transportation. Training facts come from the Motorcycle Rider Education Program, which the Department administers through approved course sponsors. The absence of a helmet requirement is stated on the authority of the Iowa Code's motorcycle-operation section and confirmed directly by the Department of Transportation.","Iowa prices a motorcycle instruction permit two ways: $2 per year of an existing license's remaining validity when the permit is added to a license already held, or $14 for the full four-year term when no other license or permit is held.","Motorcycle Rider Education course tuition is set by the sponsoring location, not by the state, and ranges from $150 to $349 for the Basic Rider Course."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/iowa","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/iowa"},{"name":"Kansas","slug":"kansas","abbreviation":"KS","overview":"Kansas issues a Class M driver's license for motorcycle operation, reachable from age 14 through a graduated sequence of instruction permit, restricted license and full license. Completing an approved motorcycle safety course under the Motorcycle Safety Foundation curriculum or Department of Defense Instruction 6055.04 waives both the written and driving tests at any age; no course is otherwise mandatory. Kansas requires a helmet and eye protection only for a rider or passenger under 18, and requires eye protection of every operator regardless of age unless the motorcycle carries a tall windscreen.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles","abbreviation":"KDOR","url":"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovdrlic.html"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"K.S.A. 8-240 (drivers' licenses and instruction permits; fees; examination waiver)","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_002_0040.html"},{"label":"K.S.A. 8-2,100 (instruction permits; conditions, restrictions and requirements; under 17 years of age)","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_002_0100.html"},{"label":"K.S.A. 8-239 (instruction permits for persons 17 years of age and older)","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_002_0039.html"},{"label":"K.S.A. 8-2,101 (restricted class C or M license; conditions, restrictions and requirements)","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_002_0101.html"},{"label":"K.S.A. 8-247 (driver's license expiration and renewal)","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_002_0047.html"},{"label":"Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles — Driver's License Frequently Asked Questions","url":"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovdlfaq.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Class M Instruction Permit","minAge":14,"fee":2,"validityDays":365,"details":"An applicant must pass the vision and written knowledge tests before the permit is issued; the driving test is not required for a permit. An applicant aged 14 or 15 needs written parental or guardian consent. Uniquely among Kansas's graduated-license classes, the motorcycle permit carries the same riding-companion condition at every age: the permit holder must be accompanied by an adult at least 21 years old who holds a valid Class M license with at least a year of experience and who is riding a motorcycle in the permit holder's general proximity, or riding as its passenger. This condition does not lapse at 17 or 18 the way it does for a Kansas passenger-car instruction permit; it applies under both K.S.A. 8-2,100(c), for an applicant aged 14 to 16, and K.S.A. 8-239, for an applicant 17 or older."},"minAge":{"permit":14,"unrestricted":17,"details":"A restricted Class M license is available from 15, if the applicant has completed an approved driver training course and held the instruction permit at least a year, or from 16 without the driver training course but with more supervised hours logged. A restricted licence carries its own accompaniment conditions until the licensee turns 17, when the restrictions end and the license becomes unrestricted. The driver-training course that unlocks the age-15 route is a general driver's education course under K.S.A. 8-2,101; it is a different requirement from the motorcycle safety course under 8-240 that waives the knowledge and driving tests."},"fees":{"permit":2,"renewalPeriod":"6 years for a licensee aged 21 to 64; 4 years from 65; a license issued under 21 expires on the licensee's 21st birthday, after which it follows the 6-year cycle","other":[{"name":"Class M license, ages 21 through 64","amount":12.5},{"name":"Class M license, age 65 or older","amount":9},{"name":"Class M license (or farm permit), issued to a person under 21","amount":20},{"name":"Examination fee (vision, written and driving tests)","amount":3}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written motorcycle knowledge test, part of the standard examination together with the vision and driving tests. A failed written test may be retaken on payment of an additional $1.50 fee."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"A driving examination administered by the Division of Vehicles, by the Department of Defense, or as part of a curriculum recognised by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. A failed driving test may be retaken on payment of an additional $1.50 fee. An applicant who passes the driving examination on a two-wheeled motorcycle may operate any registered two- or three-wheeled motorcycle; an applicant who passes it on a three-wheeled motorcycle that is not an autocycle is restricted to three-wheeled machines."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Moped (motorized bicycle) license","engineCcMax":130,"speedMphMax":30,"separateCredential":true,"details":"A motorized bicycle — no more than 3.5 brake horsepower, a cylinder capacity of no more than 130cc, an automatic transmission and a maximum design speed of 30 mph — requires its own moped license rather than a Class M motorcycle license, issued after a vision test and a written test."}],"details":"Kansas prices the Class M license itself by the applicant's age at issue rather than as a single figure: $12.50 for ages 21 through 64, $9 from 65, and $20 under 21. All three cover the license for the validity period that applies to that age band; none is a per-year rate."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"K.S.A. 8-240(a)(2)-(3) (motorcycle safety training exemption from written and driving tests)","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_002_0040.html"},{"label":"Kansas Department of Revenue — Kansas Private Motorcycle Education Schools","url":"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/drschoolsmoto.pdf"},{"label":"Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles — Driver's License Frequently Asked Questions","url":"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovdlfaq.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Kansas Approved Motorcycle Driver's Education Schools","operator":"Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles, Driver's Education section, which approves and lists both commercial motorcycle schools and community college motorcycle training programs","url":"https://www.ksrevenue.gov/pdf/drschoolsmoto.pdf"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"K.S.A. 8-240(a)(2) exempts a Class M applicant who has completed prior motorcycle safety training under Department of Defense Instruction 6055.04 or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation from further written and driving testing, on providing a copy of the completion form to the Division before the license is issued; the statute states no age limit and no currency window on this exemption. The Department of Revenue's own approved-schools list names four commercial providers — Motorcycle Rider Education (Wichita), Motorcycle Rider University (Hays), Rawhide Harley-Davidson Riding Academy (Olathe) and Twister City Motorcycles (Park City) — alongside community-college programmes at Butler County Community College and Cloud County Community College. Each sets its own tuition and schedule; none is centrally priced by the state."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"K.S.A. 8-1598 (operation of motorcycles; equipment required for operators and riders)","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_015_0098.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every operator, of any age, must wear protective glasses, goggles or a shatterproof, impact-resistant transparent face shield unless the motorcycle carries a windscreen at least 10 inches high measured from the centre of the handlebars. A passenger under 18 must wear the same eye protection with no windscreen exemption stated; the statute does not require eye protection of a passenger who is 18 or older."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"K.S.A. 8-1598","url":"https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_015_0098.html"},"details":"No one under 18 may operate or ride a motorcycle or motorized bicycle without a helmet meeting the minimum guidelines the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966; a rider 18 or older may ride without one. The section does not apply to a person riding within an enclosed cab, an autocycle, a golf cart, or a three-wheeled industrial or cargo vehicle commonly known as a truckster."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["License, permit and fee rules come from the Kansas Statutes Annotated, chapter 8, as published by the Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Training facts come from the Kansas Department of Revenue's list of approved motorcycle driver's education schools. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Kansas Statutes' motorcycle-equipment section.","Kansas prices the Class M license by the applicant's age at issue — $12.50 for ages 21 through 64, $9 from 65, $20 under 21 — rather than as one flat fee.","Kansas requires a Class M motorcycle instruction permit holder to ride accompanied by an experienced Class M license holder at every age, not only while under 18, which differs from most other states' permit rules."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/kansas","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/kansas"},{"name":"Kentucky","slug":"kentucky","abbreviation":"KY","overview":"Kentucky adds a motorcycle endorsement to an operator's license, or issues a motorcycle-only license, reachable from age 16 by a rider who already holds an intermediate driver's license. Completing the RideSmartKY Basic Rider Course waives both the written and skills tests at any age; a rider who skips the course instead takes a written test, holds an instruction permit, and passes a skills test. Kentucky requires a helmet of every rider and passenger under 21, of any instruction-permit holder regardless of age, and of any operator who has held a motorcycle license for less than a year.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Division of Driver Licensing","abbreviation":"KYTC","url":"https://drive.ky.gov/Drivers/Pages/Motorcycle%20Credentials.aspx"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"KRS 189.285 (regulations for operating and riding on motorcycles)","url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=6361"},{"label":"Kentucky Transportation Cabinet — Motorcycle Credentials","url":"https://drive.ky.gov/Drivers/Pages/Motorcycle%20Credentials.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle License or Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":16,"fee":15,"validityDays":365,"holdingPeriodDays":30,"details":"The permit is issued on passing the motorcycle written knowledge test at a Kentucky State Police testing centre, for a fee of $15 ($18 for a REAL ID transaction). It expires after one year and may be renewed once; if it lapses for more than a year the written test must be retaken. A permit holder may not carry a passenger and must wear a helmet and eye protection regardless of age. Before the skills test, the permit must be held for 30 days by an applicant 21 or older, or 180 days by an applicant under 21. An applicant who instead completes the RideSmartKY Basic Rider Course is not required to hold an instruction permit at all for courses taken after 15 July 2023."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"details":"An applicant aged 16 or 17 may apply for a motorcycle license only while holding a valid intermediate driver's license and eligible for a full unrestricted one; a parent or legal guardian must sign the application under KRS 186.590. While the underlying license remains intermediate, the rider may not drive any vehicle, including a motorcycle, between midnight and 6 a.m. without a recognised exception such as an emergency, school or work. From 18 no underlying-license prerequisite or curfew applies."},"fees":{"permit":15,"endorsementAdd":21.5,"renewalPeriod":"4 years, or 8 years at the applicant's choice","other":[{"name":"Motorcycle instruction permit, REAL ID","amount":18},{"name":"Motorcycle-only license, 8-year term","amount":43},{"name":"Motorcycle-only license, REAL ID, 4-year term","amount":24},{"name":"Motorcycle-only license, REAL ID, 8-year term","amount":48},{"name":"Operator/motorcycle combination license, 4-year term","amount":26.5},{"name":"Operator/motorcycle combination license, 8-year term","amount":53},{"name":"Combination license, REAL ID, 4-year term","amount":29},{"name":"Combination license, REAL ID, 8-year term","amount":58},{"name":"Endorsement add-on, where the underlying license has more than 4 years left to run","amount":43}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written motorcycle knowledge test administered by the Kentucky State Police, required under KRS 186.590 unless waived by completing the RideSmartKY Basic Rider Course."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"A motorcycle skills test administered by the Kentucky State Police after the instruction-permit holding period, required under KRS 186.590 unless waived by completing the RideSmartKY Basic Rider Course, which incorporates both tests into the course itself."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Kentucky issues the motorcycle credential either as a motorcycle-only license or as an endorsement combined with a regular operator's license, priced identically to the motorcycle-only license at each term length. Both a 4-year and an 8-year term are available at the applicant's choice, and a REAL ID-compliant credential costs more at each term than a standard one."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Kentucky Transportation Cabinet — Motorcycle Credentials","url":"https://drive.ky.gov/Drivers/Pages/Motorcycle%20Credentials.aspx"},{"label":"RideSmartKY — Motorcycle Rider Education Program","url":"https://ride.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx"},{"label":"RideSmartKY — Course Offerings","url":"https://ride.ky.gov/Pages/Course-Offerings.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"RideSmartKY Motorcycle Rider Education Program","abbreviation":"RideSmartKY","operator":"Kentucky Office of Highway Safety, under the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, overseen by the Motorcycle Safety Education Commission and delivered through approved training centres statewide","url":"https://ride.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"RideSmartKY Basic Rider Course (BRC)","provider":"Kentucky Office of Highway Safety","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":{"min":0,"max":150},"lengthHours":20,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"RideSmartKY also offers the BRC2, a refresher for riders who already hold a permit or endorsement and bring their own registered, insured motorcycle, and the 3-Wheel Basic Rider Course (3WBRC) of about 16 hours, which waives the skills test on completion and waives both tests when the training site supplies the motorcycle.","details":"The Basic RiderCourse runs roughly 15 to 20 hours, with at least 10 hours of range time on a motorcycle the training centre supplies, plus online and in-person classroom time. It is free to a rider under 18 who already holds an intermediate operator's license; otherwise tuition is capped at $150 per class and varies by training centre and region, with financial assistance available to some eligible students. RideSmartKY is funded by the Division of Driver Licensing from a share of motorcyclist fees, motorcycle licenses, permits and registrations, and has run continuously since 1992."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"KRS 189.285 (regulations for operating and riding on motorcycles)","url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=6361"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator is not riding on a motorcycle instruction permit","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"A motorcycle instruction permit holder must wear a helmet while operating regardless of age, and Kentucky law separately bars a permit holder from carrying a passenger at all, so this criterion has no separate passenger case to bind."},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator has held a valid motorcycle operator's license, or a combination motor vehicle-motorcycle operator's license, for at least one year","appliesTo":"operator"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"KRS 189.285(1)(b) requires an approved eye-protective device of every motorcycle operator at all times the vehicle is in motion, with no age exemption and no windscreen exemption stated. The statute's text binds the operator; it does not separately impose an eye-protection duty on a passenger."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"KRS 189.285","url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=6361"},"details":"Protective headgear is required of a rider or passenger under 21, of an instruction-permit holder operating a motorcycle regardless of age, and of an operator who has held a valid motorcycle license (or combination motor vehicle-motorcycle license) for less than one year. A rider who is 21 or older, is not on an instruction permit, and has held the license at least a year may ride without a helmet. The secretary of the Transportation Cabinet fixes and publishes the approved-headgear and approved-eye-protection standards. The section excludes vehicles with an enclosed cab, tractors, and mopeds as separately defined."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["License, permit and fee rules come from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Division of Driver Licensing. Training facts come from RideSmartKY, the state's motorcycle rider education program administered by the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Kentucky Revised Statutes.","Kentucky Transportation Cabinet consumer pages describe eye protection as required of both the operator and any passenger; the statute's own text requires it of the operator only. This page follows the statute.","The Basic Rider Course is free to a rider under 18 who already holds an intermediate driver's license. Tuition for other riders is capped at $150 per class and varies by training centre and region."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/kentucky","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/kentucky"},{"name":"Louisiana","slug":"louisiana","abbreviation":"LA","overview":"Louisiana does not issue a separate motorcycle license: a rider adds an M endorsement to an existing Class D or E driver's license after passing a motorcycle knowledge and skills test, or by completing the state's own Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program, which is voluntary at every age and waives both tests. Louisiana is one of the strictest helmet-law states in the country, requiring a helmet of every operator and passenger with no age, insurance or experience exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"OMV","url":"https://expresslane.la.gov/omv"},"licenseTerm":"endorsement","license":{"sources":[{"label":"R.S. 32:408 (examination of applicants required; classes of licenses)","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88385"},{"label":"R.S. 32:412 (amount of fees; duration of license)","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88394"},{"label":"R.S. 32:422 (learner's license; special restrictions on motorcycles)","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88413"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle (M) Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","minAge":16,"details":"Louisiana does not issue a motorcycle learner's permit as a separate physical document. An applicant who already holds a Class D or E driver's license passes the motorcycle written knowledge test, after which the record carries a restricted motorcycle status until the applicant either passes the on-cycle skills test or presents a completion card from the state's own Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program, which waives both remaining tests. A holder of a valid learner's license under 17 who operates a motorcycle is restricted to within three miles of home, or of wherever a parent, tutor or custodian is temporarily staying."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":16,"details":"Sixteen is the minimum age at which the Office of Motor Vehicles adds a motorcycle endorsement, and no course is required at any age for it. A parent or legal guardian must consent to the application for an applicant under 18. A motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorized bicycle of under five horsepower needs no license or endorsement at all, and an autocycle needs no special endorsement."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":12,"renewalPeriod":"6 years","other":[{"name":"Motorcycle endorsement, where the underlying license is valid for less than 6 years","amount":6}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written knowledge test representative of a motorcycle, waived entirely by completing the Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"An on-cycle skills test, which may be administered by an authorized third party rather than the Office of Motor Vehicles directly, or waived entirely by completing the Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Motorcycles, motor-driven cycles and motorized bicycles are not given a separate license class in Louisiana; the M privilege is always an endorsement on one of the basic license classes. The endorsement fee is $12 where the underlying license has a full six years left to run, and $6 where it does not."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"R.S. 32:402.3 (Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program; dedicated fund account)","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=670632"},{"label":"Louisiana State Police — Motorcycle Safety","url":"https://lsp.org/services/training/motorcycle-safety/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program","operator":"Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, operated directly by the Louisiana State Police Training Academy","url":"https://lsp.org/services/training/motorcycle-safety/"},"delivery":"state-run","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":15.5,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"The Louisiana State Police also run a 5-hour Intermediate course, on the graduate's own street-legal motorcycle, and a 5-hour Advanced course of range exercises only for a properly licensed rider bringing their own machine, neither of which leads to a licensing waiver. A roughly 65-hour Instructor Preparation Course, open to a licensed rider at least 21, certifies graduates as a nationally recognised Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoach.","details":"Participation is voluntary under R.S. 32:402.3(C) for any person who otherwise qualifies for a motorcycle endorsement; the Basic Course requires a 5-hour online e-Course before two riding days of roughly 5 to 5.5 hours each. Department of Public Safety motorcycles are supplied for the Basic Course. The program is funded by a dedicated account credited from part of the motorcycle endorsement fee under R.S. 32:412(C)(2), used solely for operator training, instructor training and motorcycle safety and awareness activities."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"R.S. 32:190 (safety helmets)","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88170"},{"label":"R.S. 32:190.1 (eye protective devices to be worn by motorcyclist; windshield on motorcycle)","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88171"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every operator of a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle must wear an approved eye-protective device — goggles, a face shield or safety glasses meeting the secretary's specifications — unless the vehicle has a windshield of sufficient height to give adequate eye protection under R.S. 32:358. Devices worn at night may not be tinted. The section binds the operator; it does not separately require eye protection of a passenger."},"penalty":{"fine":50},"statuteCitation":{"label":"R.S. 32:190","url":"https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88170"},"details":"No one may operate or ride upon a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or motorized bicycle without a securely fastened safety helmet, of any age, and with no exemption for insurance coverage or riding experience. Local police authorities may permit an exemption for parade or exhibition participants while actually taking part. The requirement does not reach a person in an autocycle equipped with supports meeting or exceeding safety-helmet standards, or a rollbar or roll cage. A violation carries a $50 fine that includes all court costs, with no other cost or fee added."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement, testing and fee rules come from the Louisiana Revised Statutes, Title 32, as published by the Louisiana State Legislature. Training facts come from the Motorcycle Safety, Awareness, and Operator Training Program, run directly by the Louisiana State Police. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the same Title.","Several secondary sources quote a $19 or $15 motorcycle-endorsement fee rather than the $12 or $6 this page cites from statute; the difference may be an additional handling fee charged at the point of sale that was not confirmed on a primary Office of Motor Vehicles source.","Louisiana requires a helmet of every rider and passenger, at any age, with no exemption for insurance or riding experience — one of the strictest helmet laws among the states in this dataset."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/louisiana","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/louisiana"},{"name":"Maine","slug":"maine","abbreviation":"ME","overview":"Maine adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's licence rather than issuing a separate motorcycle licence. Uniquely among its neighbours, Maine requires every applicant, regardless of age, to complete an approved motorcycle rider education course before a learner's permit will even be issued, and the course does not excuse anyone from the state's own written and road tests. Maine's helmet law turns on age and riding experience, and the criteria that exempt an operator are not the same as the criteria that exempt a passenger.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (Secretary of State)","abbreviation":"BMV","url":"https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/more-bmv/call-the-bureau-of-motor-vehicles","phone":"207-624-9000"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"29-A M.R.S. §1304 (learner's permits, motorcycle and moped)","url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec1304.html"},{"label":"29-A M.R.S. §1352 (motorcycle rider education)","url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec1352.html"},{"label":"29-A M.R.S. §1252 (classes; motorcycle endorsement)","url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec1252.html"},{"label":"Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles — Drivers License and Examination Fees","url":"https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/driver-licenses-and-ids/drivers-license-and-examination-fees"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle or Moped Learner's Permit","minAge":16,"fee":35,"validityDays":730,"details":"An applicant must be at least 16, must already have completed an approved motorcycle rider education course, and must pass a vision test and a knowledge test specific to motorcycles or mopeds before the permit is issued; the course is a precondition of the permit itself, not something taken afterward. The $35 fee covers both the permit and the first road test. The permit is valid for two years. Unlike a car learner's permit, a motorcycle or moped permit holder is not required to be accompanied by a licensed operator, but the permit does not allow carrying a passenger or riding after sunset or before sunrise. If the holder does not pass the road test within the two-year validity period, the rider education course must be completed again before a new permit will be issued."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"details":"Maine sets no age above which the rider education course stops being required: every applicant, at 16 or at 60, must complete the course before a permit is issued. There is accordingly no separate 'unrestricted' age tier of the kind other states use to describe when training stops being mandatory."},"fees":{"other":[{"name":"Motorcycle or moped learner's permit and first road test","amount":35},{"name":"Subsequent (retest) motorcycle or moped examination","amount":35}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written test specific to motorcycles or mopeds, taken at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles office as a condition of receiving the permit. The $35 permit fee covers this test; no separate fee is published for it."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A road test taken after the permit has been held, within the permit's two-year validity. The fee is bundled with the permit fee under 29-A M.R.S. §1304(2)(H). Completing the rider education course does not excuse an applicant from this test; the course is a precondition to the permit, not a substitute for the road test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Maine attaches the motorcycle endorsement to an ordinary driver's licence rather than issuing a stand-alone motorcycle licence, so the endorsement carries no independent renewal fee or period of its own; it renews with the underlying licence."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"29-A M.R.S. §1352 (motorcycle rider education)","url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec1352.html"},{"label":"Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles — Obtain a Motorcycle Rider Instructor License","url":"https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/driver-licenses-and-ids/teach-driving/obtain-a-motorcycle-rider-instructor-license"},{"label":"Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles — Obtain a Motorcycle School License","url":"https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/driver-licenses-and-ids/teach-driving/obtain-a-motorcycle-school-license"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Rider Education","operator":"Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which licenses individual motorcycle rider education schools and the instructors, certified to teach the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic RiderCourse, who staff them","url":"https://www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/driver-licenses-and-ids/teach-driving/obtain-a-motorcycle-school-license"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":false,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":18,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Maine's BMV describes the course a licensed instructor is certified to teach as a three-hour e-course, five hours of classroom instruction and ten hours on a closed range, for a total of eighteen hours.","details":"The rider education course is a precondition of every motorcycle or moped permit, at every age, under 29-A M.R.S. §1352(1); it is not a route to waiving the Bureau's own written or road test, which every applicant still takes. A motorcycle rider education school is licensed per location for $150 and must submit Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Education Recognition Program paperwork and an MSF certificate of insurance; an instructor must hold two years' riding experience, complete a 72-hour Rider Coach Preparation Course, and pay a $121 licensing and background-check fee. Course tuition is set by the individual licensed school and is not published centrally by the Bureau."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"29-A M.R.S. §2083 (protective headgear)","url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec2083.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"operator"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator is not riding on a learner's permit and it has been more than one year since the operator successfully passed a driving test","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"A learner's-permit holder must wear headgear regardless of age, and so must an operator within one year of passing the road test, even if that operator is 18 or older."},{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the passenger is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"passenger"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator carrying the passenger is not themselves required to wear headgear under this section","appliesTo":"passenger","detail":"29-A M.R.S. §2083(1)(D) binds a passenger to whatever the operator's own status requires: if the operator must wear headgear (because under 18, on a permit, or within a year of testing), every passenger must wear it too, whatever the passenger's own age. The experience criterion that binds an operator does not separately bind a passenger; only the operator's resulting duty does."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"29-A M.R.S. §2083","url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-a/title29-Asec2083.html"},"details":"Section 2083 does not read as a single exemption list; it names four classes of person who must wear headgear (an under-18 passenger, an under-18 operator, an operator on a learner's permit or within a year of passing a road test, and any passenger of an operator who must wear headgear) and everyone else is free to ride without it. The section does not apply to an autocycle. Standards are set by reference to ANSI Z90.1 or FMVSS 218."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence, permit, fee and helmet rules come from the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, as published by the Maine Legislature. Training facts come from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles' own instructor- and school-licensing pages.","Maine requires every motorcycle or moped applicant, at any age, to complete an approved rider education course before a learner's permit is issued. Completing the course does not excuse an applicant from the state's own written or road test.","Maine's helmet exemption depends on riding experience as well as age: an operator under 18, on a learner's permit, or within one year of passing the road test must wear headgear regardless of age, and any passenger riding with such an operator must wear headgear too, regardless of the passenger's own age or experience."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/maine","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/maine"},{"name":"Maryland","slug":"maryland","abbreviation":"MD","overview":"Maryland issues a Class M motorcycle license, either added to an existing Maryland driver's license or, for a resident with no other Maryland license, as a stand-alone credential. A rider who completes a Maryland Motorcycle Safety Program course and already holds a Maryland license can skip the learner's permit, the knowledge test and the skills test entirely; a first-time Maryland applicant must obtain the permit regardless. Maryland requires a DOT-compliant helmet of every rider and every passenger, with no age exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration","abbreviation":"MVA","url":"https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/license-id-fees","phone":"410-768-7000"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"MDOT MVA — Motorcycle License","url":"https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/get-new-license-permit-or-id/motorcycle-license"},{"label":"MDOT MVA — License & ID Fees","url":"https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/license-id-fees"},{"label":"Md. Code, Transportation §11-134.1 (definition of moped)","url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/gtr/11-134.1.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Class M Motorcycle Learner's Permit","minAge":16,"details":"Required of every applicant who does not present a valid Motorcycle Safety Program Completion Certificate while adding the Class M to an existing Maryland driver's license. An applicant obtaining a Maryland driver's license for the first time must obtain the permit and pass the skills test regardless of course completion. The knowledge test must be passed before the permit is issued and before any skills test."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"details":"You must be at least 16 years old to apply for a motorcycle license. Riders under 18 must complete the Maryland Motorcycle Safety Program's Basic Rider Course before applying; riders 18 and older are encouraged, but not required, to take a course."