Motorcycle License in Florida: Endorsement, Course, and Fees

To get a motorcycle license in Florida, you complete a state-approved rider safety course, bring your ID and $7 to a driver license office, and have a motorcycle endorsement added to your Class E license. If you don’t drive a car, you can take a motorcycle-only license instead for $48. The whole process can realistically wrap up in under two weeks once you book a course seat.

Endorsement or Motorcycle-Only License

Most riders add a motorcycle endorsement to an existing Class E (standard car) license. One card covers both vehicles, and Florida treats the motorcycle requirement as a separate exam layered on top of the regular Class E exam.¹ The endorsement itself costs $7.²

If you don’t need to drive a car, Florida offers a motorcycle-only license for $48, the same as a Class E renewal.³ The regular Class E road test is waived for this path.¹ You just can’t legally drive anything with four wheels on it.

Take the Required Safety Course

Every first-time motorcycle applicant in Florida must complete a state-approved safety course before an endorsement can be issued.¹ There is no option to skip it and test at the licensing office on your own.

The standard course is the MSF Basic RiderCourse (BRC or BRCu), run through the Florida Rider Training Program. It runs about 15 hours and combines classroom instruction with hands-on riding on a closed range, usually spread over two days.⁴ Riders focused on three-wheeled motorcycles or sidecar rigs take a separate 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse instead. The course ends with a written knowledge test and a riding skills evaluation covering braking, cornering, and low-speed control.

Training sponsors supply the motorcycles for range exercises, so you don’t need to own a bike yet. You do need to show up with sturdy over-the-ankle boots, full-fingered gloves, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, and eye protection like sunglasses or a clear shield.

Course fees are paid directly to the training provider, not to the state, and typically run roughly $150 to $300 depending on location. Approved sponsors are listed in the FLHSMV’s directory.⁵

Documents and Fees You’ll Need

Florida follows REAL ID standards, so bring:

Primary ID, such as an original or certified birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport.
Social Security verification: your card, a W-2, or an SSA-1099 showing your full number.
Two proofs of your Florida residential address, like a utility bill, bank statement, lease, or government mail.

Applicants 16 or 17 also need a signed Parental Consent Form (HSMV 71142). The parent or guardian signature must be notarized or witnessed by a licensing examiner at the office.⁶

On the money side: $7 for the endorsement,² or $48 for a motorcycle-only license.³ Expect any license issuance or replacement fee that applies to your situation on top, plus a $6.25 service fee at a county tax collector office.⁷

Add the Endorsement at the Office

Once you pass the safety course, the provider uploads your results to the state database electronically. Go to a driver license office or a county tax collector that handles licensing, and the clerk will pull your course completion up in the system. You don’t technically need a paper certificate, but keeping one as a backup is sensible.

You must already hold a valid Class E license before an endorsement can be added. If you don’t, you’ll pass the standard Class E knowledge test first.⁷

One deadline to respect: you have exactly one year from the date you pass the course to get the endorsement added. Miss that window and the course results are wiped, so you have to retake the entire safety course from scratch.⁷

Moving to Florida With an Endorsement From Another State

If you already hold a motorcycle endorsement from another state, Florida will generally honor it and add the endorsement to your new Florida license without requiring the safety course again. Alabama is the exception: endorsements from Alabama require you to present a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse completion card before Florida will reciprocate.⁸

Florida also accepts out-of-state or military rider course completion cards from approved programs like the MSF Basic RiderCourse, as long as the card is less than one year old.⁷

Does Your Bike Even Need the Endorsement

Florida defines a motorcycle as any motor vehicle with a seat or saddle designed to travel on no more than three wheels, excluding tractors and mopeds. A true moped has pedals, an engine no larger than 50 cubic centimeters, no more than 2 brake horsepower, and a top speed of 30 mph on flat ground.⁹ Exceed any of those limits and the state treats your scooter as a motorcycle, so the endorsement applies. That trips up a lot of 150cc and 250cc scooter owners.

Riding Without the Endorsement

Florida law requires you to hold a license that authorizes the vehicle you’re operating.¹⁰ Riding a motorcycle without the proper endorsement can result in a traffic citation.¹¹ It can also complicate an insurance claim after a crash, since the insurer may argue you weren’t legally authorized to operate the bike.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 322 Section 12 – Examination of Applicants
2
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fees
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Florida Statutes. Florida Code 322 – Drivers Licenses
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Florida Rider Training Program Courses
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Safety Course Locations
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Required Forms for Teens
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. FAQs – Motorcycle Rider Education and Endorsements
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Tax Collector. Motorcycle Endorsements
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Florida Statutes. Florida Code 320.01 – Definitions
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Florida Statutes. Florida Code 322.03 – Drivers Must Be Licensed
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Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Motorcycle Rider Education and Endorsements