The first step in getting a Class M motorcycle license is to apply for an instruction permit. This will allow the new operator to ride a motorcycle while within sight of an accompanying licensed driver 21 or older. The minimum age for an instruction permit is 15, and there are no exceptions to this rule.

Getting an instruction permit is essentially the same process as getting a license, minus the testing procedures. You need to show the same proofs of identity, and if you are under 18, you will need parental permission. No matter how old you are, you'll need to go in person to a driver license office to begin the application process.

Top How to Apply (Age 18 and Over)

• Provide proof of identity.

• Supply proof of your Social Security number.

• Provide proof of Texas vehicle registration and liability insurance, if you own your motorcycle.

• Provide proof of completing an approved motorcycle operator training course.

• Complete the necessary application forms.

• Pay the required fees.

• Pass the written (road rules, signs, and motorcycle), driving (motorcycle operation), and vision examinations.

• The application must include a photograph and thumbprints.

Top How to Apply (Under 18)

As with the automobile driver license, Texas has a graduated driver license program in place for motorcycle operators.

The very first step to get a Class M motorcycle license if you're under 18 is to obtain an instruction permit. You must be 15 years old to get a permit. Once you have that in hand, you will have to complete a driver education course and a motorcycle safety course. Both of these must be operated by approved providers, and completion forms must be submitted.

You also need your parent's authorization for all of this, so get busy with the chores, don't talk back, and write all those thank-you notes you've owed your grandmother since you were six. Parental permission, once granted, can also be revoked at any time until you're 18, using a handy preprinted form.

Here's how to get a license to ride, all summed up in a useful checklist:

• Be at least 15 years old. At this point, you will be restricted to 250cc motorcycles. The good news is that on the 16th birthday of a special restricted Class M licensed operator, the Texas Driver License Division automatically drops the 250cc restriction from the license. Happy birthday!

• Provide proof of identity.

• Supply proof of your Social Security number.

• Present your driver education completion certificate (DE-964 Classroom).

• Present a completion certificate for the motorcycle safety course (MSB-8). The school providing this MSC must be approved by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

• Submit verification of attendance and enrollment in school (TEA form GEA-043R93).

• Obtain a parental authorization signature.

• Proof of Texas motorcycle registration and liability insurance, if you own the motorcycle

• Complete the required application forms.

• Pay the required fees.

• Pass the written and vision exams. How do you pass the written exams? We strongly recommend devouring the motorcycle manual.

• Pass the on-road motorcycle riding test.

• The application must include a photograph and thumbprints.

For the road test, applicants for a motorcycle license must not only provide themselves and the motorcycles, but they must also provide a following vehicle and a licensed driver to operate it so that the examiner can ride as a passenger in the car during the testing. (It's hard to imagine an examiner trying to make notes on a clipboard while operating a motorcycle.)

Top Getting Professional Training

The State of Texas urges all potential motorcycle riders to receive professional training from state-approved instructors. These courses are said to be equivalent to two years of on-the-road experience. They include training on avoiding obstacles, turning safely, and learning street strategies that could save your life in potentially gnarly traffic situations. For full information on these courses, contact the Texas Motorcycle Safety Unit.

Top Helmet Law

Any rider who is at least 21 years old is exempt from wearing a helmet if he or she:

• Has completed a motorcycle safety course.

Or

• Has proof of health insurance coverage.

Top Further Reading

For more information about getting a Texas motorcycle license or learner's permit, review the Driver License Division's motorcycle license FAQs.

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