},"fees":{"initialLicense":88,"renewal":64,"renewalPeriod":"8 years","other":[{"name":"Motorcycle License New (under age 21, per year)","amount":11}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"questionCount":25,"passingScore":88,"details":"Covers motorcycle traffic laws, riding safety and road rules specific to motorcycles, drawn from the Maryland Motorcycle Operator Manual. Under the FAST TRACK program an applicant without a permit must answer 22 of 25 questions correctly (88%) to pass; a rider who fails may be coached on missed questions and sit a second, different test the same day. A valid Motorcycle Safety Program Completion Certificate presented within six months of completion, while adding the Class M to an existing Maryland license, waives this test."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"An on-cycle Rider Skill Test that includes a T-CLOCS equipment inspection. An applicant may instead complete an approved Basic Rider Course or Alternate Basic Rider Course, whose in-course skills evaluation is administered by MVA-approved training providers in place of the MVA's own test; a rider 18 or older who passes such a course does not sit the MVA skills test. A valid Motorcycle Safety Program Completion Certificate presented within six months of completion, while adding the Class M to an existing Maryland license, also waives this test outright, without a separate skills evaluation."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Moped License","engineCcMax":50,"separateCredential":true,"details":"Maryland defines a moped as a pedal-equipped bicycle with a motor rated at 1.5 brake horsepower or less and, if an internal combustion engine, 50cc or less piston displacement, with wheels over 14 inches in diameter; electric bicycles are excluded. A Moped License is a separate credential from the Class M motorcycle license, priced at $30 new and $25 to renew."}],"details":"A rider already holding a Maryland driver's license who satisfactorily completes a Motorcycle Safety Program course can present the completion certificate at any MVA full-service office to have Class M added, without a separate learner's permit, knowledge test or skills test, provided the certificate is presented within six months of the course. An applicant obtaining a Maryland license for the first time must still obtain the Class M learner's permit and pass both tests, whether or not a course has been completed. The Class M license, once issued, is valid on the same up-to-eight-year cycle as an ordinary Maryland driver's license."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"MDOT MVA — Motorcycle Training & Education","url":"https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/driver-education-safety/motorcycle-training-education"},{"label":"MDOT MVA — Motorcycle License","url":"https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/get-new-license-permit-or-id/motorcycle-license"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Maryland Motorcycle Safety Program","operator":"Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration, delivered through training providers approved under agreement with the Maryland Department of Transportation and the MVA","url":"https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/driver-education-safety/motorcycle-training-education"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Entry-Level Basic Rider Course updated (BRCu)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the rider already holds a Maryland driver's license and presents a valid Motorcycle Safety Program Completion Certificate (from the Basic Rider Course or the Alternate Basic Rider Course) within six months of the course's completion; a rider applying for a Maryland driver's license for the first time must still obtain the Class M learner's permit and pass the skills test regardless of course completion","validWithinMonths":6},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the rider already holds a Maryland driver's license and presents a valid Motorcycle Safety Program Completion Certificate within six months of the course's completion; a first-time Maryland licensee must still take the knowledge test regardless of course completion","validWithinMonths":6},"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"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.","details":"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."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Md. Code, Transportation §21-1306 (protective headgear; eye-protective devices)","url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/gtr/21-1306.html"},{"label":"MDOT MVA — Motorcycle Training & Education (headgear and eye protection required by Maryland law)","url":"https://mva.maryland.gov/licenses-ids/driver-education-safety/motorcycle-training-education"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator must wear an eye-protective device of a type approved by the Administrator unless the motorcycle is equipped with a windscreen, in which case eye protection is not separately required."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Md. Code, Transportation §21-1306","url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Statute_Web/gtr/21-1306.html"},"details":"Section 21-1306(b) requires every individual who operates or rides on a motorcycle to wear protective headgear meeting standards the MVA Administrator establishes; the section carries no age or experience exemption and does not apply to a person riding in an enclosed cab. Subsection (e) provides that a failure to wear the required headgear may not be treated as evidence of negligence or contributory negligence, may not limit any party's liability, and may not diminish recovery for damages arising from the ownership, maintenance or operation of a motorcycle."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["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."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/maryland","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/maryland"},{"name":"Massachusetts","slug":"massachusetts","abbreviation":"MA","overview":"Massachusetts issues a motorcycle license or motorcycle endorsement under a two-year learner's permit that carries no-passenger and daylight-only restrictions. A minor under 18 must complete an approved motorcycle basic rider course before being licensed; an applicant 18 or older is not required to take the course unless a road test has already been failed twice. Massachusetts requires a helmet of every operator and every passenger, with only a narrow exemption for riders 18 or older taking part in a permitted public parade.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV)","abbreviation":"RMV","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section8"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"M.G.L. c.90 §8 (operator's licenses; motorcycle license or endorsement for a minor)","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section8"},{"label":"M.G.L. c.90 §8B (learner's permits; motorcycle and moped provisions)","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section8B"},{"label":"M.G.L. c.90 §33 (fees)","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section33"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle License or Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","minAge":16,"validityDays":730,"details":"Any person at least 16 years old may apply for a learner's permit after passing every part of the examination other than the driving test. A permit restricted to motorcycle operation does not entitle the holder to carry a passenger or to operate the motorcycle at any time after sunset or before sunrise, and is valid for two years from issue or until a license is received, whichever comes first. An expired motorcycle permit cannot be renewed unless the holder retakes the non-driving parts of the examination and has taken at least one driving test attempt during the permit's validity; failing the driving test twice requires completing an approved rider training school course before a further attempt may be scheduled."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"details":"A minor under 18 may be issued a motorcycle license or endorsement only after meeting the junior-operator licensing requirements and successfully completing an approved motorcycle basic rider course. From 18, the course is not a precondition of an applicant's first attempt at a license, but it becomes mandatory for anyone, at any age, who fails the road test twice."},"fees":{},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written examination taken as part of qualifying for the learner's permit."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A road test taken while holding the motorcycle learner's permit. Completing an approved motorcycle basic rider course does not excuse an applicant from this test at any age; the course instead becomes a mandatory prerequisite to scheduling a further road test after two failed attempts. The Registrar may waive the road test for an applicant who holds a valid motorcycle license from another jurisdiction that requires a comparable road test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"M.G.L. c.90 §33 directs the Registrar to collect the fees 'established herein or if not so established herein, promulgated annually by the commissioner of administration'; the statute does not fix a dollar figure for the motorcycle permit, endorsement or renewal, leaving the amounts to be set administratively."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"M.G.L. c.90 §8 (motorcycle basic rider course requirement for a minor)","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section8"},{"label":"M.G.L. c.90 §8B (rider training school required after two failed road tests)","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section8B"},{"label":"M.G.L. c.10 §35G (repealed; cross-referenced by §8B)","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleII/Chapter10/Section35G"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Basic Rider Course","operator":"Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, which approves the motorcycle basic rider course required under M.G.L. c.90 §8","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section8"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Motorcycle Basic Rider Course","provider":"a rider training school approved by the Massachusetts Registrar of Motor Vehicles","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":false,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"M.G.L. c.90 §8 requires a minor under 18 to complete 'a motorcycle basic rider course approved by the registrar' before being issued a license or endorsement. M.G.L. c.90 §8B separately requires ANY applicant, regardless of age, who fails the road test twice to 'successfully complete a course of study at an approved rider training school as provided for in section 35G of chapter 10' before a further road test may be scheduled. Neither provision excuses an applicant from the Registry's own written or road test; the course sits alongside those tests as a mandatory gate for minors and for repeat failures, not a substitute for either test."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"M.G.L. c.90 §7 (equipment; protective head gear; eye protection)","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section7"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Required of the operator only, and only when the motorcycle has no windshield or screen: 'the operator of such motorcycle shall wear eye glasses, goggles or a protective face shield when operating such vehicle.'"},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"M.G.L. c.90 §7","url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section7"},"details":"Every person operating a motorcycle or riding as a passenger, including in an attached sidecar, must wear protective head gear meeting standards the Registrar prescribes, and an operator may not permit a passenger to ride without it. The one exemption is narrow: no head gear is required if the motorcyclist is taking part in a properly permitted public parade and is 18 years of age or older. Outside that specific context the requirement is universal and carries no general age exemption."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["License, permit and helmet rules come from the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 90, as published by the Massachusetts Legislature. The Registry of Motor Vehicles' own website could not be reached from the environment used to research this record on 2026-07-28, so fee amounts, the exact rider-training program name, and its delivery details could not be independently confirmed against an RMV page and should be treated as provisional pending that verification.","Massachusetts fixes motorcycle permit, endorsement and renewal fees administratively rather than in statute, so no dollar figures are shown here.","Massachusetts requires a helmet of every operator and every passenger. The only exemption is for a rider 18 or older taking part in a parade that has been granted an official permit."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/massachusetts","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/massachusetts"},{"name":"Michigan","slug":"michigan","abbreviation":"MI","overview":"Michigan adds a CY motorcycle endorsement to an existing Michigan driver's licence. There are two routes to it: complete an approved Michigan Rider Education Program course, or take a Temporary Instruction Permit, practise for up to 180 days and pass a rider skills test at an approved driver testing business. Michigan's helmet rule is one of the most conditional in the country — an operator 21 or older may go without a helmet only by also meeting an experience test and carrying at least $20,000 of first-party medical benefits, and the conditions for a passenger are not the same.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Michigan Department of State","abbreviation":"SOS","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/sos"},"licenseTerm":"endorsement","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Michigan Department of State — Motorcycle endorsement","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/sos/all-services/motorcycle-endorsement"},{"label":"Michigan Department of State — Motorcycle riders","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/sos/license-id/motorcycle-riders"},{"label":"Michigan Department of State — Michigan Motorcycle Rider Education Program FAQ","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/sos/faqs/license-and-id/michigan-motorcycle-rider-education-program"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"CY Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Temporary Instruction Permit (TIP)","minAge":16,"fee":16,"validityDays":180,"details":"The applicant must hold a valid Michigan driver's licence, pass a vision test and pass the motorcycle written knowledge test. An applicant aged 16 or 17 must also show proof of enrolment in a motorcycle rider safety training course and needs a parent's signature unless emancipated. On a TIP a rider may not ride at night or carry passengers and must be under the constant visual supervision of a licensed motorcycle operator at least 18 years old. No more than two motorcycle TIPs may be issued in a 10-year period."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"withTraining":16,"details":"A rider under 18 must complete an approved motorcycle safety course to get the endorsement; the permit-and-skills-test route is not open to them. Adding the endorsement online requires the applicant to be 18 or older."},"fees":{"permit":16,"endorsementAdd":16,"renewal":7,"other":[{"name":"Duplicate or replacement motorcycle TIP","amount":9},{"name":"Endorsement correction or replacement","amount":9}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"Taken at a Secretary of State office to obtain a Temporary Instruction Permit. A rider who instead completes an approved Michigan Rider Education Program course passes the written knowledge test inside the course and does not take the Secretary of State test."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"The Rider Skills Test is given by an approved driver testing business rather than by the Secretary of State. A rider who completes an approved Michigan Rider Education Program course passes a rider skills test inside the course instead. Failing two skills tests, or letting a second TIP expire, forces the course route."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A first violation for riding without the CY endorsement is a civil infraction with a $250 fine; a second is a misdemeanour punishable by a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both. An endorsement dropped within the last four years can be reissued without retesting; after four years the rider must take the course, or retake the knowledge test, get a TIP and pass a skills test. Michigan accepts a current out-of-state motorcycle endorsement on transfer with both tests waived."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Michigan Department of State — Michigan Motorcycle Rider Education Program FAQ","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/sos/faqs/license-and-id/michigan-motorcycle-rider-education-program"},{"label":"Michigan Department of State — Motorcycle riders","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/sos/license-id/motorcycle-riders"},{"label":"Michigan Department of State — Motorcycle training sites","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/sos/license-id/motorcycle-riders/motorcycle-training-sites"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Michigan Rider Education Program","abbreviation":"MI-REP","operator":"Michigan Department of State, delivered by approved public and private course sponsors","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/sos/license-id/motorcycle-riders"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":{"min":50,"max":350},"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"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.","details":"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."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"MCL 257.658 (riding on seat of motorcycle; wearing of crash helmet; conditions)","url":"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-257-658"},{"label":"Michigan State Police — Motorcycle Law Guide for Law Enforcement Officers (MCL 257.658 operator and passenger conditions)","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/msp/ohsp/pdfs3/Motorcycle_Law_Guide_Enforcement_03_press.pdf"},{"label":"MCL 257.708a (goggles, eyeglasses or face shields)","url":"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-257-708a"},{"label":"Michigan State Police — Michigan Motorcyclist Laws Guide for Operators (MCL 257.708a eye protection)","url":"https://www.michigan.gov/msp/-/media/Project/Websites/msp/ohsp/1_April-2023/6400-Michigan-Motorcyclist-Laws-Guide-for-Operators.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator has held a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years, or has passed an approved motorcycle safety course","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"This criterion binds the operator only. A passenger 21 or older is not required to have any riding history or training."},{"type":"insurance","exemptWhen":"security for first-party medical benefits of at least $20,000 is in effect","minMedicalCoverage":20000,"appliesTo":"both","detail":"An operator riding alone needs at least $20,000. An operator carrying a passenger needs at least $20,000 per person per occurrence, unless the passenger carries $20,000 of their own, in which case the operator needs only $20,000."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Where a motorcycle is operated above 35 mph and is not equipped with a windshield, the operator must wear goggles with transparent lenses, a transparent face shield or eyeglasses, in shatter-resistant material large enough to protect the eyes from insects, airborne material and road debris. The section binds the operator; it does not impose the same requirement on a passenger."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"MCL 257.658","url":"https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=MCL-257-658"},"details":"Every criterion must be met for the exemption to apply — meeting two of the three leaves the helmet requirement in force. Crash helmets must be approved by the Michigan State Police. The requirement does not reach a rider in an autocycle whose roof meets or exceeds crash-helmet standards. A separate rule requires a crash helmet on anyone under 19 operating a moped on a public thoroughfare."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["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."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/michigan","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/michigan"},{"name":"Minnesota","slug":"minnesota","abbreviation":"MN","overview":"Minnesota adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's license after a one-year instruction permit and a knowledge and road test, though the road test can instead be satisfied through the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center's Basic Rider Course, taught on Minnesota State college and university campuses. Riders under 18 must complete an approved safety course before either the permit or the endorsement is issued. Minnesota requires a helmet only of riders under 18 and of anyone still riding on an instruction permit; a fully endorsed rider 18 or older may ride without one.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services","abbreviation":"DPS/DVS","url":"https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/Pages/default.aspx"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Minnesota DPS — Motorcycle permit","url":"https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/license-and-id/motorcycle-drivers/motorcycle-permit"},{"label":"Minnesota DPS — Motorcycle endorsement","url":"https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/license-and-id/motorcycle-drivers/motorcycle-endorsement"},{"label":"Minnesota DPS — Driver's license and ID card fees","url":"https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/license-and-id/dl-and-id-card-fees"},{"label":"Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 2 (license endorsement and permit requirements)","url":"https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.974"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":16,"fee":29,"validityDays":365,"details":"Issued after passing a knowledge test at a DVS exam station and paying the permit fee; no appointment is needed for the knowledge test, which may be taken once per day. An applicant under 18 must also show a certificate from an approved motorcycle driver's safety course before the permit is issued. Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 2(c) further requires that any permit applicant be 'enrolled in an approved motorcycle driver's safety course' — a statutory requirement that Minnesota's own public permit guidance does not repeat for adult applicants. While riding on the permit, a holder must wear eye protection and a DOT-approved helmet, may not carry a passenger, and may not ride at night (from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise). The permit is valid for one year; an expired permit requires retaking the written test and paying the fee again."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"details":"An applicant under 18 must complete an approved motorcycle driver's safety course before receiving either the instruction permit or the endorsement; a rider 18 or older can reach the endorsement through the permit-and-road-test route without a course, or through the Basic Rider Course, which serves as an alternate route to the road test for any age."},"fees":{"permit":29,"endorsementAdd":29,"renewal":17},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written test taken at a DVS exam station, first-come first-served with no appointment required, to obtain the instruction permit. Study material is the Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"A road test that requires an appointment at a DVS exam station, or is instead satisfied through the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center's Basic Rider Course, whose in-course skills evaluation is administered as authorized third-party testing 'for motorcycle license endorsement' in place of the DVS-administered test. An applicant under 18 must bring a certificate of course completion when testing. A failed road test results in assigned practice time before the next attempt."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A new Minnesota resident 21 or older with a valid, unexpired out-of-state motorcycle endorsement transfers with no test required, on payment of the endorsement fee. A new resident under 21 must take the written tests for both the Class D license and the motorcycle endorsement; passing both written tests waives the road test for the transfer. If the out-of-state license has been expired less than a year, the written tests are required; if expired a year or more, both the written and road tests are required."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Minnesota DPS — About the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Program","url":"https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ots/safe-driving-information-and-laws/mn-motorcycle-safety-center/about-mn-motorcycle-safety-program"},{"label":"Minnesota DPS — Motorcycle training courses","url":"https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ots/safe-driving-information-and-laws/mn-motorcycle-safety-center/motorcycle-training-courses"},{"label":"Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 2 (course requirement for permit and endorsement)","url":"https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.974"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"MMSP","operator":"Minnesota Department of Public Safety, which coordinates the program and administers licensing and testing; Minnesota State (the state colleges and universities system) conducts the rider training courses on its campuses","url":"https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ots/safe-driving-information-and-laws/mn-motorcycle-safety-center/about-mn-motorcycle-safety-program"},"delivery":"college-delivered","curriculum":{"name":"Basic Rider Course","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"The Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center also offers an Intermediate Rider Course, an Advanced Rider Course, an Expert Rider Course, and a Motorcycle Road Guard course beyond the entry-level Basic Rider Course.","details":"Created by state statute in 1982 in response to a record 121 motorcyclist fatalities in 1980, the program began operating in 1984 and adopted the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center (MMSC) brand in 1997. Instructors are certified by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. DPS coordinates public information, media relations and testing and supports the training program with equipment; Minnesota State delivers the actual rider training courses at college and university campuses across the state. The program is funded through a dedicated Motorcycle Safety Fund, historically drawing on initial permit and endorsement-renewal fees."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 4 (equipment for operator and passenger; protective headgear)","url":"https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.974"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator holds the full motorcycle endorsement rather than only a motorcycle instruction permit","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 2(d)(3) separately requires anyone riding by virtue of an instruction permit to wear protective headgear, regardless of age; an 18-or-older permit holder is therefore not yet exempt on age alone. Because a permit holder may not carry a passenger at all, this second criterion has no separate application to a passenger."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Required of the operator at every age with no exemption: 'no person shall operate a motorcycle without wearing an eye-protective device.' No comparable duty is imposed on a passenger."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Minn. Stat. §169.974, subd. 4","url":"https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.974"},"details":"Subdivision 4(a) requires protective headgear only of a person under 18 who operates or rides a motorcycle, and requires eye protection of every operator regardless of age. Subdivision 4(b) exempts participants, of any age, in a permitted parade, and exempts anyone riding within an enclosed-cab autocycle, from both requirements."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["License, permit, fee and test rules come from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services. Helmet, eye-protection and permit-restriction rules come from Minnesota Statutes §169.974, as published by the Minnesota Legislature.","The Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center's Basic Rider Course, taught on Minnesota State college and university campuses, can substitute for the Department of Public Safety's own road test at any age; the written knowledge test is still required regardless of course completion.","Minnesota requires a helmet of a rider under 18 and of anyone still riding on a motorcycle instruction permit, regardless of age. A fully endorsed rider 18 or older may ride without one."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/minnesota","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/minnesota"},{"name":"Mississippi","slug":"mississippi","abbreviation":"MS","overview":"Mississippi adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's licence. Every applicant passes a written and a riding test, though a rider who completes a safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators skips the riding test. Mississippi requires a crash helmet of every rider and passenger, with narrow exemptions for autocycles and for parade participants 18 and older.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Driver Service Bureau","abbreviation":"DSB","url":"https://www.driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov/node/299"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"DPS Driver Service Bureau — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://www.driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov/node/299"},{"label":"DPS Driver Service Bureau — Driver Service Fees","url":"https://www.driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov/Drivers/Driver_Service_Fees"},{"label":"House Bill 111, 2015 Regular Session, Chapter 406 (enrolled act amending Miss. Code Ann. § 63-1-6, the motorcycle-endorsement requirement)","url":"https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2015/html/HB/0100-0199/HB0111SG.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","minAge":15,"fee":1,"validityDays":365,"holdingPeriodDays":0,"details":"A learner's permit issues once the written test is passed. It must be held for one year or until the holder turns 17, whichever occurs first. A permit holder may ride only with a fellow rider at least 21 years old, holding a valid driver's licence with a motorcycle endorsement, following alongside on a motorcycle or behind in a vehicle. A rider may take the riding test the same day the permit is issued."},"minAge":{"permit":15,"unrestricted":16,"details":"All applicants must be at least 16 to hold a Mississippi driver's licence. The minimum age for the motorcycle learner's permit is 15. Mississippi publishes no separate minimum age for the endorsement itself beyond the 16-year-old licence floor."},"fees":{"permit":1,"endorsementAdd":5,"renewalPeriod":"4 or 8 years, at the applicant's choice","other":[{"name":"4-year Class R driver's licence, original or renewal","amount":24},{"name":"8-year Class R driver's licence, original or renewal","amount":47}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written examination on the Motorcycle Operator's Manual, taken at a Driver Service Bureau office. It is required of every applicant, including a graduate of an AAMVA-endorsed safety class."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A riding examination taken at a Driver Service Bureau office. It is waived for an applicant who has successfully completed a motorcycle safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. A valid out-of-state motorcycle licence or endorsement waives both the written and riding tests on transfer."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Mississippi law treats a motor scooter — a two-wheeled vehicle with a step-through chassis, a wheel of 10 inches or more, an engine of 50cc or less, and 2.7 brake horsepower or less if a combustion engine — the same as a motorcycle for licensing purposes; no separate lower-tier credential exists. Fee amounts are cash, debit or credit only; the Driver Service Bureau does not accept personal cheques."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"DPS Driver Service Bureau — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://www.driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov/node/299"},{"label":"Mississippi Department of Public Safety — Motorcycle","url":"https://www.dps.ms.gov/public-safety-planning/highway-safety/motorcycle"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":null,"delivery":"none","curriculum":{"name":"A motorcycle safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA)","provider":"Not specified by the state — Mississippi runs no training program of its own and accepts completion from any AAMVA-endorsed provider, including privately run Motorcycle Safety Foundation-affiliated courses","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"Mississippi runs no state-administered or state-contracted rider training program. The Department of Public Safety's own motorcycle page names only the Motorcycle Safety Foundation generically, directing riders to find a nearby course and call for cost and scheduling; it neither names a curriculum nor prices one centrally. The Driver Service Bureau's own endorsement page frames the qualifying class by AAMVA endorsement rather than by curriculum name, which is the standard this record follows."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"House Bill 111, 2015 Regular Session, Chapter 406 (enrolled act; current text of Miss. Code Ann. § 63-7-64)","url":"https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2015/html/HB/0100-0199/HB0111SG.htm"},{"label":"DPS Driver Service Bureau — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://www.driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov/node/299"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Miss. Code Ann. § 63-7-64","url":"https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2015/html/HB/0100-0199/HB0111SG.htm"},"details":"Section 63-7-64 requires a crash helmet meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218 of every person operating or riding a motorcycle or motor scooter on a public road, with no age exemption for either an operator or a passenger. Two narrow exemptions apply: a person operating an autocycle as defined in Section 63-3-103, and a person riding in a parade at no more than 30 miles per hour who is 18 or older. A violation is punishable as a traffic offence under Section 63-9-11."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence, permit, fee and testing facts come from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety's Driver Service Bureau. The helmet requirement comes from the Mississippi Code, as enacted by House Bill 111 of 2015.","Mississippi runs no state motorcycle training program. The Department of Public Safety accepts a safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to waive the riding test; course locations, schedules and cost are set independently by each provider."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/mississippi","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/mississippi"},{"name":"Missouri","slug":"missouri","abbreviation":"MO","overview":"Missouri issues a Class M licence, or an M endorsement on an existing driver's licence, to operate a motorcycle or motortricycle. Completing a rider training course approved under the state's motorcycle rider training program satisfies both the written and riding portions of the examination for one year. Missouri's helmet law now turns on age rather than training or insurance: since a 2020 amendment, a rider 26 or older may go without a helmet, except an operator who holds only an instruction permit.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Missouri Department of Revenue","abbreviation":"DOR","url":"https://dor.mo.gov/driver-license/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"RSMo 302.020 (operation without proper licence; motorcycles; special licence; protective headgear)","url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=302.020"},{"label":"RSMo 302.173 (driver's examination required; motorcycle rider training course; no further test)","url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=302.173"},{"label":"Missouri Department of Revenue — Driver Licence Fees","url":"https://dor.mo.gov/driver-license/resources/license.html"},{"label":"Missouri Department of Revenue — Permit/Driver Licence/Nondriver ID Fee Chart (PDF, 08-2025)","url":"https://dor.mo.gov/driver-license/documents/feechart.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M License","permit":{"name":"Class M Instruction Permit","minAge":16,"fee":10,"validityDays":180,"details":"The instruction permit fee is $10 for an applicant 16 or older; the fee chart separately lists $12.75 for an applicant aged 15½, who may apply earlier under the same permit class. Both figures cover a permit 'valid up to 6 months' — the Department of Revenue's fee chart states the period in months, not in a day count. A duplicate permit costs $10."