Two license classes, and which one you get depends on your age
New York’s motorcycle manual is direct about it: “To operate a motorcycle in New York State, you must have a motorcycle operator’s license (Class M) or a motorcycle junior operator’s license (Class MJ).”
- Class M — the full motorcycle license.
- Class MJ — the junior version, for riders under 18, and it carries the state’s under-18 driver restrictions on top of the motorcycle ones.
The minimum age for either is 16. The differences below 18 are substantial, and they are set out further down.
New York publishes the numbers other states leave vague
This is what makes the New York process unusually plannable. Four figures, all published:
| What | New York’s figure |
|---|---|
| Written test | 20 questions. You need 14 correct |
| Practice before the road test | At least 30 hours of supervised practice |
| How close your supervisor must stay | Within a quarter of a mile of you at all times |
| How long a course waiver lasts | Two years — the BRC or BRC2 must have been completed within that window |
Compare that with the states in the rest of this series. Ohio gives 60 days to redeem a course waiver, Utah six months, New York two years. Ohio, Illinois and Washington describe permit supervision in general terms or not at all; New York gives you a distance in miles.
The permit, and the quarter-mile rule
New York’s learner permit is not a license to go and practice on your own. The DMV’s condition:
“you must be supervised by a driver age 21 or older who has a valid motorcycle license”
and that supervisor must “remain within 1/4 mile of you at all times”.
Two things follow. First, like Illinois, New York’s permit route requires a second person — a licensed, experienced rider who is willing to come out with you repeatedly. Second, the quarter-mile figure is a real operational constraint: the supervisor rides with you, not behind you at a distance of their choosing.
Add the 30 hours of recommended practice and the arithmetic becomes obvious. Thirty hours of supervised riding is a serious commitment for two people. That is why the course route matters here, and it is covered in the New York motorcycle safety course. General permit conditions across states are in what a motorcycle permit does not allow.
The route, step by step
- Study the NYS Motorcycle Operator’s Manual. New York publishes it in 20 languages, and the written test comes from it — the state motorcycle handbook links to it directly.
- Apply for the permit at a DMV office with proofs of identity, age and residence, and pass the written test: 14 correct out of 20.
- Practice. At least 30 hours, supervised as above.
- Book the road test through the online system once you are eligible.
- Take the road test on a licensed motorcycle, with a supervising driver present.
- Collect a temporary license on the day; the full one arrives by post within about two weeks.
Or replace steps 3 to 5 with an approved course. What the road test involves, if you take it, is in the motorcycle road test.
The waiver, and the out-of-state trap
New York will waive the road test if you meet four conditions:
- You are at least 16.
- You hold a valid New York State driver license — Class A, B, C, D, DJ or E.
- You hold a valid Class M or MJ motorcycle learner permit.
- You completed a Basic Rider Course or Basic Rider Course 2 within the last two years.
And then the sentence that catches out anyone who has moved:
“Courses completed in other states do not qualify for waiver.”
That is unambiguous. A completion card earned in Pennsylvania, Ohio or anywhere else does not buy you a New York waiver, no matter how good the course was or whose curriculum it used. If you have relocated and want the waiver, you take a New York course.
Note also the first two conditions working together: you need both a New York driver license and a motorcycle permit before the waiver can attach. Taking the course before either exists is the classic sequencing error.
Under 18
- You get a Class MJ junior license rather than Class M.
- You must wait at least six months after receiving the learner permit before taking the road test.
- MJ permit and license holders comply with New York’s under-18 driver restrictions in addition to the motorcycle rules.
Six months is a long wait to plan around, and it runs from the permit rather than from the course. Getting a motorcycle license at 16 covers how states handle younger riders.
Helmet and eye protection: no exceptions
New York is a universal helmet state — the IIHS records its law as covering “all riders” — and the manual states the requirement in terms of the federal standard: “All motorcycle operators and passengers must wear approved motorcycle helmets as defined by USDOT federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS 218).” What that standard actually means is in what DOT, ECE and SNELL actually mean, and whether yours fits in the helmet size chart.
The eye protection rule has a detail worth reading twice: “All motorcycle operators must wear approved eye protection even if the motorcycle has a windshield.” Several states treat a windscreen as satisfying the requirement. New York does not. The manual points to the ANSI Z87.1 standard.
Two more equipment points from the manual: headlights and rear lights must remain on while you are riding, and brakes, horn, mirrors and muffler must all be in working order.
Lane rules
New York has an explicit statute on the subject, unlike Illinois and Ohio, and it prohibits lane splitting in terms while permitting two motorcycles abreast in a single lane. The full text is quoted in is lane splitting legal in New York, and the national comparison is in lane splitting laws in every state.
Elsewhere
The general process is in the route to a motorcycle license, the eligibility list in motorcycle license requirements, and the endorsement question — which New York answers with separate M and MJ classes — in endorsement or standalone license. Costs are in what a motorcycle license costs.
Other states covered in the same depth: California, Illinois, Ohio, Texas and Georgia.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a motorcycle license in New York?
Study the NYS Motorcycle Operator’s Manual, apply for a Class M or MJ learner permit at a DMV office with proofs of identity, age and residence, and pass the written test. Then either complete at least 30 hours of supervised practice and pass the road test, or complete an approved Basic Rider Course to have the road test waived.
What is the pass mark for the New York motorcycle permit test?
Fourteen correct answers out of twenty questions. The questions come from the NYS Motorcycle Operator’s Manual, which the DMV publishes in 20 languages.
What are the New York motorcycle permit restrictions?
You must be supervised by a driver aged 21 or older who holds a valid motorcycle license, and that supervisor must remain within a quarter of a mile of you at all times. Class MJ permit holders also follow New York’s under-18 driver restrictions.
Does a safety course waive the New York road test?
Yes, if you are at least 16, hold a valid New York State driver license and a valid Class M or MJ motorcycle learner permit, and completed a Basic Rider Course or Basic Rider Course 2 within the last two years. New York states that courses completed in other states do not qualify.
What is the difference between a Class M and Class MJ license in New York?
Class M is the full motorcycle operator’s license. Class MJ is the motorcycle junior operator’s license for riders under 18, and it carries New York’s under-18 driver restrictions in addition to the motorcycle rules. MJ holders must also wait at least six months after receiving the learner permit before taking the road test.
Does New York require eye protection if my motorcycle has a windshield?
Yes. The New York motorcycle manual states that all motorcycle operators must wear approved eye protection even if the motorcycle has a windshield, and points to the ANSI Z87.1 standard. Helmets are required of all operators and passengers under FMVSS 218.