Michigan’s course waives three tests, not one
Across the states covered in this series, a safety course normally removes the riding test and leaves the written one standing. A couple of states remove both. Michigan removes three, and the statute lists them:
“The requirement of a written knowledge test, road sign test, and motorcycle driving skills test shall be waived for an applicant who has successfully completed a motorcycle safety course.”
That is MCL 257.312b. Written knowledge test, road sign test, motorcycle driving skills test — all three, gone. It is the most generous waiver in the block, and it changes the calculation entirely: in Michigan the course is not a shortcut around one hurdle, it is the whole examination.
Under 18 the course is not optional
The same section is unambiguous about younger riders:
“Before a person who is less than 18 years of age is issued an original motorcycle endorsement… the person shall pass a motorcycle safety course approved by the department.”
Not “may”. Shall. A rider under 18 in Michigan cannot get an original motorcycle endorsement without completing an approved course, so the only decision left is when to book it. Given that course places concentrate into a short riding season, the answer is early. Getting a motorcycle license at 16 covers how other states handle the same question.
Over 18, and the two-strike rule
Adults have a choice: pass the examination, or take the course and skip it. The statute adds a condition that removes the choice from anyone who struggles — applicants who fail twice or more must complete an approved safety course.
Virginia has the same structure for its skills test, and the logic is the same in both states: if you are not confident of passing first time, the course is the cheaper route rather than the expensive one. Two failed attempts plus a mandatory course costs more than the course alone.
What the examination involves — a written examination on motorcycle subjects plus a driving skills test assessing competence to operate a motorcycle safely on the roads — is covered generally in the motorcycle road test, and the knowledge side in your state’s motorcycle handbook, which links to Michigan’s own manual.
What you end up with
Michigan adds a motorcycle endorsement to your existing operator’s or chauffeur’s license rather than issuing a separate motorcycle license. That distinction matters more here than in most states, because the helmet exemption is measured in years of holding the endorsement — see below. The general comparison between an endorsement and a standalone license is in endorsement or standalone license.
The helmet rule, and the $20,000 nobody mentions
Michigan is one of the states people cite as “helmet optional”. It is not that simple, and the conditions are in the statute.
MCL 257.658 starts from a universal rule: “A person operating or riding on a motorcycle shall wear a crash helmet on his or her head.”
The exemption for riders 21 and over then requires both of the following:
- Experience or training. Either you have held a motorcycle endorsement “for not less than 2 years”, or you have passed a motorcycle safety course.
- Insurance. You must carry security for first-party medical benefits in the event of a motorcycle accident of not less than $20,000 — and where a passenger is carried, not less than $20,000 per person per occurrence.
Read condition two again, because it is the one riders forget. Riding without a helmet in Michigan is conditional on carrying $20,000 of first-party medical coverage. Without it, the exemption does not apply and the general rule does.
Notice also how condition one interacts with licensing: two years of holding the endorsement, or the safety course. A newly endorsed rider who took the course has satisfied it immediately; one who passed the tests instead waits two years. That is one more reason the course is the better route in Michigan.
The full analysis, including how Michigan’s $20,000 compares with Florida’s and Texas’s requirements, is in the Michigan motorcycle helmet law.
Passengers and equipment
MCL 257.658a requires that “a motorcycle shall be equipped with adequate seats and foot rests or pegs for each designated seating position”. Carrying a passenger on a machine set up for one is an equipment offense, not a judgement call.
And the IIHS records Michigan’s helmet law as covering riders “20 and younger”, with a moped exception — defined by the state as an engine of 50cc or less and a maximum speed of 30 mph — where the operator is 19 or older.
Lane rules
Michigan does not permit lane splitting. How different states arrive at that answer varies considerably — some name the maneuver in statute, some rely on the general single-lane rule — and the full picture is in the state-by-state lane splitting map. The nearest states covered in detail here are Ohio and Illinois.
The order to do it in
- Under 18? Book the approved safety course. It is a precondition, not an option.
- Over 18? Book it anyway unless you are confident of passing all three tests, because passing it removes all three — and starts your helmet exemption clock immediately rather than in two years.
- Read the state manual regardless. the official rider handbook links to Michigan’s.
- Sort the insurance before you ride without a helmet, if that is your intention. The $20,000 first-party medical requirement is part of the exemption, not an afterthought.
The course itself is covered in the Michigan motorcycle safety course. Nationally: getting licensed from scratch, motorcycle license requirements, the restrictions on a learner permit and what a motorcycle license costs.
Other states covered in this depth: California, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Texas and Georgia.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a motorcycle endorsement in Michigan?
Either pass the state examination — a written test on motorcycle subjects plus a driving skills test — or complete an approved motorcycle safety course, which waives the written knowledge test, the road sign test and the motorcycle driving skills test. Riders under 18 must complete the course; it is not optional for them.
Does the Michigan safety course waive the written test?
Yes, and more than that. MCL 257.312b provides that the written knowledge test, the road sign test and the motorcycle driving skills test are all waived for an applicant who has successfully completed a motorcycle safety course.
Is the motorcycle safety course required in Michigan?
For riders under 18, yes — the statute says a person under 18 shall pass an approved course before being issued an original motorcycle endorsement. For adults it is optional, unless they fail the examination twice or more, in which case an approved course is required.
Do you have to wear a helmet in Michigan?
The default is yes: MCL 257.658 states that a person operating or riding on a motorcycle shall wear a crash helmet. Riders 21 and over are exempt only if they have held a motorcycle endorsement for at least two years or passed a safety course, and carry at least $20,000 of first-party medical benefits coverage.
How long do I have to be endorsed before riding without a helmet in Michigan?
Two years of holding the motorcycle endorsement — unless you have passed a motorcycle safety course, which satisfies that condition immediately. The $20,000 medical coverage requirement applies either way.
Does Michigan require passenger footrests?
Yes. MCL 257.658a requires a motorcycle to be equipped with adequate seats and foot rests or pegs for each designated seating position.