},"minAge":{"permit":15.5,"details":"The fee chart lists a Class M instruction permit from age 15½. Missouri publishes no single minimum age for the Class M licence itself, separate from the underlying Class F, E or A/B/C licence to which the M endorsement is usually added; graduated driver licence requirements apply to any Class M applicant between the ages of 16 and 18."},"fees":{"permit":10,"renewalPeriod":"3 or 6 years","other":[{"name":"Class M instruction permit, age 15½","amount":12.75},{"name":"Duplicate instruction permit","amount":10}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written knowledge test, required unless the applicant presents proof of completing a motorcycle rider training course approved under RSMo 302.133 to 302.137 within the preceding year, in which case no further knowledge or driving test is required."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A road/skills test conducted by the Department. Completion of an approved motorcycle rider training course within the preceding year constitutes the actual demonstration of ability and waives it. An applicant who fails three successive skills tests may not reapply until showing proof of a Department-approved driver training course or having held the instruction permit for at least 90 days."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"The fee chart lists no distinct Class M full-licence or endorsement fee separate from the underlying driver's licence class (for example Class F). The Department of Revenue states an applicant 'must have a Class M license or permit (or a driver license with the M endorsement)' and must pass the Class F and Class M written, vision, road-sign and motorcycle skills tests, indicating the M authorisation typically rides on the same document and fee as the applicant's base licence class."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"RSMo 302.133 (motorcycle rider training program — definitions)","url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=302.133"},{"label":"RSMo 302.135 (public or private institutions conducting motorcycle training courses; tuition; certificate)","url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=302.135"},{"label":"RSMo 302.173 (successful course completion waives written and driving tests)","url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=302.173"},{"label":"Missouri Motorcycle Safety Program — Course Overview","url":"https://www.mmsp.org/"},{"label":"Missouri Motorcycle Safety Program — Basic RiderCourse","url":"https://www.mmsp.org/course/brc.php"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Missouri Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"MMSP","operator":"Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, which contracts with public and private institutions (community colleges, safety centers and dealer-affiliated sites) to conduct courses under standards it sets","url":"https://www.mmsp.org/"},"delivery":"competitive-contract","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant presents proof of successfully completing a motorcycle rider training course approved under RSMo 302.133 to 302.137 within the preceding year","validWithinMonths":12},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant presents proof of successfully completing a motorcycle rider training course approved under RSMo 302.133 to 302.137 within the preceding year","validWithinMonths":12},"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":16,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"MMSP requires the online eCourse classroom module before the on-cycle Basic RiderCourse, together totalling about 16 hours including skill and knowledge evaluation. It also runs the one-day BRC2 for riders with at least 1,000 miles or a year of experience, and the Ultimate Bike Bonding RiderCourse, a partial-day riding-only event with no classroom.","details":"The Commission may enter into contracts with public or private institutions or organisations to conduct courses and instructor training if administered to standards it sets, and any tuition charged is 'as determined by the commission' rather than freely set by the provider. MMSP lists 31 training sites statewide, including community colleges, university-run safety centers and Harley-Davidson-affiliated Riding Academy sites. Completion produces an MMSP Completion Card that waives all endorsement testing when presented to a Missouri driver's licence office."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"RSMo 302.020 (protective headgear; failure to wear; fine; no points)","url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=302.020"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 26 or older","minAge":26,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator has been issued a motorcycle licence rather than only an instruction permit","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"An operator 26 or older who has been issued only an instruction permit must still wear protective headgear at all times the vehicle is in motion. This carve-back does not reach a passenger: once both the passenger and the operator are 26 or older, the passenger's exemption does not depend on the operator's permit-versus-licence status."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":25,"points":0,"primaryEnforcement":false},"statuteCitation":{"label":"RSMo 302.020.2","url":"https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=302.020"},"details":"Every rider under 26 operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle or motortricycle must wear protective headgear meeting standards the director sets. No political subdivision may impose its own headgear requirement, and no rider may be stopped, inspected or detained solely to check compliance with this subsection. Failure to wear required headgear is an infraction carrying a fine of up to $25, with no court costs and no licence points."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, permits, fees and testing rules come from the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Revised Statutes of Missouri. Training facts come from the Missouri Motorcycle Safety Program and the statutes establishing it. Helmet rules come from the Revised Statutes of Missouri.","Missouri's helmet law changed in 2020. Riders 26 and older need not wear a helmet, except an operator riding on an instruction permit rather than a full licence. Some older or secondary summaries describe an insurance- and course-based exemption that is no longer the law; this page follows the statute as currently published.","Missouri's motorcycle rider training program is delivered through a mix of community colleges, university safety centers and dealer-affiliated sites under contract with the state; course tuition is not published as a single statewide figure."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/missouri","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/missouri"},{"name":"Montana","slug":"montana","abbreviation":"MT","overview":"Montana adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's licence rather than issuing a separate motorcycle licence. An applicant passes a knowledge and a riding test, though Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety's Basic RiderCourse waives the riding test. Montana requires protective headgear only of a rider or passenger under 18; from 18 a helmet is optional.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division","abbreviation":"MVD","url":"https://mvdmt.gov/","phone":"406-444-3933"},"licenseTerm":"endorsement","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Mont. Code Ann. § 61-5-111 (fees for licences, permits and endorsements; expiration)","url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0050/part_0010/section_0110/0610-0050-0010-0110.html"},{"label":"Mont. Code Ann. § 61-5-106 (learner licenses; motorcycle supervision rules)","url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0050/part_0010/section_0060/0610-0050-0010-0060.html"},{"label":"Mont. Code Ann. § 61-5-107 (application for licence or motorcycle endorsement)","url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0050/part_0010/section_0070/0610-0050-0010-0070.html"},{"label":"Montana Motor Vehicle Division — Montana Motorcycle Supplement (Motorcycle Operator Manual)","url":"https://mvdmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/25-1500-Montana-Motorcycle-Manual.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner License","minAge":16,"validityDays":365,"details":"Issued after the applicant passes the motorcycle knowledge test and a vision examination; valid for one year from the date of issuance and non-renewable. A holder may not carry a passenger and must ride only under the immediate and proximate visual supervision of a motorcycle-endorsed licensed driver at least 18 years old riding a separate motorcycle. If that supervisor instead drives a separate motor vehicle, the learner-license holder must first have completed a motorcycle safety training course through a certified cooperative driver testing program."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"withTraining":15,"details":"An applicant may obtain the motorcycle endorsement from age 16, or from age 15 having passed a driver's education course approved by the Department of Justice and the Superintendent of Public Instruction — online driver's education courses are not approved for this purpose. Montana publishes no separate 'unrestricted' age distinct from the age at which the endorsement itself is first obtainable."},"fees":{"renewalPeriod":"Up to 12 years, tied to the licensee's birthday; a licence issued to an applicant under 21 expires on the 21st birthday regardless of the general term, and one issued at 75 or older expires after 4 years"},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written test on motorcycle-specific material covered in the Montana Motorcycle Supplement, taken at a driver examination station."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A road test using the applicant's own properly registered and equipped motorcycle. Successful completion of the Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety Basic RiderCourse waives it."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"The motorcycle endorsement itself costs 50 cents for each year or fraction of a year of the driver's licence term to which it is added, on top of the $5-per-year driver's licence fee; there is no flat, term-independent endorsement price to cite. Montana issues no motorcycle licence separate from the endorsement, so no distinct initial-licence fee exists."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety — Program Overview","url":"https://mmrs.helenacollege.edu/"},{"label":"Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety — Basic Rider Course","url":"https://mmrs.helenacollege.edu/basic-rider-course"},{"label":"Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety — FAQs","url":"https://mmrs.helenacollege.edu/faqs"},{"label":"Montana Motor Vehicle Division — Montana Motorcycle Supplement (Motorcycle Operator Manual)","url":"https://mvdmt.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/25-1500-Montana-Motorcycle-Manual.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety","abbreviation":"MMRS","operator":"Helena College, which operates MMRS as a public service","url":"https://mmrs.helenacollege.edu/"},"delivery":"college-delivered","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":200,"max":200},"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"MMRS delivers the Basic RiderCourse as a 5-hour online eCourse (completed on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's own site at no charge) plus about 10 hours of on-cycle training over two days, both running 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It also offers the one-day Basic RiderCourse 2 ($80), for a rider with prior street experience, and an Advanced RiderCourse ($80) for seasoned riders, at MMRS sites around the state, and charges $10 to replace a lost completion card.","details":"MMRS states plainly that a rider is not required to take a training course to get the endorsement; completing a Basic RiderCourse or Basic RiderCourse 2 only waives the state riding-skills test, and the written knowledge test is still required. A rider who completes a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse in another state may separately apply for the same skills-test waiver."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-417 (headgear required for minor motorcycle riders)","url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0090/part_0040/section_0170/0610-0090-0040-0170.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Mont. Code Ann. § 61-9-417","url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0090/part_0040/section_0170/0610-0090-0040-0170.html"},"details":"An operator and a passenger under 18 years of age on a motorcycle, moped, motorised scooter or quadricycle must wear protective headgear meeting standards the Department of Justice establishes. The requirement does not reach an operator or passenger of a fully enclosed autocycle with a windshield, non-removable doors and a roof. A violation carries the penalty set in § 61-9-518."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, permits, fees and tests come from the Montana Code Annotated and the Motor Vehicle Division's own Motorcycle Supplement. Training facts come from Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety, operated by Helena College as the state's motorcycle safety training provider. Helmet rules come from the Montana Code Annotated.","The Motor Vehicle Division's website blocks automated access with a security check; this page relies on the Division's own PDF manual and the current Montana Code Annotated where the two could be cross-checked, and notes where a figure rests on the manual alone.","Montana Motorcycle Rider Safety's course waives only the state riding-skills test; the written knowledge test is required of every applicant regardless of training."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/montana","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/montana"},{"name":"Nebraska","slug":"nebraska","abbreviation":"NE","overview":"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.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://dmv.nebraska.gov/dl/motorcycle-license-class-m"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-4,127 (motorcycle operation; Class M license required; issuance; examination)","url":"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-4,127"},{"label":"Nebraska DMV — Motorcycle License (Class M)","url":"https://dmv.nebraska.gov/dl/motorcycle-license-class-m"},{"label":"Nebraska DMV — Learner's Permit (LPD)","url":"https://dmv.nebraska.gov/dl/learners-permit"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M License","permit":{"name":"Learner's Permit (LPD)","minAge":15,"fee":13,"validityDays":365,"details":"A permit holder operating a motorcycle must be accompanied within visual contact by a licensed motorcycle operator at least 21 years old. The written test is waived for an applicant who holds a learner's, school or provisional permit that is valid or has been expired no more than one year."},"minAge":{"permit":15,"unrestricted":17,"details":"An applicant must be at least 17 for a Class M license outright. An applicant under 18 may not apply until having held a Provisional Operator's Permit (POP) — a Class M POP, or a POP carrying the motorcycle endorsement — for at least 12 months without accumulating three or more points in that period."},"fees":{"initialLicense":29,"endorsementAdd":10,"renewal":29,"renewalPeriod":"5 years","other":[{"name":"Learner's Permit (LPD), original","amount":13}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"Required of a first-time applicant who has never held a Provisional Operator's Permit. Waived for an applicant presenting proof of completing a Nebraska-approved motorcycle safety course within the preceding 24 months, and separately waived for an applicant holding a Nebraska learner's permit (Class M or Class O with motorcycle endorsement) that is valid or expired no more than one year."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A drive test administered by the Department. Waived for an applicant presenting proof of completing a Nebraska-approved motorcycle safety course within the preceding 24 months. An applicant who fails three successive drive tests may not reapply until showing proof of a DMV-approved driver training course or having held the learner's permit at least 90 days."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"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."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-2125 (motorcycle safety courses; requirements)","url":"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-2125"},{"label":"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-4,127 (24-month currency window for the course-based test waiver)","url":"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-4,127"},{"label":"Nebraska DMV — Nebraska Motorcycle Safety Education Sponsors","url":"https://dmv.nebraska.gov/dl/nebraska-motorcycle-safety-education-sponsors"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Safety Education Act program","operator":"Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, which certifies motorcycle safety courses, instructors and trainers under the Motorcycle Safety Education Act and publishes a list of approved sponsor sites across the state","url":"https://dmv.nebraska.gov/dl/nebraska-motorcycle-safety-education-sponsors"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant presents proof of completing a Nebraska-approved motorcycle safety course within the preceding 24 months","validWithinMonths":24},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant presents proof of completing a Nebraska-approved motorcycle safety course within the preceding 24 months","validWithinMonths":24},"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":14,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"The DMV has adopted the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic RiderCourse as its basic course, requiring a minimum of 14 hours of instruction — at least 4 classroom and at least 10 range hours. Courses are delivered by DMV-approved sponsors around the state, including community colleges, a university safety center, a county sheriff's office and a Harley-Davidson dealership, each operating its own site; the sponsor list is last updated by the DMV periodically rather than centrally priced. Course completion also separately supports the helmet-law waiver described under helmetLaw."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279 (protective helmets; eye protection; required; when)","url":"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-6,279"},{"label":"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,282 (violation; penalty; enforcement)","url":"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-6,282"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"training","exemptWhen":"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","appliesTo":"both","detail":"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."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator must use glasses covering the orbital region, a protective face shield attached to a helmet, goggles, or a windshield protecting the operator's and passenger's horizontal line of vision in all riding positions. The statute's eye-protection duty is worded as an operator obligation."},"penalty":{"fine":250,"primaryEnforcement":false},"statuteCitation":{"label":"Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,279","url":"https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-6,279"},"details":"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."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["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."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/nebraska","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/nebraska"},{"name":"Nevada","slug":"nevada","abbreviation":"NV","overview":"Nevada issues a standalone motorcycle driver's license, or a motorcycle endorsement added to an existing driver's license, and treats the two as legally interchangeable routes to the same riding privilege. An applicant 18 or older may skip both the written and the driving test by completing a Department-approved motorcycle safety course through the Nevada Rider program; an applicant aged 16 or 17 must complete that same course but still sits both tests. Nevada's helmet law is universal, covering every rider and passenger of any age.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-483.html"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"NRS 486.061 (license or permit required to operate motorcycles)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-486.html#NRS486Sec061"},{"label":"NRS 486.071 (qualifications for license)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-486.html#NRS486Sec071"},{"label":"NRS 483.280 (instruction, restricted instruction and temporary drivers' permits)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-483.html#NRS483Sec280"},{"label":"NRS 483.2521 (drivers who are 16 or 17 years of age: prerequisites to issuance of license)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-483.html#NRS483Sec2521"},{"label":"NRS 483.410 (fees and penalties: amounts, payment and disposition)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-483.html#NRS483Sec410"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Driver's License (or motorcycle endorsement)","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":15.5,"validityDays":180,"details":"A person aged 15½ to under 18 may apply for a motorcycle instruction permit; it is valid for 1 year, may be renewed, and expires when the holder turns 18. A person 18 or older may apply for a motorcycle instruction permit not more than once every 5 years; that permit is valid for 6 months and may be renewed only once. Every instruction-permit holder may ride only between sunrise and sunset, may not carry a passenger, and may not use a controlled-access highway. Failing the motorcycle driving test twice bars issuance of either permit."},"minAge":{"permit":15.5,"unrestricted":18,"details":"A person 16 or 17 may be licensed before 18 only by holding the motorcycle instruction permit for at least 6 months, logging 50 hours of supervised riding experience, and completing a Department-approved motorcycle safety course (or an additional 50 hours of experience if no approved course runs within 30 miles); that applicant must still pass the written and driving tests. Training does not lower the licensing age below what the permit system already allows at 16; for an applicant 18 or older it substitutes for the tests rather than for age."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":5,"initialLicense":18.5,"renewal":18.5,"renewalPeriod":"4 years","other":[{"name":"8-year license (under 65)","amount":37},{"name":"License for a person 65 or older (4 or 8 years)","amount":13.5},{"name":"Examination administration fee","amount":25},{"name":"Re-take of the same examination","amount":10},{"name":"Duplicate license","amount":14}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"An applicant 18 or older who has held the instruction permit at least 6 months, and whose permit expired no more than 30 days before applying, is not required to take the written examination. Nevada Revised Statutes do not publish a question count or passing score for the motorcycle written test."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"A driving test conducted by the Department. An applicant 18 or older may complete a Department-approved motorcycle safety course instead of both the written and the driving test. An applicant aged 16 or 17 must complete the same course as a mandatory prerequisite under NRS 483.2521(4) and must still pass both tests."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A moped is excluded from the statutory definition of a motorcycle and is not endorsement-gated: NRS 483.090 classifies it as an ordinary motor vehicle, so it is driven on a regular driver's license and Nevada issues no separate moped credential. Riding without the required license, endorsement or permit is a civil infraction under NRS 486.381 with no fixed statutory fine; a court finding a violation of the licensing requirement must let the person complete a course of motorcycle safety in place of any fine."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"NRS 486.372 (Program for the Education of Motorcycle Riders: establishment, approval of courses)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-486.html#NRS486Sec372"},{"label":"NRS 486.373 (eligibility for enrollment; fee)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-486.html#NRS486Sec373"},{"label":"NRS 486.374 (licensed instructor required; requirements and approval of course of instruction)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-486.html#NRS486Sec374"},{"label":"Nevada Rider Motorcycle Safety Program — official program site","url":"https://nevadarider.com/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Program for the Education of Motorcycle Riders","abbreviation":"Nevada Rider","operator":"Nevada Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety, which develops, administers and manages the Program as directed by the DPS Director","url":"https://nevadarider.com/"},"delivery":"state-run","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant is 18 or older; an applicant aged 16 or 17 must complete the course as a mandatory prerequisite under NRS 483.2521(4) and must still pass both the written and the driving test","minAge":18},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant is 18 or older; an applicant aged 16 or 17 must complete the course as a mandatory prerequisite under NRS 483.2521(4) and must still pass both the written and the driving test","minAge":18},"typicalCost":{"min":150,"max":150},"lengthHours":12,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Nevada Rider also runs a license-waiver-track Basic RiderCourse 2 and non-waiver BRC2, plus advanced and returning-rider classes, at statewide sites including Las Vegas/Henderson, Reno/Sparks, Carson City, Elko, Winnemucca, Hawthorne, Silver Springs and Tonopah.","details":"NRS 486.374(1)(b)(3) sets a minimum of 8 hours of on-motorcycle instruction for an inexperienced operator and 4 hours for an experienced operator; total course length including classroom time is not fixed in statute. NRS 486.373(2) caps the Program fee at $150, and Nevada Rider's own site states its BRC2 license-waiver and advanced classes cost $150. Training motorcycles are supplied through the annual $6 motorcycle-registration surcharge that funds the Program's bike fleet."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"NRS 486.231 (protective headgear, glasses, goggles or face shields; when use required; exceptions)","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-486.html#NRS486Sec231"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"The driver and passenger of a motorcycle or moped must wear protective glasses, goggles or a face shield meeting Department standards unless the vehicle has a transparent windscreen meeting those standards, in which case eye protection is not required."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"NRS 486.231","url":"https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-486.html#NRS486Sec231"},"details":"The driver and passenger of any motorcycle or moped driven on a highway must wear protective headgear securely fastened on the head, meeting standards the Department is required to adopt. The requirement does not apply during an authorized parade, to an enclosed three-wheeled vehicle other than a trimobile, or, once a pending 2023 amendment takes effect, to an autocycle whose roof meets crash-helmet standards; that amendment awaits a notification from the DMV Director to the Governor that has not yet been made."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence, permit, fee and test rules come from the Nevada Revised Statutes. Training facts come from the Program for the Education of Motorcycle Riders, publicly branded Nevada Rider, run by the Department of Public Safety's Office of Traffic Safety. Helmet rules come from the Nevada Revised Statutes.","Nevada's DMV website could not be reached to verify this record; every figure here is drawn from statute instead. A permit fee, exact test question counts and passing scores are not published in statute and are not shown here.","Nevada allows either a standalone motorcycle driver's license or a motorcycle endorsement added to a regular driver's license — the two carry the same riding privilege under state law."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/nevada","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/nevada"},{"name":"New Hampshire","slug":"new-hampshire","abbreviation":"NH","overview":"New Hampshire issues a motorcycle license or endorsement reached through a motorcycle learner's permit, and lets an applicant of any age substitute the state's own rider-education course for the written knowledge test. New Hampshire has no helmet requirement for a rider or passenger 18 or older; only a rider or passenger under 18 must wear one, and an operator who carries an unhelmeted minor passenger is separately liable.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/263/263-mrg.htm"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"RSA 263:30 (motorcycle license)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/263/263-30.htm"},{"label":"RSA 263:31 (motorcycle licenses; waiver of driving examination)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/263/263-31.htm"},{"label":"RSA 263:32 (motorcycle learner's permit)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/263/263-32.htm"},{"label":"RSA 263:33-a (moped license; driving mopeds)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/263/263-33-a.htm"},{"label":"RSA 259:57 (\"moped\" defined)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/259/259-57.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle License or Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","minAge":16,"validityDays":45,"details":"Issued to a resident 18 or older, or a resident 16 or 17 who has completed an approved driver-education course and holds a valid New Hampshire driver's license. The applicant proves fitness to drive a motorcycle either by passing a written motorcycle knowledge test or by completing the state's motorcycle rider education program; no driving examination is required to obtain the permit itself. The permit allows riding only from sunrise to sunset and carries no passengers. It is valid for 45 days from issuance and may be renewed once for a further 45 days."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"details":"A 16- or 17-year-old may hold the learner's permit only after completing driver education and already holding a valid New Hampshire driver's license; an 18-or-older applicant needs neither precondition. New Hampshire statute does not set a separate, higher minimum age at which the motorcycle license or endorsement itself becomes unrestricted."},"fees":{"other":[{"name":"Motorcycle Rider Education Program surcharge, added to each motorcycle learner's permit, license or endorsement issuance or renewal","amount":5}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written basic motorcycle knowledge test approved by the commissioner and the motorcycle rider education program advisory committee. Completing the state motorcycle rider education program satisfies this requirement instead, for an applicant of any age; the statute sets no age gate on this substitution."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A driving examination on a motorcycle. The Director may exempt an applicant from it on proof of successful completion of a rider training course that includes an approved, similar skills test — in practice, the state's own motorcycle rider education program. Failing the examination twice requires completion of that program before a further attempt."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Moped License","engineCcMax":49,"speedMphMax":30,"separateCredential":true,"details":"A moped is a motor-driven cycle with a top speed of 30 mph or less and, if it has an internal combustion engine, a piston displacement no greater than 50cc with no gear-shifting requirement; an electric bicycle is excluded from the definition. A moped may be driven on any valid driver's license, any motorcycle license, or a separate restricted Moped license issued on passing a written examination alone, with no motorcycle knowledge or skills test required."}],"details":"Driving a motorcycle without holding the required license, endorsement or learner's permit carries a $100 fine under RSA 263:30. New Hampshire statute does not publish a base fee for the learner's permit, the motorcycle license or endorsement, or a renewal period in years; the only dollar figure set in statute is the $5 Motorcycle Rider Education Program surcharge (plus $1 added to each motorcycle registration) charged on top of those fees."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"RSA 263:34-b (Motorcycle Rider Education Program)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/263/263-34-b.htm"},{"label":"RSA 263:34-h (licensing skills test exemption)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/263/263-34-h.htm"},{"label":"RSA 263:32 (motorcycle learner's permit — knowledge-test substitution)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/263/263-32.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Rider Education Program","operator":"New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles; the Director appoints a program coordinator and training specialists who establish rider training courses statewide and supervise instructors","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/263/263-34-b.htm"},"delivery":"state-run","curriculum":{"name":"State-approved rider training course under the Motorcycle Rider Education Program","provider":"New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"RSA 263:34-b requires the Director to set standards for 'a nationally accepted and state-approved rider training course' without naming a specific curriculum brand in statute. The Director may also contract with public or private institutions for technical assistance in running courses, in which case that organisation may charge 'a reasonable tuition fee' capped by the Director, but the statute's default structure is the Director's own appointed coordinator and training specialists establishing courses and supervising instructors directly. Rider training courses are open to any state resident who holds a valid driver's license of any classification or who is eligible for a motorcycle learner's permit."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"RSA 265:122 (protective headgear)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/265/265-122.htm"},{"label":"RSA 265:123 (eye and face protection)","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/265/265-123.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"If the motorcycle has no windshield or screen protecting the driver's eyes and face while sitting erect, the driver must wear eyeglasses, goggles or a protective face shield while the motorcycle is in motion. The statute binds the driver only; it does not separately require eye protection of a passenger."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"RSA 265:122","url":"https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/265/265-122.htm"},"details":"No person under 18 may drive or ride upon a motorcycle or autocycle without protective headgear of a type the Director approves, fitted with a neck or chin strap. A rider or passenger 18 or older may ride without a helmet under this section. An operator who carries a passenger under 18 who is not wearing the required headgear is separately guilty of a violation, regardless of the operator's own age. Paragraph III would void the requirement entirely if federal law no longer conditioned highway funds on it."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence, permit and fee rules come from the New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated, Title XXI, Chapter 263. Training facts come from the same title's Motorcycle Rider Education Program sections. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from Chapter 265. The New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles' own website could not be reached during this review, so fees, test scoring details and the specific training-course brand that are published only on that site are not shown here.","New Hampshire requires a helmet only of a rider or passenger under 18. A rider or passenger 18 or older may ride without one, but an operator who carries an unhelmeted passenger under 18 is separately liable regardless of the operator's own age."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/new-hampshire","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/new-hampshire"},{"name":"New Jersey","slug":"new-jersey","abbreviation":"NJ","overview":"New Jersey adds a motorcycle class to a driver's license, reached through a motorcycle examination permit and either a practice-and-road-test route or completion of the state's Basic RiderCourse, which is compulsory for every applicant under 18. New Jersey also issues a separate, lower-tier Moped license for riders as young as 15 who do not hold any other driving credential. New Jersey's helmet law is universal, with no age or experience exemption for either the operator or a passenger.