All exams/Motorcycle permit test by state
Motorcycle permit test by state: age, questions and permit rules
The motorcycle knowledge test is separate from the car permit test, and states publish very little about it. Here is what 8 agencies actually say about the motorcycle permit test: the minimum age, the pass mark where there is one, what a permit lets you do, and how a rider course changes the road test.
| State | Questions | To pass | Minimum age | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CaliforniaFree questions | — | 80% | 15½ (with driver education and a motorcycle training certificate) | CA |
| Florida | 50 | 40 (80%) | 16 (no one under 16 may operate a motorcycle; a Motorcycle Only license at 16 or 17 needs a learner's license held for one year with no traffic convictions) | FL |
| Georgia | — | — | 16 | GA |
| New Jersey | — | — | 17 (parent or guardian consent under 18) | NJ |
| New York | 20 | 14 (70%) | Not stated on the permit page; 16 to qualify for the safety-course road-test waiver | NY |
| Ohio | — | — | 15 years, 6 months (for the temporary permit) | OH |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | Not stated on the permit page; under 18 has extra requirements | PA |
| Texas | — | — | 15 for a special restricted Class M (250 cc or less; the limit comes off at 16) | TX |
California motorcycle permit test
- Three attempts to pass the knowledge test on one application.
- The instruction permit allows no passengers, no freeway riding and no night riding.
- Riders under 21 need the DL 389 certificate from a California Motorcyclist Safety Program course.
Source: California DMV — Motorcycle licenses · Free California motorcycle practice test
Florida motorcycle permit test
- To add a motorcycle endorsement you must hold a valid Class E license and pass the Basic RiderCourse with an authorized Florida Rider Training Program sponsor (s. 322.12(5)(a), Florida Statutes). There is no separate motorcycle knowledge test on this route.
- The knowledge test applies to a Motorcycle Only license: it is the same test as for a regular Class E license (50 questions, 40 correct to pass), plus the Basic RiderCourse.
- After the course, get the endorsement within one year or the course completion and its waiver status become invalid and you retake the course.
- A motorcycle endorsement from another state is reciprocated (Alabama's only with a Basic RiderCourse card).
Source: FLHSMV — Motorcycle rider education and endorsements
Georgia motorcycle permit test
- The Class MP instructional permit is valid for 6 months.
- Permit limits: daylight hours only, no passengers, no limited-access roadways, DOT-approved helmet.
- The Basic RiderCourse earns a 90-day test waiver for the motorcycle license test.
- A passed motorcycle knowledge exam is valid for one year.
New Jersey motorcycle permit test
- Permit holders may not ride from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, carry passengers, or use state toll roads and limited-access highways.
- Six months of practice riding if you are under 21; three months with no suspensions if you are 21 or over.
- The Basic Rider Course is about 5 hours of classroom and 10 hours of riding; the road test needs your own registered, insured motorcycle.
Source: NJ MVC — Motorcycle
New York motorcycle permit test
- At least 2 of the 4 road-sign questions must be correct, even with 14 right overall.
- The DMV suggests 30 hours of practice, including 10 in medium to high-volume traffic, before a road test.
Source: NY DMV — Get a motorcycle learner permit and license
Ohio motorcycle permit test
- Pass a motorcycle knowledge test and vision screening at a driver exam station, or take the test online if you are an adult with a valid Ohio driver license, then buy the temporary permit (TIPIC) within 60 days of passing.
- If you fail the knowledge test, wait at least 24 hours; there is no limit on attempts.
- The TIPIC is valid one year from purchase. Limits: daylight hours only, no passengers, no interstates or congested roads, helmet and protective eyewear.
- The skills test follows: fail any part and you wait one week. A Motorcycle Ohio Basic Course completion card waives the skills test for 60 days.
- Under 18: hold the permit at least 6 months, complete driver education and 50 hours of driving, and complete a motorcycle safety course first.
Pennsylvania motorcycle permit test
- A vision screening and a motorcycle knowledge test at a Driver License Center; the Class M learner's permit is valid for one year and costs $12.
- Under 18: hold the permit for 6 months and log 65 hours of practice before the skills test.
- The PA Motorcycle Safety Program Basic Rider Course counts as 15 of those hours.
Texas motorcycle permit test
- An applicant for an original Class M license must show proof of completing a DPS-approved motorcycle operator training course (Transportation Code §521.148).
- A special restricted Class M is open to ages 15 to 17 who passed the course; it allows a motorcycle of 250 cc or less, and DPS removes the limit on the 16th birthday without another course (§521.224).
- DPS's motorcycle license page says a course completion certificate lets it waive the motorcycle knowledge test, and that the certificate is valid for 24 months.
Source: Texas Transportation Code §521.148 (Class M application)
How to use this before test day
- Find your state and check whether the agency publishes a question count or pass mark; most do not.
- Read the state’s own motorcycle manual: the questions come from it, not from the car manual.
- Note what your permit bans (passengers, night riding, highways) before you ride on it.
- Ask whether a rider course replaces the road test where you live, and book it early.
Also taking the car test? See the permit test by state table, or practise for your state’s car permit test.