Motorcycle License in Texas
Verified against Texas Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division ·
Compiled and verified against primary state DMV/DPS/BMV sources by GetMotorcycleLicense Research Team — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
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.
Texas's motorcycle license requirements — including a $16 fee to add the endorsement, a minimum age of 18, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test if age 18+ and within 24 months — are verified against Texas Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division (see Texas Department of Public Safety — Motorcycle License), current as of 2026-07-28.
Texas Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance
| Requirement | Texas |
|---|---|
| Permit | Motorcycle Learner License (restriction J) |
| Permit minimum age | 15 years |
| Permit fee | $16 |
| Permit validity | — |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | 18 years |
| License fee | $16 |
| Renewal fee | $12 |
| Renewal period | 8 years |
| Knowledge test | Required |
| Skills test | Requiredgiven by a third-party tester |
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.
How do you get a motorcycle license in Texas?
- Reach the minimum permit age. You must be at least 15 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Texas.
- Pass the knowledge test. Texas requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
- Get your motorcycle permit. The permit costs $16.
- Hold the permit. There is no minimum period you must hold the permit before taking the skills test.
- Pass the skills test, or waive it. Texas requires a motorcycle skills test. Completing Texas's motorcycle safety course waives it if age 18+ and within 24 months.
- Pay the fee and get your license. The license costs $16. The minimum age for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Texas is 18.
Common questions about motorcycle licensing in Texas
How old do you have to be to get a motorcycle permit in Texas?
You must be at least 15 to apply for a motorcycle permit in Texas.
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.
What is the minimum age for a motorcycle license in Texas?
You must be at least 18 for an unrestricted motorcycle license in Texas.
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.
Does Texas require a motorcycle knowledge test?
Yes, Texas requires a motorcycle knowledge test.
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.
Does Texas require a motorcycle skills test?
Yes, Texas requires a motorcycle skills test. In Texas, completing Texas's motorcycle safety course waives it if age 18+ and within 24 months.
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.
How much does a motorcycle license cost in Texas?
A motorcycle license in Texas costs $16. The permit costs $16.
How often do you renew a motorcycle license in Texas?
A motorcycle license in Texas renews every 8 years. Renewal costs $12.
Completing Texas's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test if age 18+ and within 24 months. See Texas’s motorcycle safety course.
Texas helmet law
Required for some riders
A rider is exempt only if all of the following are true:
- the rider is 21 or older
- the 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) — 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.
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.
TDLR Motorcycle Operator Training Manual — Helmet and Passengers · verified 2026-07-28
Source Notes
Where a source is stale, conflicting, or required a judgment call, we document it here rather than presenting a single confident-sounding number. See our methodology for how these calls are made.
- Licence 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.
means no primary source publishes that figure — left blank on purpose rather than estimated or copied from an unverified aggregator.
Sources
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: Texas Department of Public Safety — Motorcycle License