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission","abbreviation":"MVC","url":"https://www.nj.gov/mvc/vehicletopics/motorcycle.htm"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"New Jersey MVC — License and Permit Fees","url":"https://www.nj.gov/mvc/license/licfees.htm"},{"label":"New Jersey MVC — Motorcycles","url":"https://www.nj.gov/mvc/vehicletopics/motorcycle.htm"},{"label":"New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Highway Traffic Safety — Motorcycle Safety (N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7)","url":"https://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/motorcycle/index.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Examination Permit","minAge":17,"fee":5,"validityDays":90,"details":"Parent or guardian consent is required for an applicant under 18. The permit holder must complete a mandatory minimum practice-riding period of 20 days, restricted to no earlier than half an hour after sunset and no later than half an hour before sunrise, carries no passengers, and may not use a state toll road or limited-access highway. An applicant without any other driver's license must additionally accrue 6 months of practice riding if under 21, or 3 months without any suspension or postponement if 21 or older, before the road test."},"minAge":{"permit":17,"details":"An applicant under 18 must enrol in and complete the Basic RiderCourse; an applicant 18 or older may instead take the permit-and-road-test route. New Jersey does not publish an unrestricted licensing age distinct from the standard driver's license age already reached through either pathway."},"fees":{"permit":5,"initialLicense":24,"renewal":24,"other":[{"name":"Motorcycle/Boat combination license","amount":42},{"name":"Auto/Motorcycle combination license","amount":42},{"name":"Auto/Motorcycle/Boat combination license","amount":60},{"name":"Licence change, correction or duplicate","amount":11}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"Booked through the MVC's online testing portal. The Motor Vehicle Commission does not publish a question count or passing score for the motorcycle knowledge test."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"The applicant supplies their own registered and insured motorcycle or trike, helmet and eye protection for the road test. A road test taken on a motorcycle of 231cc or less restricts the resulting license to motorcycles of 500cc or less, unless the applicant has completed the Basic RiderCourse or BRC2. Third-party administration of the road test is not stated on any MVC page consulted."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Moped License","separateCredential":true,"details":"A restricted Moped license and a separate Moped Permit exist for applicants without any other driver's license or motorcycle license. The Moped Permit is available from age 15, costs $5 and is valid for 45 days; the Moped license itself costs $6 to obtain or renew. A basic auto license holder may also operate a low-speed motorcycle without any separate endorsement or license."}],"details":"New Jersey publishes no distinct renewal period, in years, for the motorcycle license; the $24 figure covers both the initial and the renewal fee."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"New Jersey MVC — NJ RideSafe (Motorcycle Safety Education Program)","url":"https://www.nj.gov/mvc/license/njridesafe/index.html"},{"label":"New Jersey MVC — Motorcycles","url":"https://www.nj.gov/mvc/vehicletopics/motorcycle.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Safety Education Program","abbreviation":"NJ RideSafe","operator":"New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, delivered through independently branded approved training providers","url":"https://www.nj.gov/mvc/license/njridesafe/index.html"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the Basic RiderCourse or BRC2 completion card is presented; the MVC describes the road-test waiver as something a graduate 'may be eligible for' rather than automatic"},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"New Jersey also runs the Basic RiderCourse 2 (BRC2), a one-day course of 4 to 6 hours for riders who already hold a motorcycle license or endorsement and bring their own registered, insured motorcycle. MSF regulations bar any New Jersey provider from training on a motorcycle larger than 499cc; provider training bikes typically run 125cc to 499cc.","details":"New Jersey lists eleven independently operated, MVC-approved training providers rather than running the course through a single contractor or a college system; each sets its own tuition, which the MVC describes only as varying by provider and 'very affordable' without publishing a figure. The standard Basic RiderCourse runs approximately 5 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of riding exercises over two or three sessions."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Highway Traffic Safety — Motorcycle Safety (N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7)","url":"https://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/motorcycle/index.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.7","url":"https://www.nj.gov/oag/hts/motorcycle/index.html"},"details":"No person may operate or ride upon a motorcycle unless wearing a securely fitted protective helmet, of a size proper for that person and of a type approved by the federal Department of Transportation, equipped with either a neck or chin strap and reflectorized on both sides. The rule binds anyone riding upon the motorcycle, so it reaches a passenger exactly as it reaches the operator, with no age or experience exemption."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages, permits and fees come from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Training facts come from the Motor Vehicle Commission's NJ RideSafe programme, delivered through independently approved training providers under the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's curriculum. The helmet rule comes from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, Division of Highway Traffic Safety, which publishes the statute's operative text; this review could not independently retrieve the codified statute from the New Jersey Legislature's own database, which serves its statutes through an interactive search tool rather than static, linkable pages.","New Jersey Basic RiderCourse and BRC2 tuition varies by the independent provider a rider chooses and is not published centrally by the state."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/new-jersey","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/new-jersey"},{"name":"New Mexico","slug":"new-mexico","abbreviation":"NM","overview":"New Mexico issues a standalone motorcycle (M) license or a W, Y or Z endorsement to an existing licence, graded by engine displacement, and completing the MSF Basic Rider Course through the New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program unlocks the credential years earlier than the standard route: as young as 13 for a small-displacement machine, against 18 for riders who skip the course entirely. New Mexico requires a helmet only of riders and passengers under 18.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division","abbreviation":"MVD","url":"https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/","phone":"888-683-4636"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"New Mexico MVD — Chapter 2: Non-Commercial License (motorcycle license and endorsements)","url":"https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/chapter-2-non-commercial-license/"},{"label":"New Mexico MVD — Chapter 3: Instructional Permit","url":"https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/chapter-3-instructional-permit/"},{"label":"New Mexico MVD — Driver's Licenses and IDs (fees)","url":"https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/nm-drivers-licenses-ids/"},{"label":"New Mexico Driver Manual","url":"https://realfile.tax.newmexico.gov/English%20Drivers%20Manualver11.19.19.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle (M) License or W/Y/Z Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Instruction Permit","minAge":15,"validityDays":180,"details":"A general instruction permit, not motorcycle-specific, issued to an applicant at least 15 who passes the knowledge and vision tests; the holder must retain it at least 6 months before advancing to a provisional or full license. A motorcycle instruction-permit holder may not carry a passenger while operating the motorcycle, and the supervising licensed driver must follow the learner rather than ride beside them, as a supervising driver would in a car."},"minAge":{"permit":15,"unrestricted":18,"withTraining":13,"details":"An applicant 13 or older may be issued a motorcycle (M) license with a Y (50cc-99cc) or Z (under 50cc) endorsement on successfully completing the MSF Basic Rider Course delivered by the New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program. An applicant 15 or older may add a W, Y or Z endorsement of any displacement on the same course-completion basis. From 18, the course is not required and the applicant is not required to wear a helmet; an 18-or-older applicant instead passes a road test on a motorcycle of appropriate size, or completes the Basic Rider Course in place of it."},"fees":{"initialLicense":18,"renewal":18,"renewalPeriod":"4 years","other":[{"name":"8-year license","amount":34}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"Required for a standard driver's license and for the under-13/under-15 motorcycle endorsement pathways alike. MVD does not publish a question count or passing score for the motorcycle-specific knowledge test."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A road test on a motorcycle of appropriate size for applicants 18 or older who have not completed the Basic Rider Course; completing the course substitutes for it. Third-party administration of the road test is not stated on any MVD page consulted."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Any valid driver's license or permit, of any class, is sufficient to operate a moped in New Mexico; the state issues no separate moped credential."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"New Mexico Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Safety","url":"https://www.dot.nm.gov/planning-research-multimodal-and-safety/modal/traffic-safety/motorcycle-safety/"},{"label":"New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program — official program site","url":"https://nm-msp.org/"},{"label":"New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program — Getting Started","url":"https://nm-msp.org/getting-started/"},{"label":"New Mexico MVD — Chapter 2: Non-Commercial License (Basic Rider Course eligibility)","url":"https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/chapter-2-non-commercial-license/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"NMMSP","operator":"Delivered under the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's national training network; the New Mexico Department of Transportation strongly encourages but does not itself deliver the training","url":"https://nm-msp.org/"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"New Mexico offers the standard classroom-plus-range Basic RiderCourse alongside an ePackage 1 eCourse variant, which pairs online classroom study with approximately 10 hours of practical riding in a controlled, off-street environment.","details":"Course completion is the credential path itself for applicants under 18 (unlocking the M/W/Y/Z endorsement at 13 or 15 depending on displacement) and an alternative to the road test for applicants 18 and older; MVD's own page states an 18-or-older applicant is 'not required to take the... Basic Rider Course, and not required to wear a helmet.' No course fee is published on any MVD, NMDOT or NMMSP page consulted."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"New Mexico MVD — Helmet Law","url":"https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/helmet-law/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"New Mexico MVD — Helmet Law","url":"https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/helmet-law/"},"details":"Persons under the age of 18 must wear a safety helmet when operating or riding on a motorcycle. The same rule and age line are repeated in the New Mexico Driver Manual, which adds that all riders and passengers are recommended, though not required, to wear a helmet regardless of age."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, ages, permits and fees come from the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division and the New Mexico Driver Manual. Training facts come from the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program, which delivers the training under the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's curriculum. Helmet rules come from the Motor Vehicle Division's own published statement of the law.","New Mexico's motorcycle helmet statute could not be independently retrieved from the state's official statute database during this review; the requirement stated here is drawn directly from the Motor Vehicle Division's own helmet-law page and repeated in the current Driver Manual.","New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program course fees are not published centrally by any state source reviewed, so no tuition figure is shown here.","Two New Mexico agencies describe the course waiver differently. The Department of Transportation's motorcycle safety page says a completion card earns a waiver of the written and the riding test. The Motor Vehicle Division, which issues the endorsement and administers the tests, states on its own licensing page that the certificate waives the road test only and that the written motorcycle knowledge test is still required. This page follows the Motor Vehicle Division."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/new-mexico","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/new-mexico"},{"name":"New York","slug":"new-york","abbreviation":"NY","overview":"New York issues a Class M driver license to an adult motorcycle rider and a Class MJ license to a rider aged 16 or 17. A Class M or MJ learner permit comes first, and the road test can be waived by a Basic RiderCourse or Basic RiderCourse 2 completion card from the state's own Motorcycle Safety Program. New York requires a helmet of every operator and every passenger, with no age, experience or insurance exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"New York State Department of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://dmvsearch.webnycdn.ny.gov/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"New York DMV — Get a Motorcycle Learner Permit and License","url":"https://dmvsearch.webnycdn.ny.gov/driver-license/get-a-motorcycle-learner-permit-and-license"},{"label":"New York DMV — Driver License and Learner Permit Fees and Refunds","url":"https://dmvsearch.webnycdn.ny.gov/driver-license/fees-refunds"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Driver License (Class MJ for a rider aged 16 or 17)","permit":{"name":"Class M or Class MJ Motorcycle Learner Permit","minAge":16,"details":"A resident must hold a Class M or MJ learner permit before a license. The DMV's fee table for a first license or permit begins its Class M/MJ age bands at 16, and a rider under 18 holds a junior Class MJ permit rather than the adult Class M permit. A permit holder must be supervised at all times by a driver 21 or older who holds a valid motorcycle license, and must otherwise obey the general restrictions imposed on every learner permit holder; a Class MJ holder must additionally obey the restrictions that apply to a driver under 18. No published DMV page states a single validity period in days for the motorcycle permit distinct from the general learner permit rules."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"details":"A driver license applicant who is 16 or 17 receives the junior Class MJ credential and remains subject to restrictions for drivers under 18. A rider reaches the unrestricted Class M credential at 18."},"fees":{},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"passingScore":70,"questionCount":20,"details":"A written test of 20 multiple-choice questions; a passing score requires at least 14 of the 20 correct, including at least 2 of the 4 road-sign questions. The test is offered in 20 languages."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"A road test given by the DMV. The DMV recommends at least 30 hours of practice, including at least 10 hours in medium-to-high-volume traffic, before scheduling it. An applicant under 18 must hold the learner permit at least 6 months before the road test; no minimum holding period is stated for an applicant 18 or older. Completing a qualifying Basic RiderCourse or Basic RiderCourse 2 License Waiver course waives the road test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"The combined fee for a first New York driver license or learner permit, including any Class M or MJ credential, is set by the applicant's age and county of residence rather than by a single figure: DMV's own table runs from roughly $68.75 to $97.50 before the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District (MCTD) surcharge, and from about $77.75 to $107.50 with it, with the applicant's age at issuance determining the exact figure because the credential's duration is tied to age. Residents of New York City and the surrounding downstate counties pay the MCTD surcharge; other residents do not. Part of the Class M and MJ fee funds the New York State Motorcyclist Safety Program."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"New York State Motorcyclist Safety Program — Frequently Asked Questions","url":"https://nysmsp.org/frequently-asked-questions/"},{"label":"New York DMV — Motorcycle Manual: Motorcycle Safety Program","url":"https://dmvsearch.webnycdn.ny.gov/motorcycle-manual/motorcycle-manual-motorcycle-safety-program"},{"label":"New York State Motorcyclist Safety Program — Curriculum","url":"https://nysmsp.org/curriculum/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"New York State Motorcyclist Safety Program","abbreviation":"NYSMSP","operator":"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","url":"https://nysmsp.org/"},"delivery":"single-contractor","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the rider is 16 or older, already holds a New York license of Class A, B, C, D, DJ or E, holds a Class M or MJ learner permit, and presents a Basic RiderCourse or Basic RiderCourse 2 License Waiver completion card from a course taken in New York within two years of completion; a course taken in another state does not qualify","validWithinMonths":24},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":199,"max":398},"lengthHours":16,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"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.","details":"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."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"New York State Motorcycle Operator's Manual (MV-21MC) — Special Rules and Required Equipment, the NYS DMV's published statement of the VTL § 381 helmet and eye-protection requirements","url":"https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/mv21-mc.pdf"},{"label":"New York Governor's Traffic Safety Committee — Motorcycle Safety (universal helmet law, effective 1 January 1967)","url":"https://trafficsafety.ny.gov/motorcycle-safety"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every motorcycle operator must wear approved eye protection, even where the motorcycle has a windshield, and any windshield must itself be of an approved type. The eye protection must conform to American National Standards Institute standard ANSI Z87.1; prescription or made-to-order safety glasses qualify where the wearer can produce written certification that they meet DMV standards. The Department recommends approved goggles or a face shield for full protection. The requirement is stated of the operator and not separately of a passenger."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 381, as published by the NYS DMV in the Motorcycle Operator's Manual (MV-21MC)","url":"https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/mv21-mc.pdf"},"details":"Every motorcycle operator and every passenger must wear an approved motorcycle helmet meeting United States Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218, with no age, experience or insurance exception. New York was the first state in the country to adopt a universal helmet requirement, in force since 1 January 1967. The Department recommends, but does not require, at least four square inches of reflective material on each side of the helmet."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["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."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/new-york","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/new-york"},{"name":"North Carolina","slug":"north-carolina","abbreviation":"NC","overview":"North Carolina adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's license, reached either by passing a knowledge test and an off-street skills test or by first holding a motorcycle learner's permit. A rider under 18 must complete the North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Education Program's Basic Rider Course before the permit is issued; a rider 18 or older may take the same course to skip the skills test instead. North Carolina requires a helmet of every operator and every passenger, with no age or experience exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"NCDMV","url":"https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/motorcycle/Pages/default.aspx","phone":"919-715-7000"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-7 (issuance and renewal of licenses; motorcycle learner's permit; fees)","url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-7.html"},{"label":"NCDMV — Motorcycle & Moped Privileges","url":"https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/motorcycle/Pages/default.aspx"},{"label":"NCDMV — Licenses & Fees","url":"https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/Pages/licenses-fees.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","minAge":16,"fee":25.5,"validityDays":365,"details":"A person at least 16 but under 18 with a full provisional license, or a person 18 or older with any North Carolina license, may obtain a motorcycle learner's permit. To obtain it, an applicant passes a vision test, a road-sign test and a knowledge test; an applicant under 18 must first successfully complete the North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Education Program's Basic Rider Course, or another course approved by the Commissioner consistent with the statewide Motorcycle Safety Instruction Program. The permit expires 12 months after issue and may be renewed once for an additional 6 months. A permit holder may not carry a passenger. The permit fee is the same as the general G.S. 20-7(l) learner's permit fee, $25.50."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"details":"A rider under 18 who holds a motorcycle endorsement may not carry a passenger. There is no separate unrestricted-privilege age beyond 18, when the under-18 passenger restriction lifts."},"fees":{"permit":25.5},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A knowledge test concerning motorcycles is required to obtain either the learner's permit or the endorsement, and is not waived by course completion at renewal or otherwise for a first-time applicant."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"An off-street skills test given at select NCDMV driver license offices, Tuesday through Thursday as weather permits, by appointment only, with one attempt allowed per day. Passing an approved course (the NC Motorcycle Safety Education Program's Basic Rider Course or Experienced Rider Course), completing approved military motorcycle training, or presenting a valid out-of-state motorcycle endorsement each substitutes for the skills test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"The fee for a regular driver's license is $6.50 per year of the period for which it is issued, and the fee for a motorcycle endorsement is an additional $3.05 per year of that same period, both under G.S. 20-7(i)/(a1); the standard license term for a person 18 to 65 is eight years, most recently confirmed for licenses issued or renewed under the current schedule. A person under 18 with a motorcycle endorsement may not carry a passenger. Neither a driver's license nor a motorcycle endorsement is required to operate a moped, which G.S. 20-7(a3) and related definitions place in its own, separately unregulated category rather than a tiered motorcycle credential."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-7(a1)-(a2) (motorcycle endorsement and learner's permit testing requirements)","url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-7.html"},{"label":"Session Laws 2025-56 (recodifying the Motorcycle Safety Instruction Program as G.S. 115D-10.50)","url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/SessionLaws/HTML/2025-2026/SL2025-56.html"},{"label":"North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Education Program — Frequently Asked Questions","url":"https://ncmsep.org/home/faq/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Education Program","abbreviation":"NCMSEP","operator":"North Carolina Community Colleges System Office, delivered at individual community colleges that choose to offer the program, under the statewide Motorcycle Safety Instruction Program","url":"https://ncmsep.org/"},"delivery":"college-delivered","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant completes the North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Education Program's Basic Rider Course or Experienced Rider Course (or another course approved by the Commissioner) and presents the DMV waiver card within one year of the course","validWithinMonths":12},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":135,"max":250},"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"The program also offers a Basic Rider Course 2 for riders with at least six months' experience, an Advanced RiderCourse, a 3-Wheel Basic Rider Course, and dirt-bike training.","details":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-7(a1)-(a2) makes the Basic Rider Course (or an approved equivalent) mandatory before a motorcycle learner's permit or endorsement can be issued to an applicant under 18; the program's own FAQ page states the course 'is not mandatory to get your motorcycle endorsement in North Carolina' for adult applicants, which describes the 18-and-older population only, for whom the course is one route to a skills-test waiver rather than a requirement. Course tuition is set locally: NCMSEP states prices run from about $135 to $250 depending on the college. Successful completion of the course itself requires passing a written test and a motorcycle skills test administered by the course, distinct from the DMV's own tests. G.S. 115D-72, formerly cited as the statutory basis for the Motorcycle Safety Instruction Program delivered through the Community Colleges System Office, was repealed effective 3 July 2025 by Session Laws 2025-56, which recodified the identical program as new G.S. 115D-10.50 in the same act; the program continues unchanged in substance under the Community Colleges System Office."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-140.4 (special provisions for motorcycles and mopeds)","url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-140.4.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":25.5,"points":0},"statuteCitation":{"label":"G.S. 20-140.4(a)(2)","url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-140.4.html"},"details":"G.S. 20-140.4(a)(2) prohibits operating a motorcycle or moped on a highway or public vehicular area unless the operator and all passengers wear safety helmets meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218, with a retention strap properly secured. The requirement does not reach an autocycle with fully enclosed seating or a roll bar or roll cage. A violation is an infraction, not negligence per se or contributory negligence per se in a civil action, and carries no driver's license points or insurance surcharge."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, learner's permit rules and fees come from the North Carolina General Statutes (Chapter 20) and the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from the North Carolina Motorcycle Safety Education Program, delivered through the North Carolina Community Colleges System Office. Helmet rules come from the North Carolina General Statutes.","A rider under 18 must complete the Basic Rider Course before a motorcycle learner's permit is issued; a rider 18 or older may take the same course as an alternative to the DMV's own skills test, but it is not required at that age.","North Carolina's motorcycle endorsement fee is set by statute as a per-year rate ($3.05 for each year of the license period) rather than a single flat amount, and rides on top of the underlying driver's license fee ($6.50 per year)."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/north-carolina","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/north-carolina"},{"name":"North Dakota","slug":"north-dakota","abbreviation":"ND","overview":"North Dakota issues a Class M motorcycle license, reached through a motorcycle permit held for at least two months before the road test. A rider under 16 must enrol in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course before testing, and any rider's completion card waives the road test for a year. North Dakota's helmet law binds every rider under 18 as an operator or a passenger, and separately binds a passenger of any age when the operator is under 18, so an 18-or-older passenger is not automatically exempt.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"North Dakota Department of Transportation, Driver's License Division","abbreviation":"NDDOT","url":"https://www.dot.nd.gov/driver/motorcycle-license"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"North Dakota DOT — Motorcycle License","url":"https://www.dot.nd.gov/driver/motorcycle-license"},{"label":"N.D. Cent. Code § 39-10.2-06 (equipment for motorcycle riders)","url":"https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c10-2.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Permit","minAge":14,"fee":8,"holdingPeriodDays":60,"details":"An applicant of any age from 14 up may apply for a motorcycle permit after passing the motorcycle knowledge test ($5 per attempt, one attempt allowed per day). A permit must be held at least two months before the road test may be scheduled. Restrictions vary by age: a permit holder aged 14-15 is limited to daylight driving, to a motorcycle of 510cc or less, must wear a helmet, and may carry no passenger; a permit holder aged 16-17 has the same daylight and no-passenger restrictions and the same helmet requirement but no engine-size limit; a permit holder 18 or older is limited to daylight driving and no passenger, with no engine-size limit and no permit-specific helmet requirement beyond the general age/novice test in statute. A Basic Rider Course completion card from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, dated within one year, waives the road test at every age."},"minAge":{"permit":14,"unrestricted":18,"details":"A licensed rider aged 14-15 is restricted to a motorcycle of 510cc or less and must wear a helmet; a licensed rider aged 16-17 must wear a helmet but has no engine-size limit; a licensed rider 18 or older has neither restriction, subject to the separate novice-designation helmet rule carried in the driver's-license statute."},"fees":{"permit":8,"other":[{"name":"Motorcycle knowledge test, per attempt","amount":5},{"name":"Road test","amount":5}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"fee":5,"details":"Required before the motorcycle permit is issued; one attempt is allowed per day. Study material is the North Dakota Motorcycle Operator Manual, available in text and audio."},"skills":{"required":true,"fee":5,"details":"A road test, scheduled through NDDOT's driver license testing desk. A Basic Rider Course completion card from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, dated within one year of issuance, waives it."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Motorized bicycle/scooter (no separate credential)","engineCcMax":50,"speedMphMax":30,"separateCredential":false,"details":"A vehicle with two or three wheels no more than 32 inches wide, foot pedals or footrests, an automatic drive system, a maximum of two brake horsepower, and a maximum piston or rotor displacement of 49.98cc capable of no more than 30mph is a motorized bicycle/scooter under NDDOT's motorcycle-license page. It requires only a valid permit or license of any class, held by a person at least 14, and does not require a separate motorcycle credential."}],"details":"A rider must visit a North Dakota driver license site in person to be licensed; the road test is scheduled through NDDOT's scheduling desk. Restrictions on the full Class M license mirror the permit-stage restrictions by age band: 510cc-or-under and a helmet requirement at 14-15, a helmet requirement only at 16-17, and neither restriction at 18 or older (subject to the novice-designation helmet rule)."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"North Dakota DOT — Motorcycle License","url":"https://www.dot.nd.gov/driver/motorcycle-license"},{"label":"North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program","url":"https://www.ndmsp.com/"},{"label":"North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program — Basic Rider Course (BRC)","url":"https://www.ndmsp.com/courses/brc/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"NDMSP","operator":"ABATE of North Dakota, a nonprofit motorcyclists' association, which NDDOT's own motorcycle-license page directs applicants to for training reference material","url":"https://www.ndmsp.com/"},"delivery":"single-contractor","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":16,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the rider presents a Basic Rider Course completion card from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation dated within one year of issuance","validWithinMonths":12},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":125,"max":125},"lengthHours":11,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"The Basic Rider Course runs approximately 11 hours of on-cycle range instruction over two days, in addition to a mandatory 4-to-5-hour online classroom component that must be completed before the rider arrives for the range days. NDMSP also offers an Experienced Rider Course (ERC).","details":"NDDOT's motorcycle-license page states that anyone under 16 must provide proof of enrolment in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course before testing, using either an internet confirmation printout or a completion card. NDMSP's own BRC page sets a flat $125 registration fee, non-refundable and non-transferable, and states the course is delivered by Motorcycle Safety Foundation nationally certified RiderCoaches using motorcycles the program supplies. NDMSP operates as the North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program 'c/o ABATE of North Dakota' at the same Bismarck address as ABATE of North Dakota, the state's motorcyclists' rights and safety association."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"N.D. Cent. Code § 39-10.2-06 (equipment for motorcycle riders)","url":"https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c10-2.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"operator"},{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the passenger is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"passenger"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the motorcycle's operator is also 18 or older, so that the operator is not required to wear a helmet","appliesTo":"passenger","detail":"N.D.C.C. 39-10.2-06(1) makes this a linked condition: a passenger's own age does not by itself decide the outcome. If the operator is under 18 and so is required to wear a helmet, the statute requires 'any passenger must also wear a safety helmet regardless of the age of the passenger' — so an 18-or-older passenger riding behind an under-18 operator must still wear a helmet. A passenger is exempt only when both the passenger and the operator are 18 or older."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"N.D.C.C. § 39-10.2-06(1)","url":"https://www.ndlegis.gov/cencode/t39c10-2.pdf"},"details":"N.D.C.C. 39-10.2-06(1) provides that no person under 18 may operate or ride upon a motorcycle unless a DOT-standard safety helmet is worn by the operator and the rider, except in a lawful parade, and that if the operator is required to wear a helmet, any passenger must also wear one regardless of the passenger's own age. Subsection 3 separately makes it unlawful to operate a motorcycle carrying an unhelmeted passenger under 18. The section does not apply within an enclosed cab or on a golf cart. No separate eye-protection requirement for motorcyclists was found in Title 39 during this collection."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Permit, license and fee facts come from the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Helmet rules come from the North Dakota Century Code. Training facts come from the North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program, the site NDDOT's own motorcycle-license page directs riders to for training reference material.","North Dakota's helmet law does not simply exempt every rider 18 or older. A passenger of any age must wear a helmet if the motorcycle's operator is under 18; only when both the operator and the passenger are 18 or older is the passenger exempt.","The North Dakota Motorcycle Safety Program is administered by ABATE of North Dakota, a nonprofit motorcyclists' association, rather than a state agency directly; this record could not independently confirm the program's funding or contractual relationship with the state beyond NDDOT's own reliance on its completion cards."