Motorcycle License in West Virginia
Verified against West Virginia Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles ·
Compiled and verified against primary state DMV/DPS/BMV sources by GetMotorcycleLicense Research Team — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →
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.
West Virginia's motorcycle license requirements — including a $8 fee to add the endorsement, a minimum age of 18, and a training course completion that can waive the skills test — are verified against West Virginia Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles (see W. Va. Code § 17B-2-1 (classification of licenses)), current as of 2026-07-28.
West Virginia Motorcycle License Requirements at a Glance
| Permit | Motorcycle Instruction Permit |
|---|---|
| Permit minimum age | 16 |
| Permit fee | $5 |
| Permit validity | 180 days |
| Minimum age (unrestricted) | 18 |
| License fee | $8 |
| Renewal | $8 / 8 years |
| Knowledge test | Required |
| Skills test | Required |
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.
Completing West Virginia's motorcycle safety course waives the state's motorcycle skills test. See West Virginia’s motorcycle safety course.
West Virginia helmet law
Required for all riders
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.
W. Va. Code § 17C-15-44 · 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.
- 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.
Sources
- W. Va. Code § 17B-2-1 (classification of licenses)
- W. Va. Code § 17B-2-5 (motorcycle instruction permit)
- W. Va. Code § 17B-2-7b (motorcycle examination; endorsement of license)
- W. Va. Code § 17B-2-8 (fees)
- W. Va. Code § 17B-2-11 (duplicate permits and licenses)
- W. Va. Code § 17B-2-12 (expiration of licenses)
- W. Va. Code § 17B-2-12a (renewal of licenses)
- W. Va. Code § 17B-1-1 (definition of a motorcycle)
- W. Va. Code § 17C-1-5a (definition of a moped)
- West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles — Motorcycle
Data last verified: 2026-07-28 (verified by: agent) | Source: W. Va. Code § 17B-2-1 (classification of licenses)