The machine you test on decides what you may ride
Utah does something no rider expects from an American state, and getting it wrong is expensive because the fix is another test.
Your license is restricted to the engine size of the motorcycle you passed the riding test on. Test on a 250 and you are licensed for 250s. This applies whether you take the test at a Driver License Division office or as part of a school course — and the schools run the Beginning Rider Course on 150cc and 250cc machines, so the default outcome of the easiest route is a restricted license.
The DLD’s own wording is blunt about it: the schools use 150cc and 250cc motorcycles, and “if you take the course on one of those motorcycles, you will be restricted to that size of motorcycle.”
| Restriction code | What you may ride |
|---|---|
| 0 | 99 cc or less |
| 2 | 249 cc or less |
| 3 | 649 cc or less |
| No restriction | 650 cc or more — anything |
Test on a three-wheeled machine and you get a different restriction again: three-wheeled motorcycles only, which includes two wheels at the front or the rear.
If you already own a 900cc machine and take the course on a school 250, you will finish the weekend legally unable to ride the bike in your garage. The way out is to re-test on a larger machine, with the school or with the DLD. The way to avoid it is to decide before booking.
The two routes to the M endorsement
In Utah you need a motorcycle endorsement — an “M” on your license — and to get one you must be at least 16 and hold a Class D driver license. There is no standalone motorcycle license.
Both routes run through the same office and the same written test. What differs is how you satisfy the riding element.
| Route 1 — learner permit and DLD test | Route 2 — MSF course | |
|---|---|---|
| Written test | 25 questions, closed book, at the DLD office | 25 questions, closed book, at the DLD office |
| Riding element | Riding skills test at the DLD office, on your own machine if you wish | Waived on completion of the Beginning Rider Course or Experienced Rider Course |
| Machine size | Whatever you test on sets your restriction | The school’s 150 or 250 sets your restriction |
Whichever route you take, the license itself arrives by post three to four weeks later.
The six-month clock on your waiver card
If you go the course route, note this deadline: “you must show your completion card (BRC) or (ERC) to the Driver License Division within six months of course completion.”
Six months is shorter than most states allow — North Carolina gives a year. Take the course in April, drift through summer, and by October the card is waste paper and you are booking a riding test.
The permit that gets less restrictive, not more
Utah’s learner permit works backwards compared with most states, and it is worth understanding because it changes how you plan practice.
To get one you must be at least 16 and hold a valid Class D or commercial driver license, then attend a driver license office, pass an eye test, complete a medical questionnaire, pass the 25-question written test, and pay the motorcycle endorsement fee of $18 plus the fee for a renewal or duplicate license.
The permit is valid for six months. During the first two months only:
- No passengers
- No riding between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am
- No riding on highways posted at more than 60 mph
And then, in the state’s own words: “there are no restrictions to your learner permit for months 3–6.” The restrictions expire while the permit continues. Compare that with Pennsylvania, where a permit holder is confined to daylight for the whole year, or New Jersey, where toll roads are off limits throughout — see permit conditions across the states.
One age rule sits on top: anyone younger than 19 must hold the motorcycle learner permit for two months. That requirement is waived on proof of completing the MSF Beginning Rider Course — so for a young rider the course does not only remove the skills test, it removes the waiting period.
Which course, and the 2,000-mile question
Beginning Rider Course. Fifteen hours, ten of them on the motorcycle. The schools provide the motorcycle and the helmet. This is the standard route and the one that carries the engine-size consequence described above.
Experienced Rider Course. Five hours, for riders with recent experience and more than 2,000 miles behind them — and, crucially, you may ask to be tested on your own motorcycle. For someone who already rides and owns a large machine, the ERC is the route that produces an unrestricted license without a DLD riding test.
That is the single most useful piece of planning advice for a Utah rider with a big bike: the ERC exists, it is a third of the length of the BRC, and it lets you test on the machine you actually own.
Courses run through Salt Lake Community College, Utah Tech University in St George, Utah Rider Education, and Harley-Davidson Riding Academy sites in Salt Lake City, Lindon and Washington. Each school sets its own fees. What a Basic RiderCourse contains generally is in rider training, and Utah’s program specifically in motorcycle safety course Utah.
What counts as a motorcycle in Utah
Broader than you might think. Utah defines a motorcycle as a motor vehicle, other than a tractor, having a seat or saddle for the rider and designed to travel with not more than three wheels in contact with the ground — and the category expressly includes mini motorcycles, mopeds, electric motorcycles and high-powered electric devices.
That last item matters as electric machines proliferate. A high-powered electric device is a motorcycle in Utah’s code, with the endorsement requirement that follows.
Helmets and the road rules
Utah requires a helmet from all riders under 21, under UCA 41-6a-1505. Adults are not covered. The national comparison is in the state-by-state helmet table and what makes a helmet compliant in what makes a helmet compliant.
Utah was also the first state in the country to legalize lane filtering, in 2019, and its version is the tightest of the five — 45 mph roads, stopped traffic, 15 mph for the rider, and no freeways. See is lane splitting legal in Utah and the comparison in lane filtering.
The machine’s paperwork is in the registration paperwork and how much is motorcycle registration, and the general licensing sequence across states in how the licensing process works.
Frequently asked questions
Does Utah restrict your motorcycle license by engine size?
Yes. You are licensed according to the engine size of the machine you passed the riding test on: 99 cc or less, 249 cc or less, 649 cc or less, or unrestricted at 650 cc and above. Testing on a three-wheeled machine restricts you to three-wheelers.
Will the safety course restrict my Utah license?
It can. The schools run the Beginning Rider Course on 150cc and 250cc motorcycles, and the DLD states that taking the course on one of those restricts you to that size. To avoid it, take the Experienced Rider Course on your own larger machine, or re-test on a bigger bike.
How long is a Utah motorcycle learner permit valid?
Six months. The restrictions — no passengers, no riding between 10 pm and 6 am, no highways posted above 60 mph — apply only during the first two months. Months three to six carry no restrictions.
How long is the Utah course waiver card valid?
Six months. You must show the BRC or ERC completion card to the Driver License Division within six months of completing the course.
What is on the Utah motorcycle written test?
Twenty-five questions, closed book, taken at a driver license office. The Motorcycle Operator Manual is the study material.
How much is the Utah motorcycle endorsement?
The motorcycle endorsement fee is $18, payable alongside the fee for a renewal or duplicate driver license when the permit is issued.