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/north-dakota","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/north-dakota"},{"name":"Ohio","slug":"ohio","abbreviation":"OH","overview":"Ohio issues a motorcycle or motor scooter license to a rider without a driver license, or an endorsement on an existing driver license. Every new license or endorsement carries a one-year 'novice' designation. Ohio requires a helmet and protective eyewear of every temporary-permit holder, and separately of any operator or passenger under 18 or carrying a current novice designation — which means a passenger's own age is not enough to be exempt if the operator riding them is under 18 or still a novice.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"BMV","url":"https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/dl-mo-motorcycle.aspx","phone":"844-644-6268"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Ohio BMV — Motorcycle/Motor Scooter License","url":"https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/dl-mo-motorcycle.aspx"},{"label":"Ohio BMV — Documents & Fees","url":"https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/doc-fees.aspx"},{"label":"Ohio Rev. Code § 4507.13 (contents and characteristics of driver's license; novice designation)","url":"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4507.13"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle/Motor Scooter License or Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle or Motor Scooter Temporary Instruction Permit Identification Card (TIPIC)","minAge":15.5,"fee":25.5,"validityDays":365,"details":"An applicant must be at least 15 years and 6 months old and pass a motorcycle or motor scooter knowledge test and vision screening before purchasing a TIPIC at a deputy registrar license agency, within 60 days of passing the test. An applicant under 18 needs a parent or guardian to co-sign. The TIPIC is valid for one year from purchase; if it expires the process must be restarted. A TIPIC holder must carry it at all times while riding, may ride only during daylight, may carry no passenger, may not ride on interstates or congested roads, and must wear a helmet and protective eyewear regardless of age."},"minAge":{"permit":15.5,"unrestricted":18,"details":"A rider under 18 must complete the probationary driver license requirements, hold the TIPIC at least six months, complete an approved driver education course (24 hours of classroom or online instruction plus 8 hours of driving), log 50 hours of driving including 10 at night, and complete a motorcycle safety education course before testing for the license or endorsement; a parent or guardian must co-sign the resulting license and probationary restrictions continue to apply. A rider 18 or older may go directly from the TIPIC to the skills test or to an approved Motorcycle Ohio course."},"fees":{"permit":25.5,"initialLicense":27.5,"renewalPeriod":"4 years (or 8 years, at the applicant's option, matching the general Ohio driver license terms)"},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"Given at any driver exam station, or online for an adult applicant who already holds a valid Ohio driver license, to begin the TIPIC process. Offered in several languages in text and audio, and in American Sign Language in text and video. A failed attempt requires at least a 24-hour wait; there is no limit on the number of attempts."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"An off-street skills test scheduled through BMV Online Services, requiring a valid TIPIC and a helmet and protective eyewear at the time of testing; the motorcycle or motor scooter must be street-legal. A failed attempt requires a one-week wait to retest. A Motorcycle Ohio Basic Course completion card waives the skills test for 60 days from issuance, for a rider of any age."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Motor Scooter endorsement/license","engineCcMax":100,"separateCredential":true,"details":"Ohio Rev. Code § 4501.01 defines a motor scooter as a vehicle of no more than three wheels with a piston displacement between 50 and 100cc producing no more than 5 brake horsepower, capable of more than 20mph. Operating one requires its own motor scooter endorsement or license, separate from the 2-wheeled and 3-wheeled motorcycle endorsements/licenses."},{"name":"Moped License","engineCcMax":49,"speedMphMax":20,"separateCredential":true,"details":"Ohio Rev. Code § 4501.01 defines a moped as a vehicle with a helper motor of no more than 50cc producing no more than 1 brake horsepower and a top speed of no more than 20mph. An applicant aged 14-15, or anyone without a valid driver license, must pass vision, knowledge and road tests for a moped license; 14- and 15-year-old holders receive a probationary license that can be revoked until age 16 for a violation. A rider under 18 must wear a protective helmet on a moped; mopeds must carry a rear-view mirror and a rear license plate, and may not carry a passenger."}],"details":"Ohio issues a standalone motorcycle or motor scooter license to an applicant without a valid driver license, and an endorsement on the driver license to an applicant who already holds one; BMV's fee schedule prices the 'Motorcycle Only License' at $27.50 for a 4-year term or $54.00 for an 8-year term and does not publish a separately priced figure for adding the endorsement to an existing license, so this record cannot confirm whether the endorsement-only case costs the same. To operate a 2-wheeled motorcycle a rider needs a 2-wheeled motorcycle endorsement or license; a 3-wheeled motorcycle and a motor scooter each require their own separate endorsement or license."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Ohio BMV — Motorcycle/Motor Scooter License","url":"https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/dl-mo-motorcycle.aspx"},{"label":"Ohio Department of Public Safety — Agencies (Motorcycle Ohio)","url":"https://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/odps-agencies"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Ohio","operator":"Ohio Department of Public Safety","url":"https://motorcycle.ohio.gov/"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Motorcycle Ohio Basic Course","provider":"Motorcycle Ohio (Ohio Department of Public Safety)","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the rider completes a Motorcycle Ohio course and presents the completion card within 60 days of issuance","validWithinMonths":2},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"BMV's own motorcycle licensing page names the curriculum 'the Motorcycle Ohio Basic Course' throughout rather than 'Basic RiderCourse' or an MSF-branded name, so this record does not assume it is the MSF Basic RiderCourse; isMsfBrc is recorded false on that naming evidence. For a rider under 18, completing a Motorcycle Ohio course is a listed prerequisite before testing for the license or endorsement, alongside the driver-education and supervised-driving-hours requirements; for a rider 18 or older it is optional, an alternative to the BMV's own skills test. Course cost and length in hours could not be retrieved during this collection: motorcycle.ohio.gov is a JavaScript single-page application whose visible content loads via client-side calls that a direct, non-JavaScript fetch cannot retrieve, and no static PDF or cached page carrying that detail was found. motorcycle.ohio.gov's own page metadata labels the program 'ODPS Motorcycle Ohio,' and its footer lists the Ohio Department of Public Safety's Motorcycle Ohio phone line (1-800-83-RIDER), which is the evidentiary basis for naming the Ohio Department of Public Safety as the operator. The site's navigation includes 'become-a-provider' and 'become-an-instructor' pages, which is the basis for recording delivery as approved-providers rather than state-run or single-contractor, though I could not read the provider-approval criteria themselves."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.53 (operation of bicycles, motorcycles and snowmobiles)","url":"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4511.53"},{"label":"Ohio Rev. Code § 4507.13 (contents and characteristics of driver's license; novice designation)","url":"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4507.13"},{"label":"Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.28 (financial sanctions; misdemeanor fine schedule)","url":"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2929.28"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"operator"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator's endorsement or license does not currently carry a 'novice' designation","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"Ohio Rev. Code 4507.13 gives every motorcycle endorsement or license issued to a person 18 or older with no prior motorcycle licensure in Ohio or elsewhere a 'novice' designation, effective for one year from issuance. An operator within that first year must wear a helmet regardless of age."},{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the passenger is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"passenger"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the passenger's own endorsement or license, if any, does not currently carry a 'novice' designation","appliesTo":"passenger"},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the motorcycle's operator is also 18 or older and not currently novice-designated","appliesTo":"passenger","detail":"Ohio Rev. Code 4511.53(C)(1) provides that 'no other person shall be a passenger on a motorcycle operated by such a person' (an operator under 18 or novice-designated) 'unless similarly wearing a protective helmet' — so an 18-or-older, non-novice passenger must still wear a helmet if the operator is under 18 or a current novice. A passenger is fully exempt only when the passenger's own age/novice test AND the operator's age/novice test both clear."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Ohio Rev. Code 4511.53(C)(1) requires safety glasses or another protective eye device of every operator and every passenger on a motorcycle, with no age or novice exception; this is separate from and broader than the helmet rule. An autocycle or a cab-enclosed motorcycle with its occupant compartment top in place is exempt from both the eye-protection and the age/novice helmet rule under (C)(2), though not from the TIPIC-specific helmet rule in (C)(3)."},"penalty":{"fine":150},"statuteCitation":{"label":"Ohio Rev. Code § 4511.53(C)(1)","url":"https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4511.53"},"details":"Ohio Rev. Code 4511.53(C)(1) provides that no person under 18, and no person holding a motorcycle endorsement or license currently bearing a 'novice' designation under section 4507.13, may operate or be a passenger on a motorcycle without a United States Department of Transportation-approved protective helmet, except in a lawful parade, and that if the operator is required to wear a helmet, any passenger must also wear one regardless of the passenger's own age. Separately, 4511.53(C)(3) requires every holder of a temporary instruction permit (TIPIC) to wear a helmet while operating, regardless of age, matching the permit restriction BMV states directly. A first violation of the helmet or eye-protection provisions is a minor misdemeanor; a second within a year of a prior predicate offense is a fourth-degree misdemeanor, and a third is a third-degree misdemeanor."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["License, endorsement, permit and fee facts come from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Ohio Revised Code. Training facts come from Motorcycle Ohio, the Ohio Department of Public Safety's rider training program, though its own website could not be fully read during this review (see Source Notes on the training page). Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Ohio Revised Code.","Ohio's helmet exemption is not simply 'age 18 or older.' A rider who has just received their first endorsement carries a one-year 'novice' designation and must wear a helmet during that year regardless of age, and any passenger must wear a helmet if the operator carrying them is under 18 or still a novice, regardless of the passenger's own age.","This record could not confirm Motorcycle Ohio's course cost or length in hours; the program's official site did not yield that information to an automated check at the time of writing."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/ohio","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/ohio"},{"name":"Oklahoma","slug":"oklahoma","abbreviation":"OK","overview":"Oklahoma adds a Motorcycle (M) Endorsement to an existing Class D driver's licence rather than issuing a stand-alone motorcycle licence. A rider 14 or older may work toward the endorsement through a motorcycle learner permit, and completing a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse is mandatory under 18 and waives both the written and riding tests at any age. Oklahoma requires a DOT-approved helmet only of riders and passengers under 18.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Service Oklahoma","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/service.html"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Service Oklahoma — Apply for Motorcycle License (eligibility, permit, fees, helmet and eye-protection rules)","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/service/all-pages/apply-for-endorsement.html"},{"label":"Oklahoma Highway Safety Office — Motorcycle Safety (mandatory-training age and effective date)","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/highwaysafety/focus-areas/motorcycle-safety.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle (M) Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner Permit","minAge":14,"holdingPeriodDays":30,"details":"An applicant must be at least 14, pass a Class D written test if they have never held an Oklahoma licence or permit, and have a parent or legal guardian present at the written test if under 18. A permit holder must hold the permit at least 30 days before it converts to a full endorsement. A rider under 16 on a learner permit may ride only between 4:30 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., must wear protective headgear, must be accompanied by and receive instruction from a person at least 21 years old who is properly licensed to operate a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, and may not ride a machine over 300cc. Service Oklahoma's eligibility summary also lists completion of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basics course as a permit requirement at any age, which conflicts with the same page's numbered process for an applicant 18 or older, where the course appears only as an alternative to the written and riding tests."},"minAge":{"permit":14,"unrestricted":18,"withTraining":14,"details":"From 18, a rider may reach the endorsement by passing the motorcycle written and riding tests without any course. Below 18, completion of a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basics course is mandatory, and the permit-to-endorsement pathway is open from age 14."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":4,"other":[{"name":"Driver licence renewal (base fee, paid alongside the $4 motorcycle application fee)","amount":38.5},{"name":"Driver licence replacement (base fee, paid alongside the $4 motorcycle application fee)","amount":25}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A motorcycle written test at a Service Oklahoma licensing office or an eligible Designated Examiner, in addition to the Class D written test for anyone who has never held any Oklahoma driver licence or permit. Waived for a rider of any age who presents a Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A motorcycle driving test at an approved Service Oklahoma exam location. Waived for a rider of any age who presents a Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card. A motorcycle without a sufficient windshield requires the rider to wear ANSI Z87.1 goggles or a face shield during the test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Liability insurance is required to operate a motorcycle in Oklahoma, including during the driving test. A combustion engine of 150cc or more, or an electric motor of 1,000 watts or more, requires the M endorsement; mopeds, motor scooters and motorized tricycles below those thresholds do not."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Service Oklahoma — Apply for Motorcycle License (Motorcycle Safety Foundation course requirement and approved-course list)","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/service/all-pages/apply-for-endorsement.html"},{"label":"Oklahoma Highway Safety Office — Motorcycle Safety (mandatory-course age, effective 26 August 2016)","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/highwaysafety/focus-areas/motorcycle-safety.html"},{"label":"Oklahoma Highway Patrol — Safe Riders (a separate, free continuing-education course for riders who already hold the endorsement)","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/dps/programs-services/saferiders.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":null,"delivery":"none","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"Service Oklahoma names three approved courses: the MSF Basic RiderCourse, Basic RiderCourse 2 – License Waive, and 3 Wheel Basic RiderCourse, and states plainly that it 'only accepts MSF as a qualifying motorcycle course.' Oklahoma runs no state training program of its own; the course is delivered by independently operated, MSF-certified motorcycle schools and dealers, and Service Oklahoma directs riders to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's own site to find a class and to a Department of Public Safety course locator. No tuition figure or course-length figure is published by a primary Oklahoma source, so both are left unpublished here. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol separately runs a free 8-hour 'Safe Riders' skills clinic taught by OHP motorcycle troopers and funded by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, but that course requires an existing M endorsement to attend and is a continuing-education offering, not the course that leads to the endorsement."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Service Oklahoma — Apply for Motorcycle License (helmet and eye-protection requirement)","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/service/all-pages/apply-for-endorsement.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every motorcycle must carry a windshield, or the operator must wear ANSI Z87.1 goggles, a face shield, or other protective eyewear meeting that standard. This equipment duty binds the operator; no separate eye-protection duty is published for a passenger."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"47 O.S. § 12-609(B) (crash helmet requirement for a person under 18), as stated by Service Oklahoma","url":"https://oklahoma.gov/service/all-pages/apply-for-endorsement.html"},"details":"The statute reads: 'No person under eighteen (18) years of age shall operate or ride upon any motorcycle unless such person is properly wearing a crash helmet' meeting 49 C.F.R. § 571.218 standards. The same rule reaches an operator and a passenger alike through the phrase 'operate or ride upon,' and no age-independent exemption for training or riding experience exists in current law."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence, permit, fee and helmet facts come from Service Oklahoma, the state agency that issues driver licences and endorsements. Training facts come from Service Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office. Oklahoma accepts only Motorcycle Safety Foundation-certified courses and runs no state-operated training programme of its own.","A rider under 18 must complete a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course before receiving the M endorsement; a rider 18 or older may instead pass the motorcycle written and riding tests directly. Either way, a Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card waives both tests.","A helmet is required only of a rider or passenger under 18. There is no training- or experience-based exemption for an adult rider under current Oklahoma law."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/oklahoma","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/oklahoma"},{"name":"Oregon","slug":"oregon","abbreviation":"OR","overview":"Oregon issues a motorcycle endorsement — two-wheel or a separate restricted three-wheel endorsement — added to an existing Oregon driver licence. Riders reach it through Team Oregon, Oregon State University's rider-training programme, whose in-person-classroom Basic Course waives both the DMV knowledge and skills tests while its online-classroom track and Intermediate Course waive the skills test only. Every rider and every passenger must wear a DOT-approved helmet, with no age or experience exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Oregon Department of Transportation, Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV)","abbreviation":"ODOT DMV","url":"https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/pages/driverid/motorcycle_endorse.aspx","phone":"503-945-5000"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Oregon DMV — Motorcycle Instruction Permit & Endorsement","url":"https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/pages/driverid/motorcycle_endorse.aspx"},{"label":"Oregon DMV — Driver Licensing & ID Card Fees (motorcycle line items, live fee schedule)","url":"https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/_api/web/lists/getbytitle('Driver%20Fees')/items?$filter=substringof('Motorcycle',Title)&$select=Title,Fee,Category,Modified"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":16,"fee":30,"validityDays":365,"details":"An applicant must be 16 or older, hold a valid Oregon driver licence, pass the motorcycle endorsement knowledge test and a vision test, and pay the permit fee. A permit holder must ride only in daylight, may not carry a passenger, and must be accompanied by, and under the visual supervision of, a rider on a separate motorcycle who is at least 21 and holds a valid motorcycle endorsement."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":16,"details":"Oregon sets no higher minimum age for the unrestricted endorsement itself; 16 is the minimum for the permit, the endorsement and the restricted three-wheel endorsement alike."},"fees":{"permit":30,"initialLicense":162,"endorsementAdd":98,"renewal":82,"other":[{"name":"Replacement Motorcycle Instruction Permit","amount":30},{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit renewal","amount":26}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"fee":7,"questionCount":25,"details":"25 multiple-choice questions, available online at any time, at a DMV office for standby service, or by appointment. A rider who is caught cheating cannot retest for 90 days; a rider who simply fails may retest the same day, resources permitting."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A DMV skills test is required for the two-wheel endorsement and, separately, for the restricted three-wheel endorsement, unless waived by completing an approved Team Oregon course. No third-party (non-DMV) tester is described for the DMV's own skills test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A rider needs a permit or endorsement whenever the machine exceeds 30 mph on level ground or exceeds 50cc; anything at or under both thresholds needs neither. The restricted three-wheel endorsement authorises a three-wheel motorcycle only and requires only the knowledge test, vision test and fee — no Team Oregon course is required for it."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Oregon DMV — Motorcycle Instruction Permit & Endorsement (Team Oregon requirement and test-waiver rules)","url":"https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/pages/driverid/motorcycle_endorse.aspx"},{"label":"Team Oregon — home page (programme overview, course pricing)","url":"https://team-oregon.org/"},{"label":"Team Oregon — About Team Oregon (operator, history, funding)","url":"https://team-oregon.org/about/"},{"label":"Team Oregon — Basic Course (curriculum hours and format)","url":"https://team-oregon.org/training-courses/basic-course/"},{"label":"Team Oregon — Intermediate Course (curriculum hours and format)","url":"https://team-oregon.org/training-courses/intermediate-course/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Team Oregon","operator":"Oregon State University College of Health, in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Transportation's Transportation Safety Office, which provides direction and funding","url":"https://team-oregon.org/"},"delivery":"college-delivered","curriculum":{"name":"Team Oregon Basic Course","provider":"Team Oregon (Oregon State University College of Health)","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the rider completes the Basic Course's in-person classroom track, which the DMV states satisfies both the knowledge and skills test requirements; the Basic Course's online-classroom track and the Intermediate Course satisfy the skills test only, so the DMV knowledge test is still required"},"typicalCost":{"min":199,"max":229},"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Team Oregon states it was 'the first state motorcycle safety program to develop its own proprietary training curricula' rather than teaching a licensed MSF course. The Basic Course provides 8 hours of on-bike training over 2 days plus classroom instruction — completed online, or in person as 7 hours over 3 additional on-site sessions. The Intermediate Course (for riders 21 and older with existing basic skills) provides 4 hours of on-bike practice plus, for the in-person-classroom track, 4 hours of classroom instruction beforehand.","details":"A rider who completes an approved out-of-state course instead — Idaho STAR, the California Motorcyclist Safety Program's Motorcyclist Training Course, Total Control, Motorcycle Ohio, Washington's WMST, Puget Sound Safety, or Southwest Motorcycle Safety — must apply for the Oregon endorsement within two years of completing it, unless the course's own completion card expires sooner."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 814 §§ 814.260, 814.269, 814.275, 814.280, 814.290 (motorcycle and moped helmet offences and exemptions)","url":"https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors814.html"},{"label":"Oregon DMV — Motorcycle Instruction Permit & Endorsement (helmet requirement, plain-language statement)","url":"https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/pages/driverid/motorcycle_endorse.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"ORS 814.269 (operator) and 814.275 (passenger)","url":"https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors814.html"},"details":"ORS 814.269 makes it an offence for a motorcycle operator to ride without a motorcycle helmet, and ORS 814.275 makes it a separate offence for a passenger to ride without one; both are Class D traffic violations. ORS 814.290 sets the only exemptions: a person within an enclosed cab, or a person operating or riding a three-wheeled vehicle capable of less than 15 mph. There is no age or experience exemption for an open two-wheeled or open three-wheeled machine. A separate offence, ORS 814.260, applies the same helmet duty to a moped rider."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Permit, endorsement, fee and test facts come from the Oregon DMV, part of the Oregon Department of Transportation. Training facts come from Team Oregon, the Oregon State University program that runs the state's required rider-education courses. Helmet rules come from the Oregon Revised Statutes.","Team Oregon's Basic Course has two versions with different effects on DMV testing: completing it with in-person classroom sessions waives both the knowledge and skills tests; completing it with the online classroom option waives the skills test only, leaving the DMV knowledge test still required. The Intermediate Course, for riders with existing basic skills, also waives the skills test only.","Oregon requires a DOT-approved helmet of every motorcycle rider and every passenger, with no exemption based on age or riding experience. The only exemptions in Oregon law are for an enclosed cab or a slow (under 15 mph) three-wheeled vehicle."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/oregon","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/oregon"},{"name":"Pennsylvania","slug":"pennsylvania","abbreviation":"PA","overview":"Pennsylvania issues a Class M motorcycle licence, reached through a motorcycle learner's permit and either a skills test at a Driver License Center or a free Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program course. A rider under 18 must complete the Program's Beginner Riding Clinic before licensing; PennDOT's own pages disagree on whether that satisfies the skills test for a minor the same way it does for an adult. Pennsylvania's helmet law exempts a rider 21 or older who has held a motorcycle licence for two years or completed an approved safety course, and a passenger's exemption depends on the operator's exemption as well as the passenger's own age.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Driver & Vehicle Services","abbreviation":"PennDOT DVS","url":"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/driver-services/motorcyclists.html","phone":"717-412-5300"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"PennDOT — Get a Class M (Motorcycle) License","url":"https://www.pa.gov/services/dmv/get-a-class-m-motorcycle-license"},{"label":"PennDOT — Get a Motorcycle License (Under 18 Years Old)","url":"https://www.pa.gov/services/dmv/get-a-motorcycle-license-under-18-years-old"},{"label":"PennDOT — Motorcycle Permit Process FAQs","url":"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/faqs/driver-licensing-faqs/motorcycle-permit-faqs"},{"label":"PennDOT — Payments and Fees","url":"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/resources/payments-and-fees.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M (Motorcycle) License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","fee":12,"validityDays":365,"details":"A learner's permit lets the holder ride from sunrise to sunset only, alongside a Class M licence holder, and carry no passenger other than an instructor. An applicant under 18 must hold the permit for at least 6 months and log 65 hours of supervised riding — the Beginner Riding Clinic counts for 15 of those 65 hours — before taking the skills test. A permit may be obtained up to three times within five years, to a limit of four permits total, and the motorcycle knowledge test must be passed again each time."},"minAge":{"details":"Pennsylvania publishes no separate minimum age for the Class M licence or permit beyond its general driver-licensing ages; a rider under 18 follows the same permit-and-training pathway as an adult, with the added 6-month/65-hour/Beginner Riding Clinic requirements described under permit.details."},"fees":{"permit":12,"initialLicense":57.5,"renewal":63.5,"renewalPeriod":"4 years","other":[{"name":"Initial Class D permit, initial Class M permit, and four-year licence (brand-new driver adding both car and motorcycle credentials at once)","amount":63.5},{"name":"Four-year licence renewal without a motorcycle classification","amount":39.5},{"name":"Two-year licence renewal with motorcycle (age 65+)","amount":39.5}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A motorcycle knowledge test and a vision screening are given at a PennDOT Driver License Center before the learner's permit is issued. The Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program's courses do not waive this test; it is required of every applicant regardless of course completion."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"A motorcycle skills test may be scheduled at a Driver License Center, or waived by successfully completing a Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program Beginner Riding Clinic or Intermediate Riding Clinic, in which a certified Rider Coach evaluates the rider instead. PennDOT states this waiver applies to a rider 18 or older; for a rider under 18, one PennDOT FAQ states the 16- or 17-year-old must still take the Driver License Center skills exam even after completing the mandatory Beginner Riding Clinic and logging the required hours, while a separate PennDOT page on licensing under 18 describes retaking a PAMSP course as an alternative to that exam. This conflict is unresolved between PennDOT's own pages."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A Class M licence renews on the same four-year cycle as the underlying driver's licence. PennDOT's fee schedule prices the bundle rather than the motorcycle classification alone: a four-year renewal that includes a motorcycle classification costs $63.50 against $39.50 for one without, and adding, extending or replacing the motorcycle learner's permit costs $12.00 on its own. Completing the Program's 3-Wheel Riding Clinic adds a '9' restriction limiting the licensee to a three-wheel motorcycle, unless the licensee already holds an unrestricted Class M licence, in which case no restriction is added. This is a restriction code on the single Class M licence, not a separate lower-tier credential, so it is not modelled as an engine-size tier."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"PennDOT — Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program (PAMSP)","url":"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/driver-services/motorcyclists/pennsylvania-motorcycle-safety-program.html"},{"label":"PennDOT — Motorcycle Permit Process FAQs (course names, hours, fees, MSF-approval reference)","url":"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/faqs/driver-licensing-faqs/motorcycle-permit-faqs"},{"label":"PennDOT — Get a Motorcycle License (Under 18 Years Old)","url":"https://www.pa.gov/services/dmv/get-a-motorcycle-license-under-18-years-old"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"PAMSP","operator":"Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, delivered through designated Third-Party Motorcycle Training Providers at no cost to the rider","url":"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/driver-services/motorcyclists/pennsylvania-motorcycle-safety-program.html"},"delivery":"competitive-contract","curriculum":{"name":"Beginner Riding Clinic (BRC)","provider":"Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the rider is 18 or older and completes a PAMSP Beginner Riding Clinic or Intermediate Riding Clinic, which substitutes for the skills test at a PennDOT Driver License Center; PennDOT's own pages disagree on whether a rider under 18 reaches the same waiver","minAge":18},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":0,"max":0},"lengthHours":17,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"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.","details":"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."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"75 Pa.C.S. § 3525 (protective equipment for motorcycle riders)","url":"https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/75/00.035.025.000..HTM"},{"label":"PennDOT — Pennsylvania Motorcycle Helmet Law FAQs","url":"https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/faqs/driver-licensing-faqs/pa-motorcycle-helmet-faqs"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 years of age or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both","detail":"A passenger must independently be 21 or older to reach the passenger exemption in subsection (d)(4); the passenger's own age does not depend on the operator's age."},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator has been licensed to operate a motorcycle for not less than two full calendar years, or has completed a motorcycle rider safety course approved by PennDOT or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"This criterion binds the operator only. A passenger's own licensing or training history is never checked. However, under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3525(d)(4) a passenger's exemption is derivative of the OPERATOR's: a passenger 21 or older is exempt only 'if the passenger' is riding with an operator who is independently exempt under (d)(2) or (d)(3). A 21-or-older passenger riding with a non-exempt operator — one who is under 21, or 21+ but without two years' licensure or a safety course — must still wear a helmet. The typed conditions[] AND-list cannot express this cross-party contingency; it is recorded here and in helmetLaw.details, and flagged in schemaGaps."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"75 Pa.C.S. § 3525","url":"https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/75/00.035.025.000..HTM"},"details":"Section 3525(a) requires protective headgear of any operator or rider unless subsection (d) exempts them. Subsection (d) exempts: (1) the operator or any occupant of an enclosed-cab three-wheeled motorcycle; (2) a person 21 or older licensed to operate a motorcycle for at least two full calendar years; (3) a person 21 or older who has completed an approved safety course; and (4) 'the passenger of a person exempt under this subsection if the passenger is 21 years of age or older' — meaning a passenger's exemption requires BOTH that the passenger is 21+ AND that the operator they are riding with is independently exempt under (2) or (3). A passenger therefore never independently qualifies through their own experience or training; PennDOT's own helmet FAQ states the same rule in plain language: 'If you are exempt from wearing a helmet and your passenger is 21 years of age or older, he or she is also exempt.'"},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["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."