MA Motorcycle Permit Test 2026: Class M Permit and License

How does the MA motorcycle permit test work?

It’s the same learner’s permit exam as for a car, with the same number of questions, time limit and pass mark, and you can take it at a Service Center or online. The permit fee is the same too.

Exam format and languages →Permit and license fees →Download the Motorcycle Manual ↗

Class M permit rules

With a motorcycle permit, the Driver’s Manual says you:

Can’t carry a passenger
Ride only in daylight, between sunrise and sunset
Wear a helmet that meets the U.S. Department of Transportation standard
Wear glasses, goggles or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a windshield or screen
Ride in another state only if that state’s law allows it

Road test or rider course

To turn the permit into a license, there are two routes:

Pass a Class M road test. You bring a registered, inspected motorcycle, and no sponsor is needed. The examiner first checks what you know about the motorcycle’s equipment and controls
At 18 or older, finish an MREP course that waives the road test: the Basic Rider Course, the Basic Rider Course 2 on your own motorcycle, or the 3 Wheel course

Under 18, the Driver’s Manual and the road test information sheet say you can’t take the RMV’s Class M road test: the Basic Rider Course is your way to the license, along with the junior operator requirements for a car license, driver’s education included. The RMV’s Class M road test page words this differently, so ask the RMV if you’re under 18.

Junior operator requirements →

What the Class M road test checks

The RMV lists these riding skills:

Figure eights and 360-degree circles in both directions, without your feet touching the road
Normal starts and stops
Riding in traffic
Crossing intersections
Making turns

A test on a three-wheeled motorcycle or a limited-use vehicle gives you a Class M license restricted to that kind of vehicle.

Rider courses through MREP

MREP is the RMV’s rider education program. The Basic Rider Course mixes classroom teaching, online or in a room, with on-cycle training on a school motorcycle. The Basic Rider Course 2 is for riders who already have basic skills: it runs at higher speeds, on your own motorcycle, with 5 hours on the cycle. To graduate, you attend each classroom and riding session and pass a multiple-choice exam and a riding skills evaluation.

Find an MREP school ↗

Sources: Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles and 6 more. Checked November 2026.