Motorcycle Classification
Illinois driver’s licenses are classified according to the type and weight of the vehicles to be driven. There are two classifications for motorcycle licenses:
— Class L: Any motor-driven cycle with less than 150cc displacement.
—Class M: Any motorcycle or motor-driven cycle.
To obtain a motorcycle classification on your [Illinois] driver’s license, you must pass a separate motorcycle examination (see pages 37-43). Drivers ages 16 and 17 also must successfully complete a motorcycle training course approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). They will have a J09 restriction on their license, which indicates that they are allowed to have the “M” classification. Persons age 18 and older who successfully complete an IDOT Motorcycle Rider Education Course are not required to pass a written or driving examination at a Driver Services facility. The IDOT course completion card is valid for one year.
Instruction Permits
Motor-Driven Cycle — Persons ages 16 and 17 who have successfully completed driver education and passed the motorcycle written test may apply for a 24-month [Illinois] instruction permit to operate a motor-driven cycle (under 150cc). The permit allows driving only during daylight hours, under the direct supervision of a licensed motor-driven cycle operator age 21 or older with at least one year of driving experience.
Motorcycle — Persons age 18 or older may apply for a 12-month [Illinois] instruction permit to operate a motorcycle other than a motor-driven cycle. The permit allows driving only during daylight hours, under the direct supervision of a licensed motorcycle operator age 21 or older with at least one year of driving experience. A 24-month instruction permit for a Class M license may be issued to an applicant under age 18 only after successful completion of an approved driver education course and successful completion of an IDOT Motorcycle Rider Education Course.
2022 Illinois Motorcycle Operator Manual, p. 2, available online at:
Minnesota:
Minnesota Rules, part 7410.6420: Third-Party Tester Qualifications
Subp. 4. Motorcycle tester qualifications.
All third-party testers employed by a third-party testing program for a motorcycle endorsement must be currently certified as Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructors. An instructor must meet the certification standards specified for a rider coach in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course Curriculum Manual, 2001. The manual is incorporated by reference, is not subject to frequent change, and is available for viewing through the interlibrary loan system. A copy of this manual may be obtained from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, 2 Jenner Street, Suite 150, Irvine, CA 92618-3806.
Minnesota Rules, part 7410.6380: Test Proof
The third-party testing program shall provide a record of examination, on a format obtained from or approved by the commissioner, to an individual who has passed a road test or skills test for a commercial motor vehicle license or endorsement, or motorcycle endorsement. The record of examination, which must be presented at the time of application for a commercial driver's license or endorsement or for a motorcycle endorsement, must specify that the individual has passed the required test or tests administered by the third-party testing program.
The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety describes the state’s motorcycle program as follows:
How Do I Earn a Motorcycle License Endorsement in Minnesota?
If You Are 18 or Older
1. Use the Skills Test Waiver/Third Party Testing option. If you are age 18 or older and have a valid Minnesota driver's license and motorcycle instruction permit, the riding skills test for your motorcycle endorsement will be waived if you successfully complete the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center (MMSC) Basic Rider Course (BRC). You must: — Pass the [Minnesota] state knowledge test for the motorcycle instruction permit (fee $21). To study for the motorcycle permit test, read the Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual.
— Have your instruction permit before taking the BRC skills test. Expired permits are accepted if they have been expired for less than one year.
— Successfully complete the BRC. This requires 100 percent attendance and you must pass the BRC skills test…
Michigan:
The Michigan administrative code related to its motorcycle instruction program may be found in Mich. Admin. Code R 257.1717: Standards. Like Wisconsin, Michigan uses the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s curriculum in its program and waives testing for persons who complete a basic rider course.
Mich. Admin. Code R 257.1717: Standards.
Rule 17. The national motorcycle safety foundation standards entitled “Motorcycle Rider Course”, January, 1989, are adopted by reference in these rules. Copies of the standards may be obtained from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, 2 Jenner Street, Suite 150, Irvine, California 92718-3800, at a cost of $35.00 as of the time these rules are adopted. Copies are also available for inspection and distribution to the public at cost from the Michigan Department of Education, P.O. Box 30008, Lansing, Michigan 48909.
M.C.L.A. 257.312b. (2) Motorcycle endorsement; motorcycle safety course; examination; motorcycle driving skills test, knowledge test, and road sign test; waiver; 3-wheeled motorcycles; promulgation of rules; administration of driving skills test; prohibited conduct; penalties
(2) Before a person who is 18 years of age or older is issued an original motorcycle endorsement on an operator's or chauffeur's license, the person shall pass an examination … The requirement of a written knowledge test, road sign test, and motorcycle driving skills test shall be waived for an applicant who has successfully completed a motorcycle safety course approved by the department as described in sections 811a and 811b…
To become an MSF-certified RiderCoach [in Michigan] you must, at a minimum:
— Be 18 years of age or older
— Have a valid license with a motorcycle (CY) endorsement for a minimum of 1 year
— Have passed the Basic Rider Course (BRC) or the BRC2 within one calendar year before attending the RiderCoach Preparation Course
— Have no more than 6 points on your driving record for moving violations during the 12 months before applying for approval as a RiderCoach
[Michigan] RiderCoaches must complete and pass the RiderCoach Preparation Course (RCP). To enroll in an RCP, RiderCoach candidates must sign up with and be sponsored by a Michigan Department of State-approved MI-REP sponsor. RiderCoach candidates must attend 80 hours of classroom and range activity without missing a session and pass a riding skills and knowledge test. They will learn how to teach in the classroom and on the range and, as a final requirement, must successfully conduct a Basic Rider Course while under the supervision of a certified RiderCoach trainer.
Iowa:
Iowa also allows waiver of DMV tests for motorcycle operation if a driver has completed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s basic rider course:
Iowa Admin. Code 761-635.2(321): Approved Course In Motorcycle Rider Education
…635.2(9) The driving test for a Class M driver's license or a motorcycle endorsement may be waived under 761—subrule 604.31(2) provided the applicant has successfully completed the approved course.
Iowa Admin. Code: 761-604.31(321) Driving test requirements and waivers for noncommercial driver's licenses.
604.31(2) Driving test waivers. The department may waive a required driving test listed in subrule 604.31(1) if the applicant meets one of the following qualifications:
a. The applicant has successfully completed the appropriate Iowa-approved course or courses. The appropriate Iowa-approved courses are the following: … motorcycle rider education for a Class M driver's license or motorcycle endorsement; and motorized bicycle education for a motorized bicycle license. However, if an applicant is under the age of 18, a driving test is required if so requested by the applicant's parent, guardian, or instructor.
The Iowa DOT describes the Iowa motorcycle rider education program as follows:
Motorcycle Rider Education
What is the Motorcycle Rider Education (MRE) Program?
Iowa has a quality Motorcycle Rider Education (MRE) Program administered by the Iowa DOT's Driver & Identification Services. Iowa's MRE Program teaches Basic Rider Course (BRC), the Basic Rider Course II (BRC II), and the Returning Rider Basic Rider Course (RRBRC) of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). The BRC has a minimum of 15 hours of core instruction — five hours spent in the classroom in preparation for 10 hours of range activities. The BRC II has a minimum of five hours — most of which are spent on the range. The RRBRC combines elements of the BRC and BRC II, and is designed for riders who already possess basic skill but have not ridden for several years. You must successfully pass a knowledge test, as well as a skill test to receive a certificate of completion.
Basic skills taught include:
— Mental preparedness.
— Perception development.
— Situational awareness.
— Risk evaluation & evasive strategies.