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/pennsylvania","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/pennsylvania"},{"name":"Rhode Island","slug":"rhode-island","abbreviation":"RI","overview":"Rhode Island adds a motorcycle \"M\" endorsement to an existing Rhode Island driver's licence. The state no longer issues a motorcycle instruction permit at all: a rider instead completes a Basic Rider Course run by the Community College of Rhode Island and brings the completion certificate to any DMV branch to receive the endorsement. An operator 21 or older who has held a licence for at least a year is exempt from Rhode Island's helmet law; a passenger of any age is not — every passenger must wear a helmet regardless of age or experience.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://dmv.ri.gov/licenses-permits-ids/motorcycles","phone":"401-462-4368"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Rhode Island DMV — Motorcycles","url":"https://dmv.ri.gov/licenses-permits-ids/motorcycles"},{"label":"Rhode Island DMV — License Fees","url":"https://dmv.ri.gov/licenses-permits-ids/drivers-licenses/license-fees"},{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-1 (special licence required; minimum age)","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-1.HTM"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle \"M\" Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle permit (discontinued)","details":"Rhode Island no longer issues a motorcycle instruction permit of any kind. A rider must already hold a valid Rhode Island driver's licence, then complete the CCRI-run Basic Rider Course and present the course completion certificate and that licence at any DMV branch to have the M endorsement added directly. No permit fee, validity period or holding period exists to record."},"minAge":{"unrestricted":16,"details":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-1 sets 16 as the minimum age to be licensed under this chapter, the same as Rhode Island's general operator's licence, and requires that all licences issued reflect any helmet-wearing condition under § 31-10.1-4."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":53.5,"other":[{"name":"First driver's licence, age 18 and older (base credential the M endorsement is added to)","amount":44.5},{"name":"Driver's licence renewal (5 years, base fee the M endorsement rides along with)","amount":73.5}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A written, road-sign and vision examination is required by R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-3(a)-(b), but for a rider who completes the CCRI Basic Rider Course this examination is administered within the course by a state-credentialed instructor rather than by the DMV, per § 31-10.1-3(c) and confirmed by DMV and CCRI guidance. No separate DMV-administered motorcycle knowledge test exists outside the course."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"The road (skills) test is bundled into the same CCRI-administered examination described for the knowledge test, again under § 31-10.1-3(c). There is no independent DMV road test for a two- or three-wheel endorsement outside the CCRI course."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"\"Q\" restriction (2-wheel motorcycles only)","separateCredential":false,"details":"Since 1 March 2022 CCRI courses and certificates are 2-wheel or 3-wheel specific. Completing only the 2-wheel course adds a 'Q' restriction; completing only the 3-wheel course adds a 'W' restriction. An M endorsement issued before 1 March 2022, or an out-of-state unrestricted transfer, carries neither restriction and covers both."}],"details":"A motorized bicycle, motor scooter (4.9 hp/50cc/30 mph or less), motorized tricycle of the same limits, or autocycle needs no motorcycle endorsement at all under R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 31-1-3, 31-1-3.1 and 31-10.1-6.1. A motorcycle, by contrast, has no engine-size floor in the licensing statute — any two- or three-wheeled machine with a saddle the rider sits astride requires the M endorsement."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Rhode Island DMV — Motorcycles","url":"https://dmv.ri.gov/licenses-permits-ids/motorcycles"},{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-1.1 (motorcycle driver education program through CCRI)","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-1.1.HTM"},{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-3 (examination; course-based compliance)","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-3.HTM"},{"label":"CCRI — Basic Rider Course","url":"https://www.ccri.edu/workforce/transportation/motorcycle/BasicRider.html"},{"label":"CCRI — Motorcycle Safety Program General Information (PDF)","url":"https://ccri.edu/workforce/pdfs/motorcyclesafetyprograminformation.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Rhode Island Rider Education Program","abbreviation":"RIREP","operator":"Community College of Rhode Island, under the council on postsecondary education, per R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-1.1","url":"https://www.ccri.edu/workforce/transportation/motorcycle/BasicRider.html"},"delivery":"college-delivered","curriculum":{"name":"Basic Rider Course (BRC)","provider":"Community College of Rhode Island","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the rider applies for the M endorsement within 6 months of the CCRI certificate of completion, per R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-3(c); a lapsed certificate can be revived with a $60 riding-skills retest within 12 months of the original completion date, after which the entire course must be retaken","validWithinMonths":6},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the rider applies for the M endorsement within 6 months of the CCRI certificate of completion, per R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-3(c); the same 12-month/$60-retest and full-retake rules described for the skills test apply, since both are evaluated within the same course and certificate","validWithinMonths":6},"typicalCost":{"min":295,"max":295},"lengthHours":16,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"No page reviewed states that CCRI's curriculum is Motorcycle Safety Foundation-derived; CCRI's own course pages and PDF never mention the Foundation. A SEPARATE statutory pathway, R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-1.2, lets a motorcycle dealer or safety association run an alternative course whose curriculum must be MSF-certified and whose instructors must hold MSF certification, but Rhode Island's DMV consumer-facing motorcycle page names only the CCRI course as the requirement, and the 1.2 pathway receives no state subsidy and was not found named on any DMV page consulted. This record treats CCRI's own course as the training.stateProgram.","details":"The course pairs a 5-hour online eCourse with an in-person range session, roughly 16 hours in total; CCRI provides the training motorcycle but not a helmet or other riding gear. Effective 1 January 2026 the 2-wheel Basic Rider Course fee is $295, inclusive of the registration fee, and CCRI has dropped a previous $100 out-of-state surcharge. A missed, unprepared or late arrival at the first range costs a $60 reschedule fee; failing the course once costs a $60 retake fee, and a second failure requires retaking the entire course. A rider under 18 cannot register online and must mail a notarized Minor Release Agreement Form."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-4 (required equipment; operator helmet and eye-protection duty)","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-4.HTM"},{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-6 (passengers; unconditional helmet duty)","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-6.HTM"},{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-6.1 (autocycle exemption from this chapter)","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-6.1.HTM"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the operator is 21 years of age or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"operator","detail":"Section 31-10.1-4 sets this age condition for an OPERATOR only. Section 31-10.1-6 imposes a separate, unconditional helmet duty on every passenger with no age exemption of any kind, so this condition does not apply to, and cannot exempt, a passenger."},{"type":"experience","exemptWhen":"the operator has held a licence issued under § 31-10.1-1 for at least one full year from its date of issuance","appliesTo":"operator","detail":"'All new operators, regardless of age, shall be required, for a period of one year from the date of issuance of the first license ... to wear a helmet.' A newly licensed rider therefore cannot reach the helmet exemption on age alone, even at 21 or older, until a full year has passed since first licensure. This criterion has no counterpart for a passenger; passengers are never exempt under § 31-10.1-6."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Operators of motorcycles, motor scooters and motor-driven cycles must use eye protection of a type approved by the DMV administrator. This duty binds the operator only; § 31-10.1-4 states no equivalent duty for a passenger."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-10.1-4","url":"https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE31/31-10.1/31-10.1-4.HTM"},"details":"For an operator, both conditions must be met together: 21 or older AND licensed for at least one full year. Meeting only one leaves the helmet requirement in force. For a passenger, § 31-10.1-6 imposes an unconditional helmet duty with no age or experience exemption at all — 'any passenger ... must wear a properly fitting helmet' — so a passenger's own age or the operator's exempt status makes no difference to the passenger's own duty. A passenger under 12 must additionally have a secured backrest, feet on a footrest, and sit behind the operator, unless riding in a sidecar. An autocycle is exempt from this entire chapter (§ 31-10.1-6.1) and its operator may ride under an ordinary Rhode Island driver's licence. Violations are fined under § 31-41.1-4."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement, fee and examination facts come from the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles and the Rhode Island General Laws. Training facts come from the Community College of Rhode Island, which the General Laws name as the state's motorcycle rider education provider.","Rhode Island no longer issues a motorcycle instruction permit. A rider must already hold a Rhode Island driver's licence, complete the CCRI Basic Rider Course, and bring the course completion certificate to a DMV branch to add the motorcycle endorsement directly.","Rhode Island's helmet law treats an operator and a passenger differently. An operator is exempt only if 21 or older AND licensed for at least one full year. A passenger of any age, riding with any operator, must always wear a helmet — there is no passenger exemption in Rhode Island law."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/rhode-island","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/rhode-island"},{"name":"South Carolina","slug":"south-carolina","abbreviation":"SC","overview":"South Carolina adds a Class M classification to an existing driver's licence, reached through a motorcycle beginner's permit and a road test at an SCDMV branch. Motorcycle rider training is optional unless an applicant has failed the road test three times, at which point a South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course, or its equivalent, substitutes for the test. South Carolina requires a helmet of any operator or passenger under 21, and eye protection of any operator under 21.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"SCDMV","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/","phone":"803-896-5000"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"SC Code § 56-1-50 (beginner's permit; hours and conditions; renewal and fee)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.php"},{"label":"SC Code § 56-1-130 (license examinations; basic and classified licenses)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.php"},{"label":"SC Code § 56-1-140 (issuance of license; fees)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.php"},{"label":"South Carolina DMV — Beginner's Permit","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/beginner-permits"},{"label":"South Carolina DMV — Fees","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/fees"},{"label":"South Carolina DMV — Moped License","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/moped-license"},{"label":"South Carolina DMV — Motorcycle Road Test","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testing/motorcycle-road-test"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle Classification","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Beginner's Permit","minAge":15,"fee":2.5,"validityDays":365,"holdingPeriodDays":180,"details":"A permittee may operate a motorcycle alone from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (8 p.m. during daylight saving time); at any other time the permittee must be accompanied by a motorcycle-licensed driver 21 or older with at least a year of driving experience, within a safe viewing distance. The permit may be renewed for additional 12-month periods, but the SCDMV will not issue a motorcycle permit more than three times, and before each renewal the holder must make a bona fide attempt at the road test. Passing the road test three times without success closes the branch-test route; the applicant must then complete a South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course, or its equivalent, and pass an exam equivalent to the SCDMV skills test inside that course to receive the licence."},"minAge":{"permit":15,"details":"SC Code § 56-1-50 sets 15 as the minimum age to apply for a motorcycle beginner's permit and requires the permit be held at least 180 days before eligibility for the road test. No SCDMV or statute page states a Class M-specific minimum age for the unrestricted licence separate from the general graduated-licensing age floor in § 56-1-40, which bars full licensure before 17 outside the conditional/special-restricted pathway from 16. Because South Carolina ties motorcycle eligibility to the permit-holding period rather than to a published flat age, minAge.unrestricted is left unstated here rather than computed by arithmetic."},"fees":{"initialLicense":25,"renewal":25,"renewalPeriod":"8 years"},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"fee":2,"details":"A motorcycle knowledge test taken at an SCDMV branch before 4 p.m. on a walk-in basis, required to obtain the beginner's permit. The study material is the Motorcycle and Moped Operator's Manual."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"A road test given at a designated SCDMV branch, or the equivalent Motorcycle Safety Foundation skills test administered by an authorised third-party tester under written contract with the SCDMV, at one of the state's One-Stop Motorcycle Training and Testing Programs. Failing the SCDMV road test three times closes the branch-test route; the applicant must then complete a South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course, or its equivalent, and pass an exam equivalent to the skills test inside that course."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Class G (moped operator's licence)","engineCcMax":50,"separateCredential":true,"details":"A moped operator's licence is available from age 15, needs no skills test, and costs $25 for an eight-year term. A holder younger than 16 may ride alone only in daylight, and after dark only with a licensed driver 21 or older who has at least a year of driving experience within a safe viewing distance. A Class G licence does not authorise operation of a two-wheeled motorcycle."}],"details":"SC Code § 56-1-130(2) authorises the classified licence to carry a motorcycle endorsement determined by the driving demonstration. A driver with a Class M endorsement who has accumulated points may have four points removed, once in any three-year period, on proving completion of a South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course or its equivalent of at least eight hours, under § 56-1-770(B)."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"SC Code § 56-1-50(I) (technical college motorcycle safety course in lieu of the road test)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.php"},{"label":"SC Code § 56-1-770 (points reduced for completing a motorcycle safety course)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.php"},{"label":"South Carolina DMV — Motorcycle Road Test (One-Stop Motorcycle Training and Testing Programs)","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testing/motorcycle-road-test"},{"label":"South Carolina Motorcycle and Moped Operator's Manual","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/sites/scdmv/files/media/Files/Motorcycle-Manual.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"One-Stop Motorcycle Training and Testing Programs","operator":"South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, which contracts with public technical colleges and private dealership and rider-training sites across the state to deliver training and administer the skills test","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/driver-services/drivers-license/testing/motorcycle-road-test"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":false,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":8,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"SC Code § 56-1-50(I) sets an 8-hour statutory floor on the length of the South Carolina technical college motorcycle safety course accepted in lieu of a third failed road test, taught by an instructor accredited to National Safety Council standards rather than to a named motorcycle-specific accreditation body. The same 8-hour floor and accreditation standard govern the course used for point reduction under § 56-1-770(B).","details":"The SCDMV contracts with a network of public technical colleges (among them Trident Technical College, Midlands Technical College, Aiken Technical College, Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Spartanburg Community College and Tri-County Technical College) and private sites, including several Harley-Davidson dealerships and independent rider-training businesses, to deliver motorcycle training and to administer the skills test as One-Stop Motorcycle Training and Testing Programs. Training is optional for a first-time applicant; it becomes mandatory only after a third failed SCDMV road test, and separately qualifies a Class M holder for a one-time, once-per-three-years four-point reduction. Course tuition is set by the individual site and is not published centrally by the SCDMV."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3660 (helmets must be worn by operators and passengers under age 21)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3670 (goggles or face shields for operators under age 21)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3680 (wind screens)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3700 (penalty for violation of §§ 56-5-3660 to 56-5-3690)","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},{"label":"South Carolina DMV — Motorcycle","url":"https://dmv.sc.gov/vehicle-owners/types-of-vehicles/motorcycle"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"SC Code § 56-5-3670 requires an operator under 21 to wear goggles or a face shield of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety; § 56-5-3680 exempts an operator whose motorcycle carries an approved wind screen. The requirement binds the operator only and does not extend to a passenger, and it does not apply at all to a rider 21 or older."},"penalty":{"fine":100},"statuteCitation":{"label":"SC Code § 56-5-3660","url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c005.php"},"details":"Section 56-5-3660 makes it unlawful for anyone under 21 to operate or ride upon a two-wheeled motorised vehicle without a protective helmet bearing a neck or chin strap and reflectorised on both sides, of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety. A rider 21 or older may ride without a helmet. Violating any of §§ 56-5-3660 through 56-5-3690 is a misdemeanour punishable by a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, permits, fees and tests come from the South Carolina Code of Laws and the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from the same statute and from the SCDMV's own description of its contracted training and testing sites. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the South Carolina Code of Laws.","South Carolina publishes two different holding periods for a motorcycle beginner's permit before the road test. The Code of Laws states that the general 30-day reduction for an 18-or-older applicant 'does not apply to motorcycle permits,' which leaves 180 days as the statutory rule for every Class M permit holder; the SCDMV's own beginner's-permits page instead describes a flat 180-day/30-day split without separating motorcycle from car permits. This page follows the Code of Laws and shows 180 days.","Motorcycle rider training is optional in South Carolina and becomes mandatory only after a third failed road test at an SCDMV branch, not at any particular age."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/south-carolina","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/south-carolina"},{"name":"South Dakota","slug":"south-dakota","abbreviation":"SD","overview":"South Dakota issues a motorcycle operator's license alongside its regular driver's license system. An applicant aged 14 to 17 without an existing licence works through a motorcycle instruction permit and a restricted minor's permit; the Department of Public Safety may waive the motorcycle skills certification for anyone who completes an approved motorcycle safety course. A helmet is required only of a rider or passenger under 18.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Driver Licensing Program","abbreviation":"DPS","url":"https://dps.sd.gov/driver-licensing"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"SDCL § 32-12-17.1 (issuance of motorcycle operator's license; requirements)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-12-17.1"},{"label":"SDCL § 32-12-11.1 (motorcycle instruction permit; application requirements; fee; restrictions)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-12-11.1"},{"label":"SDCL § 32-12-12.1 (motorcycle restricted minor's permit; application requirements; restrictions)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-12-12.1"},{"label":"SDCL § 32-12-16 (fee for original, renewal, duplicate, or changed license)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-12-16"},{"label":"SDCL § 32-12-42 (expiration of license or permit; renewal; waiver of tests)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-12-42"},{"label":"SDCL § 32-20-2 (driver license or permit required to operate a motorcycle; testing requirements)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-20-2"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Operator's License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":14,"fee":38,"validityDays":365,"holdingPeriodDays":275,"details":"SDCL § 32-12-11.1 requires a motorcycle instruction permit of an applicant aged 14 to 17 who does not already hold a valid operator's licence, motorcycle operator's licence, restricted minor's permit, motorcycle restricted minor's permit, instruction permit, or motorcycle instruction permit. The applicant must pass every part of the examination except the driving test and pay the fee set by § 32-12-16. The permit is valid one year and must be held at least 275 continuous days (180 days for a permit issued before 1 July 2020) before the holder may apply for a motorcycle restricted minor's permit; a minor who also completes an approved motorcycle safety course under § 32-20-14 and an approved driver education class needs to hold the permit only 180 continuous days. A permit holder may ride from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., must be accompanied by a licensed motorcycle operator at least 18 years old with at least a year of driving experience riding a separate motorcycle alongside, and may not carry a passenger. Nothing in this section requires an applicant who is already 18 or older to hold this permit before applying directly for a motorcycle operator's licence under § 32-12-17.1."},"minAge":{"permit":14,"details":"14 is the minimum age to apply for a motorcycle instruction permit under § 32-12-11.1. A holder may apply for a motorcycle restricted minor's permit at 14 once the permit-holding period is satisfied, and for the full motorcycle operator's licence at 16 after holding the restricted minor's permit for six months, under § 32-12-12.1. No SDCL section states a stand-alone minimum age for an adult applying directly for a motorcycle operator's licence without going through the minor's permit sequence, so minAge.unrestricted is not stated here."},"fees":{"permit":38,"initialLicense":38,"renewal":38,"renewalPeriod":"5 years","other":[{"name":"Duplicate licence, name change, or address change","amount":20}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"SDCL § 32-12-4 requires an examination of the applicant's eyesight, knowledge of highway signs and traffic law, given by the Department of Public Safety or a person the secretary authorises. § 32-12-42 requires a licensee who renews more than 30 days after expiration to retake this knowledge test."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"SDCL § 32-20-2 requires a driver licence or permit on which a state testing officer has certified the person qualified to operate the motorcycle. The Department of Public Safety may waive this certification requirement for an applicant who completes a motorcycle safety course approved under § 32-20-14, at the department's discretion."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"SDCL § 32-20-2 exempts a moped, as defined in § 32-20-1, from the motorcycle skills-certification requirement; a moped may be operated on an ordinary driver's licence or permit rather than a motorcycle-specific credential, so South Dakota issues no separate lower-tier moped licence. A motorcycle operator's licence, like any South Dakota driver's licence, expires on the licensee's birthday in the fifth year after issue under § 32-12-42."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"SDCL § 32-20-14 (motorcycle safety education; standards and procedures; funding)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-20-14"},{"label":"SDCL § 32-20-2 (waiver of motorcycle testing requirements upon course completion)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-20-2"},{"label":"SDCL § 32-12-12.1 (reduced permit-holding period for safety-course graduates)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-12-12.1"},{"label":"SDCL § 32-5-10.1 (motorcycle safety education fee; amount and payment)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-5-10.1"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"South Dakota motorcycle safety education program","operator":"South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Office of Highway Safety, which sets instruction and instructor-certification standards and approves individual courses by rule","url":"https://dps.sd.gov/driver-licensing"},"delivery":"competitive-contract","curriculum":{"name":"Motorcycle Safety Course","provider":"South Dakota Department of Public Safety, Office of Highway Safety","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant completes a motorcycle safety course approved under SDCL § 32-20-14; the waiver of the motorcycle testing certification is discretionary with the Department of Public Safety rather than automatic"},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"SDCL § 32-20-14 does not name a national curriculum; it directs the director of the Office of Highway Safety to set instruction standards, instructor or teacher certification standards, and course-approval procedures by rule, funded from a dedicated motorcycle safety education fund.","details":"SDCL § 32-5-10.1 adds a $7 motorcycle safety education fee to every motorcycle registration; § 32-5-10.2 deposits it in a special revenue fund; § 32-20-15 has the Department of Public Safety budget and appropriate that revenue, together with any other funds made available to it, to provide motorcycle safety courses and education approved by the director. For a minor aged 14 to 17, completing an approved motorcycle safety course together with an approved driver education class shortens the minimum time the motorcycle instruction permit must be held, from 275 continuous days to 180, before applying for the motorcycle restricted minor's permit under § 32-12-12.1."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"SDCL § 32-20-4 (protective helmet required for minor; violation as misdemeanor)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-20-4"},{"label":"SDCL § 22-6-2 (misdemeanor classes and penalties)","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=22-6-2"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":500},"statuteCitation":{"label":"SDCL § 32-20-4","url":"https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=32-20-4"},"details":"No person under 18 may operate or ride upon a motorcycle on a South Dakota public street or highway without a protective helmet meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 as it stood on 1 January 1984. Separately, no operator of any age may carry a passenger under 18 who is not wearing a protective helmet, which reaches even an operator who is 18 or older. A violation is a Class 2 misdemeanour, punishable under § 22-6-2 by up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, permits, fees, and tests come from the South Dakota Codified Laws, Title 32, chapters 12 and 20. Training facts come from the same chapters. Helmet rules come from SDCL § 32-20-4 and the general misdemeanour penalty in § 22-6-2.","South Dakota's motorcycle safety course is optional at every age. Completing one can shorten the permit-holding period required of a 14-to-17-year-old applicant, and separately may lead the Department of Public Safety to waive its own motorcycle skills certification for an applicant of any age, at the department's discretion.","A helmet is required only for a rider or passenger under 18. Separately, an operator of any age may not carry a passenger under 18 who is not wearing one."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/south-dakota","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/south-dakota"},{"name":"Tennessee","slug":"tennessee","abbreviation":"TN","overview":"Tennessee issues a Class M motorcycle licence from 16, and a Class P-M motorcycle learner's permit from 15 that is limited to daylight riding within 20 miles of home on a machine of 650cc or less and carries no passengers. The state runs the Tennessee Motorcycle Rider Education Program through certified public and private sponsors, and a completion certificate exempts a rider from both the written motorcycle knowledge test and the riding skills test. Tennessee requires a crash helmet meeting the federal standard whenever a motorcycle is in motion.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Control Division","abbreviation":"TDOSHS","url":"https://sos.tn.gov/effective-rules"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety, Driver Control Division, Chapter 1340-1-12 — Issuance of Motorcycle License and Motorcycle Learner's Permit (Class M), (Class P.M.)","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1340/1340-01/1340-01-12.pdf"},{"label":"Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety, Chapter 1340-01-13 — Classified and Commercial Drivers Licenses and Temporary Driver Licenses (September 2021 revision)","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1340/1340-01/1340-01-13.20210928.pdf"},{"label":"Tennessee Secretary of State — Effective Rules and Regulations of the State of Tennessee (index of the official compilation, T.C.A. Title 4, Chapter 5)","url":"https://sos.tn.gov/effective-rules"},{"label":"Tennessee Secretary of State Official Compilation — Chapter 1340, Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1340/1340.htm"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Motorcycle License","permit":{"name":"Class P-M Motorcycle Learner's Permit","minAge":15,"details":"Issued to a resident of 15 who passes the written, visual and ability skills phases of the motorcycle examination, or who presents a certificate of completion from a state certified motorcycle rider education course in place of the skills test. The permit carries five restrictions: no passengers, daylight hours only, no use of the Interstate system, a 20-mile radius of the rider's home, and a motorcycle of no more than 650cc. On reaching 16, and no later than 90 days after that birthday, the holder must return to a driver examination station and upgrade to a Class M licence to keep the privilege of operating a motorcycle."},"minAge":{"permit":15,"unrestricted":16,"details":"A Class P-M motorcycle learner's permit is available from 15 and a Class M motorcycle licence from 16. Separate restricted credentials exist for 14- and 15-year-olds on the smallest machines: a Motor Driven Cycle License (Restricted) and a Motorized Bicycle License, each valid only near the holder's home and in limited hours."},"fees":{},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"passingScore":80,"details":"A written motorcycle examination taken at a driver examination station designated as a motorcycle testing center, passed by answering at least eighty percent of the questions correctly. The format may be written, oral, visual or any combination, except that an examination given to a person under eighteen must be written unless a physician certifies a medical condition that makes a written examination impractical. A certificate of completion from a state certified Motorcycle Rider Education Course takes the place of it, leaving only the visual examination."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"An ability skills test taken at a designated motorcycle testing center, which an applicant may attempt only after passing the written and visual phases. The applicant must bring a motorcycle that meets state standards and may not ride it to the testing center. A certificate of completion from a state certified motorcycle rider education course exempts the applicant from this test."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[{"name":"Motor Driven Cycle License (Restricted)","engineCcMax":125,"separateCredential":true,"details":"A restricted licence for a minor between 14 and 16, covering a motor driven cycle — a motorcycle or motor scooter producing at most five brake horsepower or with a cylinder capacity of no more than 125cc. Valid only between 4:00am and 8:00pm and within a seven-mile radius of the driver's home."},{"name":"Motorized Bicycle License","engineCcMax":50,"speedMphMax":30,"separateCredential":true,"details":"A licence for a person between 14 and 16 covering a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with automatic transmission, a cylinder capacity of no more than 50cc, no more than two brake horsepower and a maximum design speed of 30 mph on level ground. Valid only during daylight hours and within a seven-mile radius of the driver's home."}],"details":"A Class M-limited licence covers the operation of a motor driven cycle or moped but not a motorcycle. An autocycle — an enclosed motorcycle with safety belts, rollbar, windshield, wiper and steering wheel, on no more than three wheels — is defined separately in the same chapter. Tennessee driver licences are generally valid for five years, expiring on the holder's nearest birthdate forward from the date of application that divides evenly by five, and are never issued for less than three years or more than seven; an applicant under eighteen issued a Class D or Class M licence holds it until their twenty-first birthday. A Motorcycle Rider Safety Fund fee is collected whenever a Class M application requires a test."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety, Driver Control Division, Chapter 1340-01-11 — Tennessee Motorcycle Rider Education Program","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1340/1340-01/1340-01-11.pdf"},{"label":"Tennessee Secretary of State — Effective Rules and Regulations of the State of Tennessee (index of the official compilation, T.C.A. Title 4, Chapter 5)","url":"https://sos.tn.gov/effective-rules"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Tennessee Motorcycle Rider Education Program","abbreviation":"MREP","operator":"Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Control Division, which certifies the public and private sponsors that deliver the courses","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1340/1340-01/1340-01-11.pdf"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic Rider Training course (BRT/BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Tennessee runs a basic rider training course and an experienced rider training course. Class size is capped at 24 students, with at least one Rider Coach per 24 students in the classroom and at least two per 12 students on the range. A student under 15 is limited to a motor-driven cycle of no more than 125cc, and a student of 15 or older to a motorcycle of no more than 350cc, unless the Program Coordinator approves otherwise. A student may use their own motorcycle if it passes a Rider Coach's safety inspection and the student shows proof of ownership and current insurance.","details":"A sponsor is any public or private agency, organisation, school, partnership, corporation or individual certified by the Department to provide motorcycle education courses. Courses are open to any Tennessee resident holding a valid driver licence of any class, or eligible for a Class P-M permit or Class M licence. Tuition is not a single published figure: a sponsor that accepts a departmental start-up subsidy grant may not charge more than $250 per student for the basic rider training course or $150 per participant for the experienced rider training course, while a private sponsor that takes no start-up subsidy sets its own fee. Each sponsor must file its fees with the Program Coordinator in writing by 1 July each year. The programme is funded through the Motorcycle Rider Safety Fund, a restricted receipts account created under T.C.A. § 55-51-104."