The course does two different jobs, and which one you need depends on your age
Almost everything written about motorcycle training in Arizona treats the course as one thing. In the statute it is two.
For any rider, completing a Basic RiderCourse with an MVD-recognized provider takes the place of the on-site skills evaluation. You still pass a riding test — you just pass it on the training range, with an instructor who has spent two days teaching you the exercises, rather than cold at a licensing office.
For a rider under eighteen, the course does a second job. ARS 28-3174 requires an under-18 applicant to complete “a motorcycle driver education program that is approved by the department” or, alternatively, to have a parent or guardian certify “at least thirty hours of motorcycle driving practice”. The course satisfies the first branch. That is why it is optional for adults and effectively compulsory for teenagers whose parents cannot log thirty hours.
The permit that gets you to the course is covered in motorcycle license Arizona — note that it runs for seven months, which is the real deadline on all of this.
The part nobody puts in the headline: it can be free
This is the most useful fact about motorcycle training in Arizona and it does not appear on any of the pages that rank for this question.
The Arizona Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Foundation runs a scholarship program that covers rider training at “100% assistance”, funded through state grants from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. It runs a parallel scholarship for full-face and modular helmets. The foundation says it has assisted more than 10,000 individuals and families since 2011.
Four things about how it actually works, because the mechanics decide whether you get one:
- It is released in batches and it sells out. On 30 August 2026 both the rider training and helmet scholarships were shown as sold out, with the next training release dated 5 October 2026 at 8:00 am.
- There is a completion window. Forty-five days to complete the training once awarded; thirty days on the helmet side.
- It is open to anyone in Arizona, in the foundation’s own wording — the constraint is the monthly allotment, not eligibility.
- Miss the window and you wait. If the application form will not let you in, that month’s allotment has gone.
The practical consequence: if you are not in a hurry, book the release date rather than the course. Paying full price for training that the state was prepared to fund is a common and avoidable mistake in Arizona.
What the Basic RiderCourse involves
The MSF-derived Basic RiderCourse is the standard entry route and the one the waiver is built around. Arizona’s providers run the same structure used nationally: classroom work followed by range sessions, with roughly ten hours on the range across a weekend.
You do not need a motorcycle. Providers supply the machine — a small-capacity bike or a scooter — along with a helmet and gloves, which removes the circular problem of needing a license to get to the place that gives you the license.
The Arizona catalogue is broader than the single course most riders know about:
| Course | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Motorcycle Riding | Riders with no experience at all, before the BRC |
| Basic RiderCourse | The standard licensing route, with the MVD waiver |
| Scooter Basic RiderCourse | Same, on a scooter, for riders who intend to ride one |
| 3-Wheel Basic RiderCourse | Trikes and can-am style machines — note that Arizona’s lane filtering law does not cover three-wheelers |
| Confident RiderCourse (BRC2) | Returning or licensed riders, on their own machine |
| Skills Practice Series and advanced courses | After licensing, for specific skills |
What the equivalent course looks like elsewhere, and how the MSF card is treated across state lines, is in the Basic RiderCourse. The typical duration nationally is in how long is the motorcycle safety course, and the cost picture in course prices across the states.
What we are not going to tell you: the price
Every Arizona training page we could reach on 30 August 2026 either declined to publish a fee or was unreachable — both azdot.gov and gohs.az.gov returned errors, and the provider pages list courses without tariffs. Rather than repeat a figure from an aggregator that has not checked it since 2023, here is what determines the number when you call:
- Which course. The introductory session, the BRC and the BRC2 are priced separately.
- Whether you use their machine or your own. BRC2 on your own bike is normally cheaper.
- Where in the state. Phoenix and Tucson pricing differs from rural sites.
- Whether an AMSAF scholarship is open. This is the variable worth more than the other three combined.
Before you book
Three things to have straight, all of them from the statute rather than from a school.
Get the permit first. The Class M instruction permit is issued after passing every part of the examination except the skills test, so the written test comes before the course, not after.
Watch the seven-month clock. The permit expires seven months from issuance, and an under-18 applicant must have held it for at least six months before the license can issue. That leaves a one-month margin for a teenager — the course has to be booked into it.
Bring eye protection whatever your age. Arizona requires a helmet only from riders under eighteen, but it requires protective glasses, goggles or a face shield from every operator unless the machine has a windscreen. That rule applies on the road the day you leave the range. The national comparison is in what your own state requires, and what makes a helmet compliant in what makes a helmet compliant.
Once you are licensed, the two Arizona rules to know are the filtering conditions in is lane splitting legal in Arizona and the paperwork in putting the machine on the road legally.
Frequently asked questions
Does the motorcycle safety course waive the skills test in Arizona?
Yes. Completing a Basic RiderCourse with an MVD-recognized provider is accepted in place of the on-site skills evaluation, and the provider issues a completion card that goes to the MVD with your application.
Is the motorcycle safety course required in Arizona?
Not for adults. For applicants under eighteen, ARS 28-3174 requires either a department-approved motorcycle driver education program or a parent or guardian’s certification of at least thirty hours of motorcycle driving practice.
Can you get motorcycle training for free in Arizona?
Yes, subject to availability. The Arizona Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Foundation runs rider training scholarships at 100% assistance, funded by state grants from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. They are released in monthly batches, sell out, and carry a 45-day window to complete the training.
Do you need your own motorcycle for the course in Arizona?
No. Providers supply a motorcycle or scooter along with a helmet and gloves for the Basic RiderCourse. Advanced courses such as the BRC2 are normally ridden on your own machine.
How long is the Basic RiderCourse in Arizona?
It runs across a weekend, with classroom work plus roughly ten hours on the training range.
Do you need the permit before taking the course?
The Class M instruction permit is issued after passing every part of the examination other than the motorcycle skill test, so the written test comes first. The permit is valid for seven months, which is the practical deadline for getting the course and the license done.