In Washington, the school is the examiner
This is the fact that reframes the whole question, and it is easy to miss because no training provider states it plainly on their sales page.
Washington requires four official examinations for a 2-wheel endorsement: a 50-question permit knowledge test, a permit riding skills test, a 25-question endorsement knowledge test covering cornering, decision-making and hazard management, and an endorsement riding skills test with a quick stop at roughly 20 to 25 mph and a timed figure of eight. None of them happens at a Department of Licensing office. They are administered by approved motorcycle training schools and their partner schools.
So the question is not whether the course is worth taking instead of testing at the DOL. There is no testing at the DOL. The question is whether you turn up at the school for a bare test or for a course that contains the same test with two days of instruction wrapped around it.
The full licensing sequence, including the 180-day permit and the one-renewal-in-five-years limit, is in motorcycle license Washington.
Who has no choice
An applicant under 18 must pass an approved 2-wheel safety course before the endorsement can be issued, along with a parent or guardian’s consent. For that group the course is not a convenience, it is the requirement.
For adults it is optional in name only, for the reason above.
Which course you actually need
Washington approves a long list, which is why the DOL’s own page is confusing at first glance. The list is long because it names each provider’s branded course individually rather than describing three tiers. It is three tiers.
| Level | Who it is for | Course names you will see |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Little or no riding experience — this is the licensing route | Basic Motorcycle Course (BMC), Basic Rider Clinic (TC BRC), Basic Rider Course (BRC), Basic Rider Training (BRT), Get Riding, Learn To Ride (LTR) |
| Intermediate | Some experience, or returning after years off | Basic Rider Course 2 (BRC2), Get Riding—Street Strategies, Intermediate Motorcycle Course (IMC), Intermediate Rider Training (IRT), Learn To Ride Refresher (LTRR), Returning Rider (RR) |
| Advanced | Licensed riders working on specific skills | Advanced Motorcycle Course (AMC), Advanced Rider Course (ARC), Experienced Motorcycle Course (EMC), Experienced Rider Course (ERC), Street Skills 101 (SS101) |
If you are getting licensed, you want the beginner tier. The six names in that row are the same product from different providers.
Three wheels is a separate world
Washington issues 2-wheel and 3-wheel endorsements separately, and the training follows. The approved three-wheel courses are the Sidecar/Trike Education Program (S/TEP) Basic Course, the S/TEP 1-Day Course, the Three-Wheel Operator Program Level-One (TOP 1) Course and SW Motorcycle Safety’s 3-Wheel Class, with the S/TEP Advanced Course at the top. A 2-wheel course does not get you a 3-wheel endorsement, or the reverse.
The subsidy nobody advertises
Course prices are set by each school, not by the state — which is why no single figure applies. But the DOL provides subsidies for Washington residents and for military personnel, and it is worth asking about explicitly when you book, because a school quoting you a price is not obliged to volunteer it.
That is the second thing on this page that does not appear in the search results for it. The first is that the school is your examiner.
If you trained in another state
Washington accepts a defined list rather than any MSF-derived card, and the exclusions matter.
- Accepted for 2-wheel: Idaho STAR, Team Oregon’s Basic Rider Training, and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic RiderCourse.
- Not accepted: the eRider versions of Team Oregon’s courses.
- Accepted for 3-wheel: the S/TEP Basic Course only.
The eRider exclusion is the one that catches people out. A course delivered largely online does not satisfy Washington’s requirement even when the in-person equivalent from the same provider does — which is consistent with a system built around the school physically testing you.
How completion cards travel across state lines generally, and what the Basic RiderCourse contains, is in rider training. Typical duration is in how long is the motorcycle safety course, and the national price picture in what riders pay for training.
What to expect on the range
Two elements of the Washington endorsement test are worth practicing deliberately, because they are the pass-or-fail items and they are more demanding than several states’ equivalents.
The quick stop is performed at approximately 20 to 25 mph. That is fast enough that a rider who has only ever braked gently will find the front end unfamiliar under real deceleration.
The timed figure of eight assesses left and right cornering in a confined box, and it is where machine choice matters most. It is a strong argument for taking the test on the school’s small-capacity bike rather than on a heavy machine of your own.
The knowledge side is two separate papers, not one: 50 questions at the permit stage on the rules of the road and safe operation, then 25 at the endorsement stage on cornering, decision-making and hazard management. The second is the more conceptual of the two.
After the endorsement
Two Washington rules to have straight before your first ride. The state prohibits operating a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent rows of vehicles, with no exception for stopped traffic — the full statute, including two permissions riders do not know they have, is in is lane splitting legal in Washington. And Washington requires a helmet from every rider with the chin strap fastened in motion, compared nationally in the state-by-state helmet table.
The machine’s own paperwork is in what the DMV asks for.
Frequently asked questions
Is a motorcycle safety course required in Washington?
For applicants under 18, yes — an approved 2-wheel safety course must be passed before the endorsement is issued. For adults it is optional, but because approved schools administer all four official tests rather than the DOL, most riders take a course anyway.
Does the course replace the DOL tests in Washington?
Yes. Passing an approved course qualifies you for the permit and/or endorsement and takes the place of the standard DOL testing, because the provider runs the knowledge and riding elements as part of the program.
Which motorcycle course do I need in Washington?
For licensing, a beginner-level 2-wheel course: the Basic Motorcycle Course, Basic Rider Clinic, Basic Rider Course, Basic Rider Training, Get Riding or Learn To Ride, depending on the provider. They are the same tier under different names.
Does Washington accept an out-of-state motorcycle course?
Only from a defined list. For two wheels it accepts Idaho STAR, Team Oregon’s Basic Rider Training and the MSF Basic RiderCourse — but not the eRider versions of Team Oregon’s courses. For three wheels, only the S/TEP Basic Course.
How much does the motorcycle course cost in Washington?
Each school sets its own price, so there is no state-wide figure. The DOL provides subsidies for Washington residents and military personnel, which is worth asking about when you book.
What is on the Washington endorsement riding test?
It is pass or fail, and includes a quick stop performed at approximately 20 to 25 mph and a timed figure of eight assessing left and right cornering.