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Tennessee Public Chapter 197 (2025), amending T.C.A. § 55-9-302 — defines \"fully enclosed\" for the autocycle crash-helmet exception","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0197.pdf"},{"label":"Tennessee Public Chapter 492 (2015), amending T.C.A. § 55-9-302(b) — crash helmet requirements for riders and passengers; funeral procession, memorial ride and body escort exemption","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/109/pub/pc0492.pdf"},{"label":"Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety, Chapter 1340-1-12-.06 — Crash Helmet Standards (promulgated under the authority of T.C.A. § 55-9-302)","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules/1340/1340-01/1340-01-12.pdf"},{"label":"Tennessee General Assembly — HB0859 (114th General Assembly) bill history and Public Chapter assignment","url":"https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0859&GA=114"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"T.C.A. § 55-9-302, as amended by Public Chapter 197 (2025)","url":"https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0197.pdf"},"details":"A crash helmet must be worn whenever a motorcycle, motor driven cycle or motorized bicycle is in motion, and during all on-cycle testing. The helmet must meet or exceed the standards set by the United States Department of Transportation, must fit snugly, and its chin strap must be properly fastened. The requirement reaches passengers as well as drivers, and there is no exemption for a rider's age, insurance cover or riding experience. Section 55-9-302(b) does carry narrow situational exceptions. One covers an autocycle that is fully enclosed, which since 28 April 2025 means having side panels, a roll bar or roof, and a windshield. Another, in force since 1 July 2015, covers a funeral procession, a memorial ride under a police escort or a body escort detail, and applies only where the driver travels at no more than thirty miles per hour, the driver or passenger is twenty-one or older, and the procession does not exceed fifty miles."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, permit ages and restrictions, testing rules and the helmet requirement come from the Rules of the Tennessee Department of Safety, Driver Control Division, as published in the Tennessee Secretary of State's official compilation of effective rules. Training facts come from the same compilation's chapter on the Tennessee Motorcycle Rider Education Program.","The Tennessee Department of Safety's own website could not be reached from the environment used to research this page, so nothing here has been checked against that department's current published guidance. The helmet rules are checked against the Public Acts of the Tennessee General Assembly and are current to April 2025. The licence and training rules come from the state's effective compilation, but the motorcycle licensing chapter was last revised in 2001 and the training chapter in 2006, and a rule cannot show a later change to the underlying statute. Fees in particular are not shown at all: the rules describe how Tennessee's licence fees are structured but state no amount, and the Department's fee schedule is published only on the site that could not be reached.","Tennessee's crash-helmet requirement applies to every driver and every passenger, with no exemption for age, insurance or riding experience. The statute lists a small number of situational exceptions, of which the fully enclosed autocycle and the escorted funeral or memorial procession are described here; the full list could not be read from a reachable primary source.","No course price is shown for Tennessee. A sponsor that accepts a state start-up subsidy may not charge more than $250 for the basic rider course or $150 for the experienced rider course, but a private sponsor that takes no subsidy sets its own fee, so no single figure is published."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/tennessee","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/tennessee"},{"name":"Texas","slug":"texas","abbreviation":"TX","overview":"Texas requires every applicant for a Class M motorcycle license, regardless of age, to complete a training course approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation before applying. Completing the course waives the written knowledge test for almost everyone, and waives the riding skills test as well for an applicant 18 or older who already holds an unrestricted Class A, B or C licence. Texas requires a helmet of every operator and passenger, except a rider 21 or older who has either completed the training course or carries proof of qualifying medical insurance.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Texas Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division","abbreviation":"DPS","url":"https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Texas Department of Public Safety — Motorcycle License","url":"https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/motorcycle-license"},{"label":"Texas Department of Public Safety — Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), revised January 2026","url":"https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/DL-7.pdf"},{"label":"Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Motorcycle Operator Training Manual (2025), Licensing and Operation","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/pdf/tdlr-motorcycle-operators-manual.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M Driver License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner License (restriction J)","minAge":15,"fee":16,"details":"A restriction-J motorcycle credential limits the holder to practising under the direct supervision of a licensed motorcycle operator who is 21 or older and stays within sight. A holder younger than 16 also carries restriction I, which caps the machine at 250cc or less; both restrictions are removed once the holder passes the DPS skills test, which is available from age 16 for the engine-size cap and is otherwise tied to the same skills test all minors must take. A minor must first complete the classroom phase (32 hours) of a driver education course and obtain a Class C learner licence or unrestricted Class C licence, and then the TDLR-approved motorcycle operator training course, before presenting the course completion certificate (MSB-8) to test for the restricted Class M. Texas does not price this restricted credential separately from the under-18 Class M licence fee shown in fees.other."},"minAge":{"permit":15,"unrestricted":18,"details":"15 is the minimum age for a motorcycle of 250cc or less, reached only with DPS approval of a hardship licence and after completing driver education and the training course. 16 is the minimum age to remove the 250cc engine cap after passing the DPS skills test. 18 is the age from which an applicant may test without the engine-size or supervision restrictions and, if already holding an unrestricted Class A, B or C licence, may qualify for the skills-test waiver described in training.courseWaivesSkillsTest."},"fees":{"initialLicense":33,"endorsementAdd":16,"renewal":12,"renewalPeriod":"8 years","other":[{"name":"Class M licence issued to an applicant under 18 (expires on the applicant's 18th birthday)","amount":16}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"Waived for any applicant who completes the mandatory TDLR-approved motorcycle operator training course and presents the completion certificate at application. An applicant restricted to operating a moped is required by statute to take the Class M knowledge test regardless of course completion."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"Given by the Department at a driver license office; the applicant must supply the motorcycle and a passenger vehicle with a licensed driver to follow and transport the examiner, and both vehicles must show proof of liability insurance and pass an on-site check. Minors aged 15 through 17 must always take this test. For an adult applicant it is waived under the conditions in training.courseWaivesSkillsTest, in which case the training course's own skills evaluation, administered by a TDLR-licensed school, substitutes for it."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Texas Transportation Code § 521.148 restricts a graduate of a three-wheel-motorcycle course to operating three-wheel motorcycles only. An out-of-state applicant who already holds a motorcycle licence from another U.S. state or Canadian province is not required to show proof of Texas course completion. An 'auto cycle' — a three-wheeled vehicle with a steering wheel and a seat that does not require straddling, certified to motorcycle federal safety standards — is defined separately in the same chapter."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Motorcycle and ATV Operator Safety Program","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/"},{"label":"Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Motorcycle Operator Training Manual (2025)","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/pdf/tdlr-motorcycle-operators-manual.pdf"},{"label":"Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Motorcycle Training Course Curriculum Approval","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/school-curriculum.htm"},{"label":"Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Texas Laws and Administrative Rules (MOT)","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/laws-rules.htm"},{"label":"Texas Department of Public Safety — Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), Texas Motorcycle Operator Training Program","url":"https://www.dps.texas.gov/internetforms/Forms/DL-7.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Motorcycle Operator Training and Safety Program","abbreviation":"MOT","operator":"Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which has administered the program since 2020 after it was transferred from the Texas Department of Public Safety","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Motorcycle Operator Training Course (MSB-8)","provider":"Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, delivered through individually TDLR-licensed motorcycle schools","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant is 18 or older, holds an unrestricted (non-learner) Class A, B, or C driver's licence, and presents the MSB-8 completion certificate, or a completion card from a course that meets Motorcycle Safety Foundation curriculum standards; a minor aged 15 through 17 is never eligible for this waiver","minAge":18,"validWithinMonths":24},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the applicant completes the training course and presents the completion certificate at application; an applicant restricted to operating a moped must take the Class M knowledge test regardless of course completion","validWithinMonths":24},"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":16,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"TDLR approves each school's own curriculum against the 2011 Model National Standards for Entry-Level Motorcycle Rider Training published by NHTSA, rather than mandating a single named curriculum; a completion card from a course that separately meets Motorcycle Safety Foundation curriculum standards is also accepted for the skills-test waiver.","details":"The Texas Legislature created the program in 1983; the Texas Driver Handbook states a portion of every motorcycle licence fee is used to support it. TDLR licenses individual motorcycle schools (public and private) and their instructors, approves each school's curriculum and range site, and monitors classes statewide. Course tuition is set by the individual school and is not published centrally by TDLR."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — Motorcycle Operator Training Manual (2025), Helmet and Passengers","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/pdf/tdlr-motorcycle-operators-manual.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"},{"type":"training","exemptWhen":"the rider has completed a TDLR-approved motorcycle operator training course, or carries proof of medical insurance (a card or certificate stating the insurer's name, the policy number, and the policy period)","appliesTo":"both","detail":"The manual states this exemption in terms of 'persons 21 years of age or older' and does not separate an operator's condition from a passenger's, so it is recorded here as binding both."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"TDLR Motorcycle Operator Training Manual — Helmet and Passengers","url":"https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/mot/pdf/tdlr-motorcycle-operators-manual.pdf"},"details":"Helmets meeting Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 are required of motorcycle operators and passengers on any motorcycle or moped regardless of size or number of wheels. A rider 21 or older is exempt only if they have completed the TDLR-approved motorcycle operator training course or are covered by qualifying medical insurance; a rider using someone else's motorcycle to take the skills test must wear a helmet unless the same age-and-course-or-insurance condition is met."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classes, permits, fees and tests come from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which has administered the state's motorcycle training program since 2020. Training facts come from the same TDLR program pages and its Motorcycle Operator Training Manual. Helmet rules come from the TDLR manual's own statement of the requirement.","Texas requires every motorcycle-licence applicant, of any age, to complete an approved training course before applying — there is no age below which the course is merely optional.","A rider 21 or older may go without a helmet only by having completed the training course or by carrying proof of qualifying medical insurance; a rider under 21 must wear one regardless."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/texas","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/texas"},{"name":"Utah","slug":"utah","abbreviation":"UT","overview":"Utah adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing Class D driver's licence. Training is never mandatory: every rider may either sit the written and riding skills tests at a Driver License Division office, or complete a Basic RiderCourse or Experienced Rider Course at an independent school to waive the riding skills test. Utah requires a helmet only of riders and passengers under 21.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Utah Driver License Division","abbreviation":"DLD","url":"https://dld.utah.gov/","phone":"801-965-4437"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Utah Driver License Division — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://dld.utah.gov/motorcycle/"},{"label":"Utah Driver License Division — Fees","url":"https://dld.utah.gov/fees/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner Permit","minAge":16,"fee":19,"validityDays":180,"details":"For the first two months the permit restricts the rider to no passengers, no riding between 10pm and 6am except to or from the rider's residence, place of employment or an agricultural operation or in an emergency, and no riding on highways posted above 60 mph. There are no restrictions for months three through six. A rider under 19 must hold the permit at least two months before the riding skills test unless the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Education course has already been completed; a rider 19 or older may test at any time after the permit issues."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"details":"An applicant for the endorsement must be at least 16 and already hold a Class D driver's licence. Utah does not make rider training mandatory at any age: it is one of two ways to satisfy the riding skills test, alongside testing directly at a Driver License office."},"fees":{"permit":19,"endorsementAdd":18,"other":[{"name":"Motorcycle endorsement, charged again on a licence renewal or replacement that carries the endorsement forward","amount":18}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"questionCount":25,"details":"A 25-question closed-book test at a Driver License office, based on the Motorcycle Operator Manual. Completing a Basic RiderCourse or Experienced Rider Course does not remove this test."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"A rider (driving) skills test at a Driver License office. Presenting a Basic RiderCourse or Experienced Rider Course completion card within six months of course completion takes the place of it."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A licence carries a restriction code tied to the size of motorcycle used for testing: 0 for 99cc or less, 2 for 249cc or less, 3 for 649cc or less, and no restriction from 650cc. A rider tested on a three-wheeled motorcycle is restricted to three-wheeled motorcycles."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Utah Department of Public Safety — Ride to Live","url":"https://ridetolive.utah.gov/"},{"label":"Utah Department of Public Safety — Ride to Live: Riding Skills","url":"https://ridetolive.utah.gov/riding-skills/"},{"label":"Utah Driver License Division — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://dld.utah.gov/motorcycle/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Ride to Live","operator":"Utah Department of Public Safety, Highway Safety Office","url":"https://ridetolive.utah.gov/"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"a Basic RiderCourse or Experienced Rider Course completion card is presented to a Driver License office within six months of course completion","validWithinMonths":6},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Schools deliver the Basic RiderCourse as roughly 15 hours, 10 of them on the motorcycle, using 150cc and 250cc training machines and providing helmets; a rider who tests on one of those sizes is restricted to it. An Experienced Rider Course of about five hours is open to riders with more than 2,000 miles of recent experience, who may ask to be tested on their own motorcycle. A rider who is 15 years and six months old and already holds a learner permit or licence of any classification may enrol in and complete a motorcycle rider course, although the permit and endorsement themselves still require age 16.","details":"Utah runs no state-operated training range. The Basic RiderCourse and Experienced Rider Course are taught by independent schools across the state, including Utah Rider Education, Utah Tech University's continuing education programme, Learn to Ride by Salt Lake Community College, and Harley-Davidson dealer academies in Salt Lake City, Weber County and Washington County. Each school sets its own tuition, which is not published centrally. The Department of Public Safety Highway Safety Office periodically funds a discount code — 25% off in 2026 — redeemable at a subset of partner schools while grant funding lasts."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Utah Code § 41-6a-1505 (motorcycle protective headgear)","url":"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title41/Chapter6a/C41-6a-S1505_2026050620260506.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 21 or older","minAge":21,"appliesTo":"both"}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":110},"statuteCitation":{"label":"Utah Code § 41-6a-1505","url":"https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title41/Chapter6a/C41-6a-S1505_2026050620260506.html"},"details":"Section 41-6a-1505 requires protective headgear meeting federal motorcycle helmet standards (49 C.F.R. § 571.218) of any operator or passenger under 21 riding a motorcycle, electric-assisted bicycle, motor-assisted scooter, high-power electric device, or an autocycle that is not fully enclosed, on a highway. A court must waive $8 of a moving-violation fine for a rider 21 or older who was wearing compliant headgear at the time, except for a driving-under-the-influence violation. A maximum fine of $110 applies to a motorcycle or high-power-electric-device violation of the section; failure to wear headgear does not constitute negligence and cannot be introduced as evidence of negligence in civil litigation."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, permits, tests and fees come from the Utah Driver License Division. Training facts come from the Department of Public Safety's Highway Safety Office and the Driver License Division. Helmet rules come from the Utah Code.","Utah does not require rider training to obtain a motorcycle endorsement at any age. Completing a Basic RiderCourse or Experienced Rider Course waives the riding skills test only; the written knowledge test is required of every applicant regardless of training.","Course tuition is set by each independent training school and is not published by the state. The Department of Public Safety periodically funds a limited discount code for a subset of schools; check current availability before enrolling."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/utah","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/utah"},{"name":"Vermont","slug":"vermont","abbreviation":"VT","overview":"Vermont adds a motorcycle endorsement to an existing Vermont driver's or Junior driver's licence. The state runs its own Vermont Rider Education Program, established in 1990, whose Basic RiderCourse graduates skip both the written and riding tests otherwise required at a DMV office. Vermont requires a helmet of every operator and passenger, with no age exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://dmv.vermont.gov/","phone":"802-828-2000"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://dmv.vermont.gov/licenses/types-of-licenses-ids/motorcycle-endorsement"},{"label":"Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle Learner's Permit","url":"https://dmv.vermont.gov/licenses/new/motorcycle-learner-permit"},{"label":"Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles — Driver's Licence Fees","url":"https://dmv.vermont.gov/licenses/fees"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","minAge":16,"fee":24,"validityDays":120,"details":"The applicant must already be a licensed Vermont resident and must pass the online Motorcycle Learner's Permit exam; failing it means a one-day wait before retaking it. A 16 or 17 year old holding a Junior Driver's Licence needs a parent or guardian's signature. The permit may be renewed twice, each renewal also valid 120 days, at $24 per renewal. While held, the permit restricts riding to daylight hours, forbids carrying passengers, and is valid in Vermont only; breaking a restriction voids the permit. If the skills test is not passed and the rider training course is not completed within the original permit and two renewals, a new permit cannot be obtained for 12 months from the expiry date, unless the rider completes the Motorcycle Rider Training Course or is only adding a 3-wheeled authorisation to an existing all-motorcycle permit."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"details":"A motorcycle learner's permit applicant must already hold a Vermont driver's or Junior driver's licence; a Junior licence issues from age 16. Vermont's rider-training course is voluntary at every age unless the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles exercises a reserved power to make it mandatory, which has not occurred."},"fees":{"permit":24,"other":[{"name":"Motorcycle endorsement, charged at $4 per year of the underlying driver's licence term (for example $8 added to a 2-year credential, $16 added to a 4-year credential)","amount":4}],"renewalPeriod":"2 or 4 years, matching the applicant's chosen Vermont driver's licence term"},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"questionCount":25,"passingScore":80,"fee":11,"details":"A 25-question multiple-choice exam based on the Motorcycle Operator Manual; a passing score is 80% or better. Failing it means a one-day wait before retaking it."},"skills":{"required":true,"fee":23,"details":"Conducted at a DMV location once the knowledge exam is passed. The motorcycle furnished for the test must be properly equipped, registered, inspected if required, insured and in good mechanical condition. Failing it means a one-week practice period before another attempt."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A Vermont resident who operates a motorcycle on a Vermont highway must hold a valid Vermont driver's or Junior driver's licence with the motorcycle endorsement."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles — Ride well. Live more. (Vermont Rider Education Program)","url":"https://dmv.vermont.gov/driver-education/ridewell"},{"label":"Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle Endorsement","url":"https://dmv.vermont.gov/licenses/types-of-licenses-ids/motorcycle-endorsement"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Vermont Rider Education Program","abbreviation":"VREP","operator":"Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles","url":"https://dmv.vermont.gov/driver-education/ridewell"},"delivery":"state-run","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":0,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":true,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"VREP's Basic RiderCourse pairs a five-hour online Basic eCourse with twelve on-motorcycle riding exercises; motorcycles are provided and some sites offer a scooter option. A 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse pairs the same eCourse with ten riding exercises for three-wheeled motorcycles. A one-day Intermediate RiderCourse combines a two-hour online Street Strategies eCourse with further exercises, for a rider who completed the Basic RiderCourse in the past 24 months, who is riding on a permit and wants the endorsement, or who already holds the endorsement. A one-day Advanced RiderCourse is also offered, and the program runs a RiderCoach Prep course for instructor certification.","details":"The Vermont Rider Education Program was established in 1990 and is run directly by the Department of Motor Vehicles; all course registration is handled through the state's own myDMV portal. Successful completion of the Basic RiderCourse, 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse, or Intermediate RiderCourse exempts a rider from both the Vermont motorcycle written and skills tests needed for the endorsement."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"23 V.S.A. § 1256 (Motorcycles; headgear)","url":"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/013/01256"},{"label":"23 V.S.A. § 1257 (Eye protection)","url":"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/013/01257"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Where a motorcycle is not equipped with a windshield or screen, the operator must wear eyeglasses, goggles, or a protective face shield, with colourless lenses required from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise and whenever visibility is otherwise poor. Section 1257 binds the operator; it does not state a passenger duty."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"23 V.S.A. § 1256","url":"https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/013/01256"},"details":"Section 1256 requires anyone who operates or rides upon a motorcycle on a highway to properly wear protective headgear conforming to the federal motorcycle helmet standard, 49 C.F.R. § 571.218. There is no age exemption: the duty binds every operator and every passenger. The only exemption is for occupants of a fully enclosed autocycle, defined as one with a windshield and full top and side enclosures able to support the vehicle's weight and protect occupants."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, permits, tests and fees come from the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from Title 23 of the Vermont Statutes.","Vermont requires a helmet of every motorcycle operator and passenger, regardless of age. There is no adult exemption.","The Vermont Rider Education Program is run directly by the Department of Motor Vehicles rather than by private training companies; course fees are not published on the department's site."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/vermont","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/vermont"},{"name":"Virginia","slug":"virginia","abbreviation":"VA","overview":"Virginia adds a Class M, M2 or M3 motorcycle classification to an existing driver's licence. Completing a Virginia Rider Training Program course exempts a rider from the motorcycle knowledge exam and road skills test for one year, though a rider under 18 must still hold a learner's permit for nine months regardless. Virginia requires a helmet of every operator and passenger, with no age exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Virginia DMV — Getting a Motorcycle License","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/motorcycle/getting"},{"label":"Virginia DMV — Motorcycle Learner's Permit","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/motorcycle/learners"},{"label":"Virginia DMV — Motorcycle Knowledge Exam","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/motorcycle/knowledge-exam"},{"label":"Virginia DMV — Motorcycle Road Skills Test","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/motorcycle/skills-test"},{"label":"Virginia DMV — Fee Chart","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/dmv201.pdf"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M, M2 or M3 Motorcycle Classification","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Learner's Permit","fee":3,"details":"A rider must pass a vision screening and the motorcycle knowledge exam to obtain the permit; a rider who does not yet hold any Virginia driver's licence or permit must also pass the two-part driver's licence knowledge exam. While holding the permit, a rider must wear an approved safety helmet and eye and face protection, cannot carry passengers, and must be supervised by a rider at least 21 years old, licensed to operate a motorcycle, riding alert in a separate accompanying motor vehicle. An applicant 18 or older must hold the permit at least 30 days before the road skills test; an applicant under 18 must hold it at least nine months, whether or not a rider training course has been completed. A rider 19 or older who completes a Virginia Rider Training Program course may instead operate a motorcycle for 30 days from the course completion date without ever obtaining a permit, provided the classification is added at DMV within that period."},"minAge":{"unrestricted":18,"details":"Virginia's own motorcycle pages state the requirements as two branches, 'if you are 18 or older' and 'if you are under 18', rather than a single minimum age for the permit or classification. From 18 the permit-hold period is 30 days and the rider training course is optional; under 18 the hold period is nine months and the course is mandatory."},"fees":{"permit":3,"other":[{"name":"Add an original 2-wheel or 3-wheel motorcycle classification: $25 application fee plus $2 per year remaining on the licence (totals $27 to $41 depending on years remaining)","amount":25},{"name":"Motorcycle classification, annual charge for each year of validity remaining on the licence","amount":2}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"questionCount":25,"details":"A 25-question computer-based exam drawn from the Motorcycle Operator Manual, offered in several languages. Using a cell phone during the exam ends it and forces a wait until the next day to retest."},"skills":{"required":true,"details":"Measures starting, accelerating, shifting, turning, braking and swerving at a participating DMV customer service centre; the rider must bring a registered, inspected motorcycle and wear a DOT-approved helmet with face shield, protective clothing and boots. Failing it twice requires completing a Virginia Rider Training Program course before a Class M designation can be added."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"M covers both two- and three-wheeled motorcycles, M2 covers two-wheeled only, and M3 covers three-wheeled only; a licence carrying an M, M2 or M3 designation together with a '6' restriction authorises only motorcycle operation, not a motor vehicle. A separate, less common route is a driver's licence restricted to motorcycle operation only, which costs $6 per year and is normally valid for eight years; a driver's licence with a Class M/M2/M3 designation instead follows the ordinary licence's own renewal cycle. Virginia does not accept an out-of-state motorcycle safety course certificate on its own; an out-of-state licence holder without an existing motorcycle classification must pass the Virginia knowledge and road skills tests and hold a permit for the standard period."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Virginia DMV — Virginia Rider Training Program","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/motorcycle/rider-training-program"},{"label":"Virginia DMV — Getting a Motorcycle License","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/motorcycle/getting"},{"label":"Virginia DMV — Motorcycle Road Skills Test","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/motorcycle/skills-test"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Virginia Rider Training Program","abbreviation":"VRTP","operator":"independent motorcycle safety companies certified to deliver Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses, located through DMV's own zip-code course finder","url":"https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/licenses-ids/motorcycle/rider-training-program"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the course completion certificate is presented to DMV within one year of completion; an applicant under 18 must still hold a motorcycle learner's permit for nine months even after completing the course","validWithinMonths":12},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":{"waivedWhen":"the course completion certificate is presented to DMV within one year of completion; an applicant under 18 must still hold a motorcycle learner's permit for nine months even after completing the course","validWithinMonths":12},"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":null,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"DMV's own rider training page routes applicants to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's national course locator (Basic RiderCourse, Basic RiderCourse2, Advanced RiderCourse) by zip code; the rider then contacts an independent company directly to enrol and pay. Each company sets its own tuition, which DMV does not certify, subsidise or publish. A separately branded 'Free Advanced Rider Training' course, booked through a different provider's own site, offers a no-cost advanced session for experienced riders. Completing a course is mandatory under 18 alongside the nine-month permit hold, and optional at 18 and older, where it substitutes for the standard knowledge-exam-plus-30-day-hold-plus-skills-test route. For a rider 19 or older, the completion certificate also acts as a temporary M2 or M3 classification for 30 days from the course date, letting the rider operate before visiting DMV, provided the classification is then added within that 30-day window."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Code of Virginia § 46.2-910 (motorcycle and autocycle operators to wear helmets, etc.)","url":"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/46.2-910/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"The operator must wear a face shield, safety glasses or goggles, or have the motorcycle or autocycle equipped with safety glass or a windshield, at all times while operating. Section 46.2-910 binds the operator only; it does not state a duty for a passenger."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Code of Virginia § 46.2-910","url":"https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/46.2-910/"},"details":"Every operator and any passenger on a motorcycle or autocycle must wear a protective helmet meeting Snell, ANSI or federal DOT standards, with no age exemption. Operators and passengers are excused only on a motorcycle with wheels eight inches or less in diameter, or on a three-wheeled motorcycle or autocycle with a nonremovable roof, windshield and enclosed body, and while riding at 15 mph or less as part of a Department of Transportation or locality-authorised, law-enforcement-escorted parade. Failure to wear the required gear does not constitute negligence per se in a civil proceeding. Transporting a child under five years old as a passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle is separately unlawful."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Licence classifications, permits, tests and fees come from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Code of Virginia.","Virginia requires a helmet of every motorcycle operator and passenger, regardless of age. There is no adult exemption.","Virginia does not run its own rider-training sites. Course providers are independent companies found through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's national locator, and each sets its own price."