Michigan motorcycle laws require every rider to carry a CY endorsement on their driver’s license, buy liability insurance outside the state’s no-fault system, and meet equipment and safety rules that differ from the ones that apply to cars. The helmet rule is conditional rather than universal, the insurance structure does not include automatic Personal Injury Protection, and a 2018 update changed the legal handlebar height. The rules below are the ones that decide whether a stop ends with a warning or a ticket.
License Endorsement
You cannot legally ride a motorcycle on any public road in Michigan without a CY endorsement on your operator’s or chauffeur’s license.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.312a – Motorcycle Endorsement; Issuance, Suspension, Revocation, Cancellation, or Renewal You get there by starting with a temporary instruction permit (vision screening and written test at a Secretary of State branch), then either completing an approved motorcycle safety course or passing an on-cycle skills test through a certified third-party agency. The endorsement itself costs $16.2Michigan Department of State. Motorcycle Riders
Riding without the endorsement is a civil infraction the first time, with a fine up to $250. A second or later offense is a misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail, a fine up to $500, or both.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.312a – Motorcycle Endorsement; Issuance, Suspension, Revocation, Cancellation, or Renewal Few motorcycle violations in Michigan carry jail time; this one does.
When You Have to Wear a Helmet
Michigan does not require every rider to wear a helmet, but the exemption is narrow and conditional.
If you are under 21, you must wear an approved crash helmet every time you ride. No exemption applies.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.658 – Riding on Seat of Motorcycle; Wearing of Crash Helmet; Conditions; Requirements
If you are 21 or older, you can ride without a helmet only if you meet two conditions at the same time: you have held your motorcycle endorsement for at least two years or have completed an approved safety course, and you carry at least $20,000 in first-party medical benefits coverage specifically for motorcycle accident injuries.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.658 – Riding on Seat of Motorcycle; Wearing of Crash Helmet; Conditions; Requirements That coverage has to be active and verifiable during a stop. Miss either condition and the helmet goes back on.
Passengers 21 or older are exempt only if they carry their own $20,000 in first-party medical benefits, separate from the operator’s coverage.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.658 – Riding on Seat of Motorcycle; Wearing of Crash Helmet; Conditions; Requirements Passengers do not need the two-year or safety course qualifier, but they do need their own insurance. Any passenger under 21 must wear a helmet.
Eye Protection
The helmet exemption does not cover your eyes. If you ride faster than 35 miles per hour on a motorcycle without a windshield, you need shatter-resistant goggles, eyeglasses, or a face shield wide enough to protect your eyes from road debris.4Michigan State Police. Michigan Motorcycle Laws Guide for Motorcycle Operators A windshield tall enough to shield your face satisfies the rule. The eye protection statute is separate from the helmet statute, so a helmet exemption does not get you out of it.
Equipment Your Motorcycle Needs
Michigan sets equipment standards that your bike has to meet to be street-legal. Failing them is a civil infraction and can put you off the road until you fix the problem.
Every motorcycle must have two functioning brakes, one on the front wheel and one on the rear, operable by hand or foot.5Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.705 – Brake Equipment You also need a headlight, taillight, a horn audible from at least 200 feet, and a rearview mirror. A functioning muffler is required at all times, and you cannot remove or damage internal baffles or run a cutout or bypass on public roads.6Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.707 – Muffler; Fumes or Smoke; Exhaust System
Handlebar height changed in 2018. The maximum is now 30 inches, measured from the lowest point of the uncompressed seat to the highest point of the handlebar grip; the previous limit was 15 inches.7Michigan Legislature. Senate Bill 568 – Public Act 160 of 2018 Anything above 30 inches is still illegal on the road.
If you carry a passenger, the motorcycle must have an adequate passenger seat and securely attached footrests the passenger’s feet can reach. The one exception is for a rider with a permanent physical disability that prevents them from reaching footrests.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 257.658a – Seats and Foot Rests; Requirements; Exception You cannot carry more passengers than the motorcycle was designed and equipped for.
Lane Use and Lane Splitting
Motorcycles get full use of a traffic lane in Michigan. Cars cannot crowd into your lane or try to share it. Two motorcycles may ride side by side in the same lane, but no more than two abreast.
Lane splitting, or filtering between rows of traffic, is illegal. MCL 257.660 prohibits a motorcycle from passing between lines of traffic, though you may pass on the left of same-direction traffic on a two-way street using an unoccupied lane, or on either side on a one-way street.9Michigan State Police. Traffic Laws FAQs Senate Bill 365, introduced in June 2025, would allow limited filtering when traffic is stopped or moving under 10 miles per hour, but as of early 2026 the bill remains in committee.10Michigan Legislature. Senate Bill 365 of 2025 Until it passes, filtering can draw a citation.
Insurance
Motorcycles sit entirely outside Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance system, so the coverage you may be used to on a car policy does not carry over.
Every motorcyclist must buy liability coverage from a licensed insurer, with these minimums:11Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Quick Facts
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in an accident
- $100,000 per accident when multiple people are injured or killed
- $10,000 for property damage
Those are floors. Higher limits are available and widely used given how fast crash medical bills add up.
Because motorcycles are excluded from the no-fault law, you do not automatically receive Personal Injury Protection benefits the way car drivers do.12Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Motorcycles and the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association If a motor vehicle is involved in your crash, you may qualify for no-fault benefits through that vehicle’s policy in some circumstances, but it is not guaranteed. The helmet exemption’s $20,000 first-party medical requirement is a separate purchase.
Riding without the required liability coverage can bring criminal penalties, and the after-crash consequences are worse: an uninsured motorcyclist may lose the right to seek compensation for their own medical expenses and pain and suffering.11Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Quick Facts An uninsured rider who is also claiming the helmet exemption fails that exemption automatically, since the exemption itself requires proof of medical coverage.