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United States · Permit test

Getting a motorcycle license in California

Your path depends on your age. Under 21, you finish a California Motorcyclist Safety Program course, get a permit, hold it 6 months, then hand in the course certificate instead of a riding test. At 21 and over, you don’t need a permit: take the course or the DMV skills test. Either way, a motorcycle license in California means passing the knowledge tests at a DMV office.

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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How do you get a motorcycle license in California under 21?

  1. Finish a CMSP Motorcyclist Training Course and get the Certificate of Completion of Motorcycle Training (DL 389).
  2. Under 17½, also get your driver education and driver training certificates, or hold a Class C license.
  3. Fill in the driver’s license application (DL 44), book an office visit, and bring your identity and residency documents. Under 18, a parent or guardian signs.
  4. At the office: pay the fee, pass the vision exam, have your photo and fingerprints taken, and pass the driver’s and motorcycle knowledge tests.
  5. Hold the motorcycle instruction permit for at least 6 months.
  6. Return with your permit and DL 389 for the M1 or M2 license. The DL 389 waives the skills test if it’s less than 12 months old.
California Motorcyclist Safety Program ↗California DMV: Motorcycle instruction permit ↗

21 and over

No instruction permit is required. Apply at a DMV office, pass the knowledge tests, then either finish a CMSP course or pass the DMV motorcycle skills test. CMSP offers a 1-day course for riders 21 and over who already know the basics but aren’t licensed. The DMV skills test needs an appointment and proof of insurance.

What’s on the California skills test →

M1 or M2?

Class M1 covers any two-wheeled motorcycle and everything in M2. Class M2 covers motorized bicycles and mopeds only. If you’ll ride a motorcycle rather than a moped or motorized bicycle, you need M1.

Mopeds, scooters and three-wheelers →

At the California knowledge test

  • No testing aids: the handbooks, notes and phones count as cheating, and the test is marked a fail.
  • Get there early. DMV offices don’t give tests after 4:30 p.m.
  • Questions come from the California Motorcycle Handbook and the California Driver’s Handbook.

The pass mark, fees and permit limits have their own pages.

Pass mark →Fees →Permit restrictions →

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Sources: California DMV, California Motorcycle Handbook, California Motorcyclist Safety Program and 1 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.