Practice tests
Motorcycle permit test: practice and rules by state
The practice test above uses rider questions only. Pick your state in the tool under the summary to see the motorcycle permit age and the test rules its agency publishes.
Your score · California
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| Practice target: 16 of 20 (80 %) |
| You can still miss 4 |
Practice questions written from the state handbook and federal rules. Not the official test.
A motorcycle permit, often called a Class M instruction permit, is earned with its own written knowledge test, separate from the car test, on riding technique, protective gear and the rules that apply to two wheels. Of the 51 jurisdictions in our data, 28 publish a minimum age for it, ranging from 14 years in Alabama to 17 years in New Jersey. In 17 of them the motorcycle age equals the car permit age, while 9 make riders wait longer. Only 5 agencies state how many questions the motorcycle test has on the pages we read. Permit riders usually face limits such as no passengers, daylight only and a helmet at all times, so the permit is a stage for practice, not for commuting. Our 12 practice questions cover the topics every rider manual shares, each with a short explanation.
Your state's motorcycle permit
Motorcycle permit from
15½
| Test questions | not confirmed |
| To pass | 80% |
Questions and state rules by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the questions are written
Motorcycle permit rules in each state
The table compares the motorcycle permit age with the car permit age of the same state, and shows the test length and pass line when the agency publishes them. States sorted by motorcycle age, youngest first.
| State | Motorcycle permit | Car permit | Questions | To pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 14 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| Alaska | 14 | 14 | not stated | not stated |
| Arkansas | 14 | 14 | not stated | not stated |
| Iowa | 14 | 14 | not stated | not stated |
| Kansas | 14 | 14 | not stated | not stated |
| North Dakota | 14 | 14 | not stated | not stated |
| Oklahoma | 14 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| South Dakota | 14 | 14 | not stated | not stated |
| Mississippi | 15 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| Missouri | 15 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| Nebraska | 15 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| South Carolina | 15 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| Wyoming | 15 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| Arizona | 15½ | 15½ | not stated | not stated |
| California | 15½ | 15½ | not stated | 80 % |
| Nevada | 15½ | 15½ | 25 | 20/25 |
| Connecticut | 16 | 16 | not stated | not stated |
| Georgia | 16 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| New Hampshire | 16 | 15½ | not stated | 80 % |
| New York | 16 | 16 | 20 | 14/20 |
| North Carolina | 16 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | 16 | not stated | not stated |
| Utah | 16 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| Vermont | 16 | 15 | 25 | 20/25 |
| Washington | 16 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| West Virginia | 16 | 15 | 25 | 20/25 |
| Wisconsin | 16 | 15 | not stated | not stated |
| New Jersey | 17 | 16 | not stated | not stated |
| New Mexico | not stated | 15 | not stated | 70 % |
| Texas | not stated | 15 | not stated | 70 % |
| Virginia | not stated | 15½ | 25 | not stated |
Where a cell reads "not stated", the agency pages we read leave the figure out; we do not fill the gap with the car rule. Rider licensing is the area where states diverge most, from the age to the training route, so the state manual is the only safe reference.
What the motorcycle knowledge test covers
Rider manuals share a common structure, and the knowledge test follows it:
- Preparing to ride. Helmet, eye protection, jacket, gloves, boots; a pre-ride check of tires, controls, lights, oil and chain.
- Control. Using both brakes, the front one doing most of the stopping; countersteering, where a push on the right grip leans the bike right; looking through a turn.
- Lane position. Choosing the part of the lane that lets you see and be seen, and never sharing a lane side by side with a car.
- Hazards. Intersections, where most collisions with cars happen; gravel, wet leaves and painted lines; crossing railroad tracks at an angle.
- Passengers and cargo. Rules for carrying a passenger once licensed and how weight changes braking.
- Alcohol and fatigue. Riding demands more balance and attention than driving; NHTSA's motorcycle safety page details the risks.
Our bank holds 12 questions on those themes. They are general rider knowledge, valid across states; the road sign items of the car test also apply to riders, and the road signs test covers them.
Helmets and gear
Helmet laws differ by state and often by age, but the federal standard for helmets does not. A compliant helmet has the DOT symbol and an inside label; NHTSA's helmet guide shows how to spot novelty helmets that look similar but protect far less. For the permit test, expect questions on full-face versus open-face protection, eye protection when the helmet has no visor, and bright clothing for visibility.
Riding on the permit
The permit is a learning stage, and the conditions attached to it reflect that. Expect a list of limits in your state manual: often no passengers, no riding between sunset and sunrise, no interstate highways, and a helmet with eye protection on every ride. The permit period is the time to build the habits the skills test checks: a smooth clutch and throttle, a full stop with a foot down, head turns before every lane change, and a scan of each intersection. Practice in an empty parking lot before you ride in traffic.
From permit to motorcycle license
After the knowledge test, a rider practices on the permit, then passes a skills test on a closed course or in traffic, or completes an approved rider course that the agency accepts instead. The permit duration and any renewal limit are set by the state. If you are also working toward a car permit, the written test practice uses the car bank; commercial applicants have the CDL practice test. This page helps you study and is not a licensing agency.