Colorado Motorcycle License Requirements and Endorsements

To get a Colorado motorcycle endorsement, you first need a valid Colorado driver’s license, and then you take one of two paths: pass a written knowledge test and a riding skills test at the DMV, or complete an approved Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) course that waives both tests. Either way, you finish at a DMV office, pay a $2 endorsement fee on top of any license fee, and walk out with an “M” or “3” added to your license.¹

Choose Between the “M” and “3” Endorsement

Colorado issues two motorcycle designations. The “M” endorsement covers both two-wheeled and three-wheeled motorcycles. The “3” endorsement restricts you to three-wheeled motorcycles only, meaning trikes and sidecar rigs.¹ If you want the option to ride a standard two-wheeled bike, pursue the “M.” A “3” endorsement holder cannot legally touch a two-wheeled motorcycle.²

Does Your Vehicle Even Need an Endorsement?

Two common vehicle types look like motorcycles but do not require the endorsement. Autocycles, which are three-wheeled vehicles with a steering wheel, an enclosed seating area, seat belts, and a roll cage, need only a standard Colorado driver’s license. A Polaris Slingshot with a steering wheel falls into this category.² Low-power scooters also skip the endorsement; a scooter qualifies if it has no manual clutch and either an engine no larger than 50cc or an electric motor rated at 4,476 watts or less.³

If your vehicle has handlebars, a seat you straddle, and an engine above 50cc, treat it as a motorcycle and plan on the endorsement.

What You Need Before You Start

You must already hold a valid Colorado driver’s license. If you don’t have one, that comes first.⁴

When you visit a DMV office, bring identification that satisfies Colorado’s Real ID requirements. Acceptable options include an unexpired U.S. passport, a certified U.S. birth certificate paired with a secondary ID, or a current Colorado license that has not been expired for more than ten years.⁵ You’ll also need proof of Colorado residency and verification of your Social Security number.⁶ Gather these before your appointment so you aren’t sent home to come back later.

The Two Paths to the Endorsement

Colorado lets you earn the endorsement one of two ways.¹

Pass a written knowledge exam, buy a motorcycle instruction permit, practice, then pass a riding skills test at a DMV office or through a licensed third-party tester.
Complete a Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) course, then bring the original MOST license waiver card to a DMV office. The card waives both the written exam and the skills test.

The MOST route is often the better choice for brand-new riders because you learn on a closed course with an instructor correcting mistakes in real time. The testing route works well for experienced riders who already own a bike and want to skip the classroom.

Path One: Written Test, Permit, and Skills Test

The written exam comes first. It has 20 multiple-choice questions, and you can miss no more than three. Study material comes from the Colorado Motorcycle Operator’s Handbook, published by the Colorado State Patrol and available online or at DMV offices.⁷ The handbook covers lane positioning, braking, hazard awareness, alcohol impairment, and Colorado-specific rules including the under-18 helmet law and the lane-filtering provision.

Pass the written test and you can buy a motorcycle instruction permit for $19.⁸ The permit lets you ride on public roads to practice, but only under the direct supervision of an adult who is at least 21 and holds a valid Colorado license with a motorcycle endorsement. That supervisor doesn’t ride on your bike with you, but they need to be close enough to observe and guide you.⁷

The skills test checks your ability to control the bike safely. Colorado law requires every applicant to demonstrate “ordinary and reasonable care and control.”² Expect exercises in slow-speed maneuvering, quick stops, swerving around obstacles, and turning in a confined space. Testers watch for smooth throttle and brake inputs, head positioning through turns, and balance at low speeds. Riders who skip practice tend to fail the tight-space exercises.

You can take the skills test at a DMV office or through a licensed third-party testing organization. Bring a motorcycle that is currently registered and insured. If you don’t own a bike yet, some third-party testers can arrange one, but confirm that when you schedule. After you pass, you receive a testing slip; bring it to your DMV appointment to finalize the endorsement.

Path Two: The MOST Course

The Motorcycle Operator Safety Training program is run through the Colorado State Patrol and combines classroom instruction with hands-on riding practice.¹ It is funded partly through a $2 surcharge on motorcycle endorsements and a $4 surcharge on motorcycle registrations. Finish the course and you receive a MOST license waiver card, which you present at a DMV office in place of a written exam result and a skills test slip.

Course fees vary by provider. Budget roughly $100 to $300 depending on the program and location.

Fees and the Final DMV Visit

The motorcycle endorsement itself costs $2, charged on top of any license fee that applies.⁸ If you renew your driver’s license at the same appointment, the renewal is $32, bringing the combined cost to $34. The testing route adds the $19 instruction permit earlier in the process.

Finalize the endorsement at a DMV office by appointment. Bring your current license, your testing slip or MOST waiver card, and your identification documents. The office takes a new photo and issues a temporary paper permit that lets you ride legally while the permanent card is mailed.

If You Are Under 18

Minors face extra steps. Colorado law prohibits the DMV from issuing a motorcycle instruction permit to anyone under 21 unless the applicant has first completed an approved motorcycle safety instruction program.⁹ For adults over 21 the safety course is optional. For anyone under 21 it is a prerequisite to even getting the permit.

Supervision rules are stricter during the permit stage too. If you are under 18 and not riding with your MOST instructor or the parent or guardian who signed your liability affidavit, you need that parent or guardian’s written permission to ride with any other supervising adult. The supervising adult must still be at least 21 and hold a Colorado motorcycle-endorsed license.⁷

Renewing the Endorsement Later

The motorcycle endorsement does not expire separately from your driver’s license. When you renew the license, the endorsement carries over automatically. The renewal fee is $32 for the license plus the $2 motorcycle endorsement surcharge, with no retesting.⁸ If you let your license lapse entirely, you may have to go through the endorsement process again, so keep your renewal current.

What Happens if You Ride Without One

Operating a motorcycle without the proper endorsement is treated as driving without the correct class of license under Colorado law, punished under the same provision that covers any driver operating a vehicle outside their license class.² A traffic stop can also lead to the motorcycle being impounded if no endorsed rider is available to take it from the scene, and towing and storage fees add up quickly.

1
Colorado General Assembly. Motorcycles
2
Justia Law. Colorado Code 42-2-103 – Motorcycles – Autocycles – Low-Power Scooters – Drivers License Required
3
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Low-Power Scooter
4
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. I’m a Motorcycle Driver
5
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Required Identification Documents to Get Your Permit, Driver License, or Identification Card
6
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. REAL ID and Colorado
7
Colorado State Patrol. Colorado Motorcycle Operators Handbook
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Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. State DMV Fees
9
Colorado Legislature. Colorado Code 42-2-106