How Old Do You Have to Be to Drive a Motorcycle in Indiana?

To ride a motorcycle legally in Indiana, you have to be at least 16 years and 90 days old. That’s the earliest the state will issue either a motorcycle learner’s permit or a motorcycle endorsement, and both require you to already hold a valid Indiana driver’s license.1Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Motorcycle Learner’s Permit

Why the Driver’s License Comes First

Indiana treats motorcycle riding as an add-on to regular driving privileges, not a separate track. You can’t get a motorcycle permit or endorsement without a driver’s license in hand, so the age at which you can start riding is tied to the age at which you can first be licensed to drive a car.

If you complete an approved driver education course, the earliest you can hold an Indiana driver’s license is 16 years and 90 days. Without driver’s ed, you’ll wait until 16 years and 270 days, and your motorcycle timeline moves back with it.

Getting a Motorcycle Learner’s Permit

Once you meet the driver’s license requirement, the first step toward riding is a motorcycle learner’s permit. To qualify, you pass a written knowledge exam based on the Indiana Motorcycle Manual and a vision screening.1Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Motorcycle Learner’s Permit If you’re under 18, a parent or guardian must sign an Agreement of Financial Liability before the BMV will issue it.2Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Agreement of Financial Liability The permit costs $9.00 and is valid for one year.3Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. BMV Fee Chart

A permit is not full riding privileges. While you hold one, three rules apply no matter your age:4Ride Safe Indiana. Endorsements and Permits

  • You must wear a DOT-approved helmet meeting the 49 CFR 571.218 standard.
  • You may ride only during daylight hours.
  • You cannot carry a passenger.

Getting the Endorsement if You’re Under 18

A motorcycle endorsement is added to your driver’s license and lets you ride without the permit restrictions above. Riders under 18 have two ways to earn one.4Ride Safe Indiana. Endorsements and Permits

Ride Safe Indiana Safety Course

At 16 years and 90 days, you can enroll in a three-day Ride Safe Indiana course. It covers roughly five hours of classroom instruction and ten hours of hands-on riding, with a motorcycle provided. Passing the knowledge exam and skills evaluation at the end sends your results directly to the BMV, where they stay valid for one year. From there, you add the endorsement online through myBMV.com or at a branch for $19.00.3Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. BMV Fee Chart Course fees themselves vary by provider.

Permit Plus Skills Exam

At 16 years and 270 days, you can skip the full course, hold a learner’s permit, and take a standalone skills exam through an approved Ride Safe Indiana testing provider.5Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Motorcycle Endorsement You bring your own street-legal motorcycle and a DOT-certified helmet. If you pass, bring the signed and stamped permit to a BMV branch to convert it. The result is only good for whatever time is left on your permit, so don’t let the permit expire before you finish the paperwork.

If You’re 18 or Older

Adults use the same two paths without the day-count age floors and without the parental signature on the financial liability form.4Ride Safe Indiana. Endorsements and Permits

Helmet Rules by Age

Indiana does not require every rider to wear a helmet. The mandate covers two groups: anyone under 18, and anyone riding on a learner’s permit regardless of age.

If you’re under 18, both operators and passengers must wear a helmet meeting the DOT standard at 49 CFR 571.218, plus protective glasses, goggles, or a transparent face shield.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-19-7-1 – Minors; Protective Headgear and Face Shields Novelty helmets without proper DOT certification don’t count. Check the back of the helmet for a certification label.

Once you turn 18 and hold a full endorsement, the helmet decision is yours.

What the Adult Signer Agrees To

When a parent or guardian signs the Agreement of Financial Liability for a minor rider, they take on joint responsibility for any injury or damage the minor causes while operating a motor vehicle.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-9-4 – Liability The signer can ask the BMV in writing to expire the permit or license, which ends their liability going forward. It also ends automatically when the rider turns 18.

Penalty for Riding Without Credentials

Operating a motorcycle on Indiana roads without a valid endorsement or permit is a Class C infraction,8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-24-1-1 – License Required; Violation which carries a fine of up to $500. Violating any part of the motorcycle licensing chapter falls under the same classification.9Justia Law. Indiana Code 9-24-8-5 – Violations Riding without credentials can also complicate insurance claims after a crash, and the motorcycle may be towed from the scene.

Age Milestones at a Glance

  • 16 years and 90 days: earliest age for a motorcycle learner’s permit, or for an endorsement earned through a Ride Safe Indiana course, if you already hold a driver’s license.
  • 16 years and 270 days: earliest age to earn an endorsement through the permit-plus-skills-exam route.
  • 18: helmet becomes optional for endorsed riders, and the parental financial liability agreement ends.