How to Get a Motorcycle License in Tennessee

To get a motorcycle license in Tennessee, you apply in person at a Driver Service Center, show proof of identity and residency, and pass a vision test plus a motorcycle knowledge test and an on-cycle skills test. Finishing a Tennessee Motorcycle Rider Education Program course waives both the knowledge and skills exams, so most riders use it as the shortcut. Fees run $29 if you’re adding motorcycle authorization only, or $55 for a combined car-and-motorcycle license.¹²

Pick the Right License Class First

Tennessee issues motorcycle authorization in two classes, and the one you need depends on engine size and vehicle type.

A Class M license covers any two- or three-wheeled motorcycle with an engine larger than 125cc. It comes in two forms: a standalone Motorcycle Only license for people who don’t hold a regular driver’s license, and a Motorcycle-Secondary endorsement that pairs with an existing Class D operator’s license. The secondary version expires when your regular license does.¹

A Class M-Limited license covers smaller or enclosed vehicles: motor-driven cycles (scooters) with engines of 125cc or less, and autocycles, which are enclosed three-wheeled vehicles with a steering wheel and pedals where the rider doesn’t straddle a seat.¹

If you go for a standalone Class M without already holding a Class D license, you take the regular driver’s knowledge test on top of the motorcycle-specific exams.¹

Age Rules and the Learner’s Permit

The minimum age to get an unrestricted Class M or Class M-Limited license is 16. Younger riders have more limited options:

At 14, you can get a restricted license to operate a motorized bicycle of 50cc or less.
At 15, you can get a motor-driven cycle license (up to 125cc) or a motorcycle learner’s permit, both with heavy restrictions.
At 16, you qualify for a full Class M or Class M-Limited with no radius or time-of-day limits.¹

The motorcycle learner’s permit (Class P-M) lasts one year. While it’s active, you can’t carry a passenger, you can only ride between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m., you have to stay within seven miles of home, you can’t ride anything larger than 650cc, and you’re barred from interstate highways. At 16 the permit holder can return to a Driver Service Center and exchange the permit for a full motorcycle license without retaking any exams.¹

Documents to Bring to the Counter

Tennessee wants original documents in three categories before issuing any driver’s license. Gather them before you go:

Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence. A certified birth certificate, valid U.S. passport, or federally issued immigration documents.
Social Security verification. Your Social Security card, or a tax document such as a W-2 or 1099 that shows the number.
Two proofs of Tennessee residency. They have to come from different sources and be dated within the past four months. Utility bills, bank statements, mortgage contracts, and vehicle registrations all qualify. A water bill and a gas bill from the same utility company count as one source, not two.³

Every name has to match across the documents. If your birth certificate reads one name and your utility bill reads another because of a marriage or legal name change, bring the connecting paperwork, such as a marriage certificate or court order. Mismatched names are one of the most common reasons applicants are turned away.

The Three Tests, and the Course That Skips Two

Three exams stand between you and a motorcycle license: a vision screening, a written knowledge test, and an on-cycle skills test.

Vision Screening

Every applicant takes a vision test at the Driver Service Center. If you wear corrective lenses, bring them, and a restriction will be noted on your license.

Written Knowledge Test

The motorcycle knowledge exam has 30 questions drawn from the official Tennessee Motorcycle Manual, covering traffic laws, road signs, and riding-specific safety material. You need 24 correct to pass. Applicants pursuing a standalone Class M without a Class D license also take the standard driver’s knowledge test.¹

On-Cycle Skills Test

The skills test runs on a closed course at a designated testing center. You bring your own motorcycle, and it has to be street-legal and meet Tennessee equipment requirements. The evaluator watches a pre-trip inspection, then grades maneuvers for balance, turning, braking, and obstacle avoidance. Most people who fail do so on the slow-speed tight-turn portion.

The MREP Waiver

Completing a Tennessee Motorcycle Rider Education Program (MREP) course waives both the written and skills tests. You bring the completion certificate to the Driver Service Center and it substitutes for those exams. Courses run at locations across the state, and fees vary by site, so call the location you plan to attend for current pricing.⁴

Even experienced riders find the course useful, because it includes supervised practice with emergency braking and swerving that most self-taught riders have never drilled.

Where to Apply and What It Costs

You apply in person at a Tennessee Driver Service Center. There’s no online or mail option for the motorcycle license process. Bring your documents, be ready to test unless you have an MREP certificate in hand, and budget for the applicable fee:

Motorcycle Only (Class M): $29 total, which is a $26 license fee plus a $3 application fee.
Combined Operator and Motorcycle (Class DM): $55 total, which is a $52 license fee plus a $3 application fee.²

If you apply at a County Clerk partner location instead of a state-operated Driver Service Center, expect an extra $4 administrative fee on top of those amounts.²

When Your License Arrives

Once your application is approved, the office hands you a temporary paper permit so you can ride legally right away. Your permanent license card is manufactured and mailed to your home address. Most licenses arrive within 10 to 20 days of the print date, though the process can take up to 45 days if the post office returns the envelope.⁵

Before You Ride: Helmet and Insurance

A license alone isn’t enough to put you on the road legally. Tennessee requires every motorcycle rider and passenger to wear a helmet, with no age-based exemption from the basic rule.⁶ If your bike doesn’t have a DOT-compliant windshield, you also need eye protection in the form of goggles, impact-resistant glasses, or a face shield.⁷

Tennessee’s financial responsibility law applies to motorcycles the same way it applies to cars. Minimum liability coverage is $25,000 for bodily injury or death per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. A single-limit policy of at least $65,000 covering all damages from one accident also satisfies the requirement.⁸⁹ Riding without insurance is a separate offense from riding without a license, and the state enforces both.

1
Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Motorcycle License
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Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Driver License Fees
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Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Proof of Tennessee Residency
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Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Motorcycle Rider Education Program (MREP)
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State of Tennessee. I Did Not Receive My License or ID in the Mail What Should I Do
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FindLaw. Tennessee Code Title 55 Motor and Other Vehicles – 55-9-302
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Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security. Tennessee Motorcycle Manual
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Tennessee Department of Revenue. Financial Responsibility Law
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Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-12-102 – Part Definitions