How to Get a Motorcycle License: Permit, Course and Skills Test

Plenty of new riders buy the bike first and figure out the paperwork later. That's backwards. The route you choose for how to get a motorcycle license decides whether you'll spend a weekend in a parking-lot course or several trips to the DMV, and in some states it decides whether you can ride the bike home at all. Here's the whole path laid out as two routes, with real state examples so you can pick the faster one where you live.

How to get a motorcycle license: two paths

Every state ends at the same place: a motorcycle license or an "M" endorsement on your regular license. There are two main roads to it.

Path A: the DMV route

1. Pass the motorcycle knowledge test and vision screening.
2. Receive a motorcycle permit.
3. Practice under the permit's restrictions.
4. Take the on-cycle skills test at a DMV site, on a bike you provide.
5. Get the license or endorsement.

Path B: the rider course route

1. Pass the knowledge test and get a permit (some states let you skip this step before the course).
2. Complete a state-approved rider course, usually built on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic RiderCourse.
3. Bring the completion card to the DMV, which waives the skills test (and in a few cases the knowledge test).
4. Get the license or endorsement.

Path B costs more up front in most states but usually gets you licensed sooner, and you learn on a training bike instead of risking your own. In some states it isn't optional at all.

How states treat the rider course

This is the part that changes most from state to state. A few examples, checked against official DMV pages:

Rules shift, and age cutoffs matter, so confirm with your own state's DMV before you enroll. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation can point you to approved training in your area.

Step 1: the motorcycle permit and written test

The motorcycle knowledge test is separate from the car test, and it's where many experienced car drivers stumble. It focuses on things a car driver never thinks about: lane position, counter-steering, braking with both brakes, riding in a group, carrying passengers, and protective gear.

You'll generally need:

• Proof of identity, residency and Social Security number (or your existing license if you have one)
• A passed vision screening
• The permit fee
• Parental consent if you're a minor

Read your state's motorcycle manual cover to cover. The questions about following distance, swerving and handling a skid come straight from it. Our motorcycle permit test guide breaks down what's on the exam, and you can drill questions free on our practice tests page.

Step 2: a rider course and whether it waives tests

The Basic RiderCourse combines classroom or online learning with range exercises on a closed lot. You'll practice clutch control, starting and stopping, tight turns, swerving and quick stops. Training motorcycles and often helmets are provided; you bring proper boots, gloves, long pants and a jacket.

At the end there's a written and riding evaluation. Pass both and you get a completion card. Whether that card waives a DMV test depends on your state, as the table above shows.

Already licensed for a car? See our separate guide on how to add a motorcycle endorsement, which covers the shortcuts licensed drivers get.

Step 3: permit restrictions while you practice

A motorcycle permit is not a junior license. Common restrictions include:

• No passengers. Nearly universal.
• Daylight only. Many states ban riding after dark on a permit.
• No highways or limited-access roads in some states.
• Supervision by a licensed rider within sight, in some states.
• Helmet required, even in states where licensed adults may ride without one.

The specific list is printed on or with your permit. Break the rules and you can lose the permit and face a fine, so read it carefully.

Use permit time to ride on quiet streets first, then build toward traffic. Practice the exact drills a skills test uses: slow cone weaves, U-turns in a box, quick stops and obstacle swerves.

Step 4: the skills test or course completion card

If you take the DMV route, you'll ride a short course of exercises while an examiner watches. Typical elements include:

• A cone weave at low speed
• A U-turn inside a marked area without putting a foot down
• A normal stop at a line
• A quick stop from speed
• An obstacle swerve

You usually need to bring a street-legal, registered and insured motorcycle, plus a licensed rider to bring it if you can't ride it there on your own permit. Points come off for dabbing a foot, crossing boundary lines, stalling or stopping too long.

On the course route, you skip this. Your completion card goes to the DMV with your application, you pay the license or endorsement fee, and your new card arrives with the motorcycle class or endorsement on it.

Costs and time from start to license

Fees vary a lot, so check your state's fee schedule. You'll typically pay for some combination of:

• The permit and knowledge test
• The rider course (Pennsylvania's state program is free for residents with a permit or license; most states charge tuition)
• The license or endorsement
• Gear: an approved helmet, eye protection, gloves, boots and a jacket

Time is driven by course availability. Spring courses can book up weeks out, so register early. A rider who passes the knowledge test, takes a weekend course and visits the DMV promptly can often be licensed within a few weeks. The DMV route depends on how fast you build skill and how soon you can get a test date. California's six-month permit holding period for younger riders is one example of a rule that adds time, so look for holding periods in your state.

The NHTSA motorcycle safety page is worth reading before your first ride, especially the sections on helmets and visibility.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a motorcycle license without a permit?

In most states you can't, but some states let you go straight from an approved rider course to the license or endorsement. New Jersey, for instance, doesn't require a motorcycle permit to take a rider course. Check your state's rules.

Does the MSF course get you a license?

Not by itself. The course gives you a completion card, and in many states that card waives the DMV skills test, but you still apply and pay at the DMV to get the license or endorsement.

How long does it take to get a motorcycle license?

With a rider course and a prompt DMV visit, it can take a few weeks. Holding periods for younger riders or a long wait for a skills test date can stretch it to several months.

Do I need a car license first?

Not always. Many states issue a motorcycle-only license, although some shortcuts, such as Texas's skills test waiver, apply only to people who already hold a car or commercial license.