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/virginia","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/virginia"},{"name":"Washington","slug":"washington","abbreviation":"WA","overview":"Washington adds a 2-wheel or 3-wheel motorcycle endorsement to an existing driver's licence. Both the permit and endorsement knowledge and riding skills tests are given only at DOL-approved motorcycle training schools, never at a driver licensing office, and completing a Washington training course does not itself remove any of those tests. Washington requires a helmet of every operator and passenger, with no age exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Washington State Department of Licensing","abbreviation":"DOL","url":"https://dol.wa.gov/","phone":"360-902-3900"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Washington DOL — Get a 2-Wheel Motorcycle Permit or Endorsement","url":"https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/motorcycle/get-2-wheel-motorcycle-permit-or-endorsement"},{"label":"Washington DOL — Get a 3-Wheel Motorcycle Permit or Endorsement","url":"https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/motorcycle/get-3-wheel-motorcycle-permit-or-endorsement"},{"label":"Washington DOL — 2-Wheel (2W) Motorcycle Testing","url":"https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/motorcycle/motorcycle-endorsement-training-and-testing/2-wheel-2w-motorcycle-testing"},{"label":"Washington DOL — Driver Licensing Fees","url":"https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/driver-licensing-fees"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Motorcycle Endorsement","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":16,"fee":35,"validityDays":180,"details":"An applicant must hold a valid Washington driver licence and pass the permit knowledge test and permit riding skills test, both administered at an approved motorcycle safety training school rather than a DOL office; an applicant under 18 also needs a parent or guardian's signed consent. The applicant must apply for the permit within 365 days of passing both tests. The permit may be renewed once for a further 180 days, and only one initial permit plus one renewal is allowed within any 5-year period. While riding on the permit, a rider may not carry passengers or ride during the hours of darkness. On the driver's licence, the permit appears as an O-Endorsement with a J-Restriction."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"details":"Both the permit and the endorsement require age 16. Under 18, adding the endorsement additionally requires completing an approved motorcycle safety course; from 18 the course is optional."},"fees":{"permit":35,"other":[{"name":"Renew motorcycle instruction permit (180 days)","amount":15},{"name":"Add an original 2-wheel or 3-wheel motorcycle endorsement: $25 licence/application fee plus $2 per year remaining on the licence (totals $27 to $41 depending on years remaining)","amount":25},{"name":"Renew motorcycle endorsement together with a 6-year driver licence renewal","amount":30},{"name":"Renew motorcycle endorsement together with an 8-year driver licence renewal","amount":40}],"renewalPeriod":"6 or 8 years"},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"questionCount":25,"details":"The endorsement knowledge test has 25 questions covering cornering, decision-making and hazard management. A separate, earlier permit knowledge test of 50 questions covers the rules of the road and safe operation; a valid permit may be shown in place of retaking it. Both tests are given only at an approved motorcycle safety training school, either as part of a safety course or as standalone tests, and knowledge and riding-skills test fees are set by each school rather than by DOL."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":true,"details":"The endorsement riding skills test is scored pass/fail and includes a quick stop at roughly 20-25 mph and a timed figure-8 assessing cornering. A separate, earlier permit riding skills test is required for the permit itself; a valid permit may be shown in place of retaking it. Both are administered by approved motorcycle safety training schools, never by a DOL office, and school-set fees apply."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"A motorcycle endorsement shows on the licence as an L-Endorsement with a J-Restriction. Washington issues 2-wheel and 3-wheel permits and endorsements as parallel but separate credentials, each with its own knowledge and skills tests; a 3-wheeled vehicle with a partially or completely enclosed seating area, safety belts and a steering wheel does not need any endorsement at all. Riding without an endorsement when the motorcycle's speedometer reads above 30 mph is unlawful regardless of the speed actually ridden."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Washington DOL — Motorcycle Safety Program","url":"https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/motorcycle/motorcycle-safety-program"},{"label":"Washington DOL — Types of Motorcycle Training Courses","url":"https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/motorcycle/motorcycle-endorsement-training-and-testing/types-motorcycle-training-courses"},{"label":"Washington DOL — Get a 2-Wheel Motorcycle Permit or Endorsement","url":"https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/motorcycle/get-2-wheel-motorcycle-permit-or-endorsement"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Washington Motorcycle Safety Program","operator":"Washington State Department of Licensing","url":"https://dol.wa.gov/driver-licenses-and-permits/motorcycle/motorcycle-safety-program"},"delivery":"competitive-contract","curriculum":{"name":"Motorcycle Skills Education Program curriculum","provider":"the Washington State Department of Licensing, which certifies course content under RCW 46.81A.020","isMsfBrc":false},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":false,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":8,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"Created by 1982 legislation directing DOL to run a state motorcycle safety program, Washington does not mandate a single national curriculum the way most states do. DOL certifies training schools and, under RCW 46.81A.020(3)(a), sets an 8-hour statutory minimum for both novice and advanced 2- and 3-wheel skills-education courses; certified private schools then teach any of several accepted programmes at or above that standard, including the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic Rider Course, Basic Motorcycle Course, Basic Rider Clinic, Basic Rider Training, Learn To Ride and others, at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Completing a Washington-based course does not itself waive either state test: the knowledge and skills tests are administered by the same approved schools, either as part of a course or as a standalone sitting, so a graduate still takes the identical tests a non-graduate takes, just at the same location where they trained. A narrower waiver exists only for specific accepted OUT-OF-STATE programmes: Idaho STAR's Basic Rider Training, Team Oregon's Basic Rider Training, and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's own Basic Rider Course are each accepted for a 2-wheel PERMIT waiver, and the Sidecar/Trike Education Program's Basic Course is accepted for a 3-wheel ENDORSEMENT waiver, chiefly used by military members and new residents transferring in via a Testing Waiver Request form. Motorcycle training schools set and collect their own course costs, which vary by location and are not published by DOL; DOL separately funds a motorcycle operator subsidy program, established under RCW 46.81A.020(5) and paid for out of Washington's own permit and endorsement fees, to help keep training and testing costs affordable, particularly for residents and military personnel stationed in the state."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"RCW 46.37.530 (Motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, mopeds, electric-assisted bicycles — Helmets, other equipment — Children — Rules)","url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.37.530"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator of a motorcycle, moped or motor-driven cycle without a windshield must wear glasses, goggles or a face shield conforming to state patrol rules. The section binds the operator; it does not state a duty for a passenger."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"RCW 46.37.530","url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=46.37.530"},"details":"It is unlawful for any person to operate or ride upon a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle or moped on a state highway, county road or city street without wearing a motorcycle helmet, with the chin or neck strap fastened securely while the vehicle is in motion; there is no age exemption. Excepted are antique motor-driven cycles and vehicles equipped with a steering wheel, seat belts meeting federal standards, and a partially or completely enclosed seating area for driver and passenger certified to federal enclosure standards. Transporting a child under five years old on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle is separately unlawful. Selling a helmet that fails to meet Snell, ANSI or federal DOT standards is also unlawful."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["Endorsement rules, permits, tests and fees come from the Washington State Department of Licensing. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Revised Code of Washington.","Washington requires a helmet of every motorcycle operator and passenger, regardless of age. There is no adult exemption.","Washington's motorcycle knowledge and riding skills tests are given only at DOL-approved training schools, never at a driver licensing office, and completing a Washington-based training course does not remove either test; it is a separate, additional requirement for a rider under 18 and an optional route to the same tests for a rider 18 or older.","DOL funds a subsidy, paid for from motorcycle permit and endorsement fees, to help offset training and testing costs; contact a training school directly for current pricing and subsidy eligibility."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/washington","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/washington"},{"name":"West Virginia","slug":"west-virginia","abbreviation":"WV","overview":"West Virginia issues a Class F motorcycle-only license to a rider who holds no other driver's license, or an 'F' endorsement added to an existing Class D or Class E license. Riders 16 or older may hold a six-month motorcycle instruction permit while working toward the road exam, and completing the state's Basic Rider Course through its Motorcycle Safety Program waives the on-cycle skills test. West Virginia requires a helmet of every operator and every passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, with no age exemption.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"West Virginia Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/Pages/motorcycle.aspx","phone":"1-800-642-9066"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17B-2-1 (classification of licenses)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17B-2-1/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17B-2-5 (motorcycle instruction permit)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17B-2-5/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17B-2-7b (motorcycle examination; endorsement of license)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17B-2-7b/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17B-2-8 (fees)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17B-2-8/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17B-2-11 (duplicate permits and licenses)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17B-2-11/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17B-2-12 (expiration of licenses)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17B-2-12/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17B-2-12a (renewal of licenses)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17B-2-12a/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17B-1-1 (definition of a motorcycle)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17B-1-1/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17C-1-5a (definition of a moped)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17C-1-5a/"},{"label":"West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle","url":"https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/Pages/motorcycle.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"'F' Motorcycle Endorsement or Class F Motorcycle-Only License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":16,"fee":5,"validityDays":180,"holdingPeriodDays":7,"details":"An applicant under 18 must already hold a Level Two intermediate driver's license or a Class E license before applying. The permit entitles the holder to ride during daylight hours only, without a passenger, and is not renewable — a lapsed applicant must apply for a new permit rather than extend the old one. The DMV allows a road test appointment once the permit has been held seven days."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"details":"A holder of a motorcycle-only license who is under 18 remains subject to the graduated driver's license curfew and passenger restrictions that apply to a Level Two intermediate license until turning 18. Completing the Basic Rider Course does not lower any age threshold; it only removes the skills test."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":8,"initialLicense":20,"renewal":8,"renewalPeriod":"8 years","other":[{"name":"Class F motorcycle-only license, standard 8-year cycle (renewal, no other class held)","amount":20},{"name":"Duplicate instruction permit or license","amount":7.5},{"name":"Late renewal surcharge","amount":5}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"A separate motorcycle written examination, administered by the Division of Motor Vehicles since 1 July 2000. Results are a prerequisite for the instruction permit."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"An on-cycle road examination administered by the Division of Motor Vehicles, including a demonstration of ordinary and reasonable control of the motorcycle. A rider who owns a three-wheel motorcycle may test on it at selected regional offices, but is then licensed for three-wheel motorcycles only; testing on a two-wheel motorcycle licenses the rider for either."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"West Virginia's motorcycle credential takes one of two forms depending on what the rider already holds: a Class F licence for a rider with no other class of driver's licence, or an 'F' endorsement added to an existing Class D or Class E licence. Both are priced per year of validity under the same eight-year renewal cycle as a standard driver's licence."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle Safety Program Rider Courses","url":"https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/Safety/MSP/Pages/Rider-Courses.aspx"},{"label":"West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle","url":"https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/Pages/motorcycle.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"West Virginia Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"WVMSP","operator":"West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles, delivered through a single statewide vendor accredited by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation","url":"https://transportation.wv.gov/DMV/Safety/MSP/Pages/Rider-Courses.aspx"},"delivery":"single-contractor","curriculum":{"name":"Basic Rider Course (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":true,"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":100,"max":100},"lengthHours":17,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"West Virginia also offers a shorter Experienced Rider Course for licensed riders who already hold the endorsement, at the same $100 tuition. The Experienced Rider Course does not satisfy licensing requirements for a rider under 18, who must complete the Basic Rider Course to use the skills-test waiver.","details":"The Rider Courses page names the Motorcycle Safety Foundation as the programme's sole vendor and states its Basic Rider Course and Experienced Rider Course are 'the only approved Rider Training course available in this state,' each running from multiple sites around West Virginia at the same $100 tuition. A rider must hold a valid motorcycle instruction permit to enrol in the Basic Rider Course, and must wear a DOT- or Snell-rated helmet, eye protection, over-the-ankle boots, long sleeves and full-fingered gloves during it. Completion produces a card presented to the DMV in place of the road test; the endorsement or Class F license is then issued."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17C-15-44 (safety equipment and requirements for motorcyclists)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17C-15-44/"},{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17C-15-6 (penalty for violations of Article 15)","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17C-15-6/"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"universal","conditions":[],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"An operator or passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle must wear safety, shatter-resistant eyeglasses (not contact lenses), eye goggles, or a face shield meeting American National Standards Institute Z 2.1 specifications, unless a windshield or fairing is fitted."},"penalty":{"fine":100},"statuteCitation":{"label":"W. Va. Code § 17C-15-44","url":"https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17C-15-44/"},"details":"Section 17C-15-44(a) requires every operator and every passenger on a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle to wear a protective helmet meeting ANSI Z90.1, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218, or Snell specifications, with no age exemption anywhere in the section. The only stated exemption is for a rider with a valid driver's license operating a fully enclosed autocycle. The helmet and eye-protection clauses name 'motorcycle or motor-driven cycle' only; mopeds are defined separately in the Code and are not textually reached by either requirement. No fine is set inside Section 44 itself; a first violation of Article 15's equipment provisions, which is the general Article penalty that applies here, carries a fine of not more than $100, rising to $200 for a second conviction within a year and $500 for a third."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["License classes, permits, fees and tests come from the West Virginia Code and the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from the West Virginia Motorcycle Safety Program, the DMV's own rider-training program delivered through a Motorcycle Safety Foundation-accredited vendor. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the West Virginia Code's motorcycle equipment section.","West Virginia's motorcycle credential is either an 'F' endorsement added to an existing Class D or Class E driver's license, or a standalone Class F license for a rider who holds no other class — the fee differs between the two because each is priced per year of an eight-year cycle.","West Virginia's helmet law applies to every operator and every passenger with no age exemption; the only exemption is for a rider operating a fully enclosed autocycle."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/west-virginia","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/west-virginia"},{"name":"Wisconsin","slug":"wisconsin","abbreviation":"WI","overview":"Wisconsin adds a Class M classification to a driver's license for motorcycle operation. A rider under 18 must show proof of enrolment in a Basic RiderCourse before getting a Class M instruction permit and must complete the course to be licensed; a rider 18 or older may instead hold the permit and pass a DMV road test. Wisconsin's helmet law is conditional: it reaches only a rider who is under 18 or who holds a Class M instruction permit, whichever role they occupy on the motorcycle.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles","abbreviation":"DMV","url":"https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/about-wisdot/who-we-are/dmv/default.aspx","phone":"608-264-7447"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Wis. Stat. § 343.07 (instruction permits)","url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/343.07"},{"label":"Wis. Stat. § 343.21 (license and permit fees)","url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/343.21"},{"label":"Wis. Stat. § 343.06 (persons not to be licensed; basic rider course requirement)","url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/343.06"},{"label":"Wis. Stat. § 343.20 (expiration of licenses)","url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/343.20"},{"label":"Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Motorcycle License","url":"https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/motorcycles/mc-how-aply/mc-md-lic.aspx"},{"label":"Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Mopeds","url":"https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/motorcycles/mc-safety/mopeds.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M License","permit":{"name":"Class M Instruction Permit (Cycle Instruction Permit, CYCI)","minAge":16,"fee":22,"validityDays":182,"holdingPeriodDays":0,"details":"An applicant under 18 must first complete Class D driver's education classroom and behind-the-wheel training and must show proof of enrolment — not completion — in an approved Basic RiderCourse before the permit is issued; a Class D license is not required to hold the Class M permit. The permit may be renewed twice, six months at a time, in person at a DMV service center; a third renewal requires proof of enrolment in a rider course. There is no minimum holding period before attempting the Class M road test. A permit holder of any age must wear an approved helmet and eye protection, and after dark must be accompanied, though not necessarily as a passenger, by a person at least 25 years old with two years' licensed motorcycle experience."},"minAge":{"permit":16,"unrestricted":18,"withTraining":16,"details":"A rider under 18 may be issued the Class M classification only after successfully completing a basic rider course approved by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation motorcycle safety program; from 18 the course is one of two routes to the license, the other being the instruction permit and road test."},"fees":{"endorsementAdd":12,"renewal":8,"renewalPeriod":"8 years","other":[{"name":"License issuance fee (added to every license, endorsement or instruction permit issuance, renewal, upgrade or reinstatement)","amount":10},{"name":"Motorcycle (Class M) road test fee","amount":15},{"name":"Duplicate license","amount":4},{"name":"Late renewal fee","amount":5}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"Required of every Class M applicant regardless of route, including a rider who completes the Basic RiderCourse. Tests knowledge of motorcycle safety, including proper eye protection to be worn during hours of darkness."},"skills":{"required":true,"fee":15,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"A road test conducted by appointment at a DMV customer service center. Successfully completing an approved Basic RiderCourse, 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse or Basic RiderCourse 2 produces a waiver certificate that takes its place; a certificate obtained on a three-wheel vehicle restricts the resulting license to three-wheel motorcycles."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Wisconsin's motorcycle credential is a classification added to a base driver's license rather than a separate motorcycle-only license, so the $12 figure recorded here is the classification fee under Wis. Stat. § 343.21(1)(b), not the cost of the underlying Class D license. A $10 issuance fee applies in addition to every license, endorsement or permit transaction under § 343.21(1)(n), including a Class M issuance, renewal or permit."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Safety Program","url":"https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/motorcycles/mc-safety/default.aspx"},{"label":"Wis. Stat. § 343.06 (basic rider course requirement for a licensee under 18)","url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/343.06"},{"label":"Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Motorcycle License","url":"https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/motorcycles/mc-how-aply/mc-md-lic.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Wisconsin Motorcycle Safety Program","abbreviation":"WMSP","operator":"Wisconsin Department of Transportation, delivered through Wisconsin Technical College System campuses and DOT-approved private training sites","url":"https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/motorcycles/mc-safety/default.aspx"},"delivery":"approved-providers","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":18,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the graduate passes the motorcycle knowledge test, is at least 16, and presents the waiver certificate to a DMV service center within one year of the course completion date","minAge":16,"validWithinMonths":12},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":null,"lengthHours":15,"deviationsFromCurriculum":"Wisconsin also runs a 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse of about 3 classroom hours plus 10 on-cycle hours for a three-wheel-restricted license, and a Basic RiderCourse 2 of about 3 classroom hours plus 5 on-cycle hours for licensed riders seeking a refresher, either of which can also produce the road-test waiver.","details":"Course tuition is set independently by each training site — the technical college campus or private sponsor — rather than published centrally by the Department; a lightweight motorcycle and a helmet are supplied for the Basic RiderCourse. A rider under 18 must show proof of enrolment, not completion, in the course before a Class M instruction permit is issued; an 18-or-older rider may take the course without ever holding a permit, provided they do not ride on public roads until they add the Class M classification. Rider coaches are certified by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and approved by the Department."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Wis. Stat. § 347.485 (protective headgear for use on motorcycles)","url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/347.485"},{"label":"Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Mopeds","url":"https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/motorcycles/mc-safety/mopeds.aspx"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both","detail":"Section 347.485(1)(a) reads 'operate or ride,' so the age criterion governs an operator's and a passenger's own personal duty to wear a helmet identically."},{"type":"training","exemptWhen":"the rider does not hold a Wisconsin Class M instruction permit","appliesTo":"both","detail":"A permit holder must wear a helmet regardless of age; a full Class M license holder who is 18 or older is not subject to this criterion. Like the age criterion, the statute's 'operate or ride' language applies this to either role."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":{"required":true,"details":"Every motorcycle operator must wear a face shield attached to the headgear, glasses or goggles, at every age and regardless of permit status. Eye protection worn after dark may not be tinted, except photosensitive corrective lenses. The requirement does not apply where the motorcycle or autocycle has a windshield at least 15 inches above the handlebar, or during a municipality-sanctioned parade."},"penalty":null,"statuteCitation":{"label":"Wis. Stat. § 347.485","url":"https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/347.485"},"details":"Separately from the operator's and passenger's own personal helmet duty, § 347.485(1)(am) makes an operator responsible for a passenger under 18 wearing a helmet, regardless of the operator's own age or permit status — this is the operator's own duty, distinct from the passenger's personal duty under (1)(a). The section does not reach a moped, which Wisconsin defines and regulates separately from a motorcycle."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["License classifications, permits, fees and tests come from the Wisconsin Statutes and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles. Training facts come from the Wisconsin Motorcycle Safety Program, delivered through Wisconsin Technical College System campuses and DOT-approved private training sites. Helmet and eye-protection rules come from the Wisconsin Statutes.","Wisconsin's helmet law is conditional: it applies only to a rider who is under 18 or who holds a Class M instruction permit, in either the operator's or a passenger's seat. A full Class M license holder who is 18 or older is not required to wear a helmet.","Basic RiderCourse tuition is set independently by each technical college campus or private training site rather than published by the state, so no single course price is shown here."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/wisconsin","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/wisconsin"},{"name":"Wyoming","slug":"wyoming","abbreviation":"WY","overview":"Wyoming adds a Class M designation to a driver's license for motorcycle operation, available from age 15 through a bifurcated instruction permit and, later, a full license. The Wyoming Department of Transportation runs its own Basic RiderCourse directly, and a completion certificate presented within two years removes the licensing skills test. Wyoming's helmet law reaches only a rider under 18, whether operating or riding, with no separate rule for a passenger.","licensingAuthority":{"name":"Wyoming Department of Transportation, Driver Services","abbreviation":"WYDOT","url":"https://dot.state.wy.us/driverservices","phone":"307-777-4800"},"licenseTerm":"license","license":{"sources":[{"label":"Wyoming Statutes Title 31, Chapter 7 (W.S. 31-7-109, license classifications)","url":"https://www.wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title31.pdf"},{"label":"Wyoming Department of Transportation — Class Designation Guide","url":"https://dot.state.wy.us/home/driver_license_records/driver-license/classification-guide.html"},{"label":"Wyoming Department of Transportation — Testing Requirements","url":"https://dot.state.wy.us/home/driver_license_records/driver-license/testing.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","credentialName":"Class M License","permit":{"name":"Motorcycle Instruction Permit","minAge":15,"fee":40,"validityDays":90,"details":"W.S. 31-7-110(b) issues a motorcycle instruction permit good for 90 days, without a passenger, to an applicant of at least 15 who passes the written examination and a visual-acuity check. An applicant who also passes the driving test instead receives a permit valid for one year (365 days), still without a passenger. A permit holder under 17 is subject to the same restricted operating hours as an intermediate licence holder (broadly 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., with exceptions for work, school and medical need). At 16, a rider who has logged at least 50 hours of practice, including 10 at night, may move to an intermediate motorcycle permit, which still forbids carrying a passenger."},"minAge":{"permit":15,"unrestricted":17,"details":"No motorcycle-specific age floor was found distinct from Wyoming's general licensing age: a driver's license is not issued before 17, except that a 16-year-old who has held an intermediate permit for six months and completed a driver-education course may qualify earlier. Completing the Basic RiderCourse does not lower either figure; it only removes the skills-test requirement."},"fees":{"permit":40,"endorsementAdd":6,"renewal":6,"renewalPeriod":"5 years","other":[{"name":"Transportation information system fee (added to every license, instruction permit or Class M designation fee)","amount":5},{"name":"Intermediate permit (age 16, all vehicle classes including motorcycle)","amount":30},{"name":"Replacement license","amount":20}]},"tests":{"knowledge":{"required":true,"details":"An applicant who has never been licensed, or whose license has been expired two years or more, must pass a written test drawn from Wyoming's automated testing system. A motorcycle applicant who fails may retest the same day once; missing 13 or more questions requires a three-day wait before retesting, against a shorter wait for fewer misses."},"skills":{"required":true,"thirdPartyAllowed":false,"details":"The applicant supplies their own motorcycle and safety gear for a skills test of a cone weave, normal stop, right turn from a stop, left U-turn, quick stop and obstacle swerve, conducted by a WYDOT examiner at a driver exam station. The test is not conducted in rain, snow, or on a wet or icy course."}},"tieredByEngineSize":[],"details":"Wyoming's Class M designation may be added to a license valid for any other class, or issued as the only class on a license held by an applicant with no other classification. Combining Class M with another class on the same license carries no extra fee under the general rule, but the Class M designation fee is charged regardless under a specific exception to that rule."},"training":{"sources":[{"label":"Wyoming Statutes Title 31, Chapter 5, Article 15 (W.S. 31-5-1501 to 31-5-1507, Motorcycle Safety Education Program)","url":"https://www.wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title31.pdf"},{"label":"Wyoming Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Safety, Get Trained","url":"https://dot.state.wy.us/home/dot_safety/motorcycle-safety/get-trained.html"},{"label":"Wyoming Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Safety","url":"https://dot.state.wy.us/home/dot_safety/motorcycle-safety.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","stateProgram":{"name":"Wyoming Motorcycle Safety Education Program","operator":"Wyoming Department of Transportation","url":"https://dot.state.wy.us/home/dot_safety/motorcycle-safety.html"},"delivery":"state-run","curriculum":{"name":"Basic RiderCourse (BRC)","provider":"Motorcycle Safety Foundation","isMsfBrc":true},"mandatoryUnderAge":null,"courseWaivesSkillsTest":{"waivedWhen":"the department exempts a graduate who presents a completion certificate for an approved rider training course that includes a similar skills test; Driver Services' own administrative practice is to require the certificate within two years of the course date","validWithinMonths":24},"courseWaivesKnowledgeTest":false,"typicalCost":{"min":50,"max":150},"lengthHours":16,"deviationsFromCurriculum":null,"details":"The Basic RiderCourse runs about 16 hours, made up of a 5-hour online eCourse and 11 hours of on-cycle training over two days: low-risk familiarisation exercises on day one, skills practice and a final evaluation on day two. WYDOT provides the motorcycles and helmets and trains its own instructors to Motorcycle Safety Foundation RiderCoach certification. Tuition is $50 for a Wyoming resident and $150 for a non-resident, plus a service fee. A rider must be at least 15 on the day of the course; a student under 18 needs a parental permission form signed in front of the coaches."},"helmetLaw":{"sources":[{"label":"Wyoming Statutes Title 31, Chapter 5, § 31-5-115 (operation of motorcycles, autocycles and pedestrian vehicles)","url":"https://www.wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title31.pdf"},{"label":"Wyoming Department of Transportation — Motorcycle Safety Laws","url":"https://dot.state.wy.us/home/dot_safety/motorcycle-safety/safety-laws.html"}],"lastVerified":"2026-07-28","regime":"conditional","conditions":[{"type":"age","exemptWhen":"the rider is 18 or older","minAge":18,"appliesTo":"both","detail":"Section 31-5-115(o) reads 'operate or ride,' covering an operator and a passenger under a single age rule rather than two separate lists."}],"appliesToPassengers":true,"eyeProtection":null,"penalty":{"fine":200},"statuteCitation":{"label":"W.S. § 31-5-115(o)","url":"https://www.wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title31.pdf"},"details":"Section 31-5-115(o) requires protective headgear, securely fastened and of a type approved by the superintendent, of any minor who operates or rides a motorcycle on a public highway, street or thoroughfare. The requirement does not reach a person riding within an enclosed cab, a person operating or riding a moped, or an autocycle occupant (subsection (t)), and it also applies to motor-driven cycles under subsection (s). Operators in an officially authorised parade are exempt from subsections (e) through (o), which includes the helmet clause. Headgear must meet or exceed ANSI Z90.1-1971, though equipment meeting the older Z90.1-1966 standard remains accepted."},"verifiedBy":"agent","disclosures":["License classifications, permits, fees and tests come from the Wyoming Statutes and the Wyoming Department of Transportation, Driver Services. Training facts come from the Wyoming Motorcycle Safety Education Program, which the Department runs directly. Helmet rules come from the Wyoming Statutes.","Wyoming's Department of Transportation describes its Basic RiderCourse as waiving 'all testing requirements' for the Class M license. The statute authorising the program limits the exemption it may grant to the licensing skills test; this page follows the statute and records the knowledge test as still required after the course.","Wyoming's helmet law applies only to a rider under 18, whether operating the motorcycle or riding as a passenger. A rider 18 or older may ride without a helmet."],"url":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/wyoming","trainingUrl":"https://www.getmotorcyclelicense.com/motorcycle-safety-course/wyoming"}]}