Special Requirements for Underage Residents

First, make sure you meet the requirements. Just as Texas has separate rules for teen drivers under the Graduated Driver License Program, the state also imposes certain requirements that you must meet if you are younger than 18 and wish to earn a motorcycle license:

• You must be at least 15 years old.
• You must complete an approved drivers ed or driver training course.
• After getting your motorcycle permit, you must complete the state's motorcycle safety course, the Basic Motorcycle Operator Training Course offered by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) at various locations throughout the state.
• You must submit proof that you are currently attending school.
• Your parents must provide authorization.

Applying for a Motorcycle License

If you meet all of the state's requirements for underage residents, you can apply for your motorcycle license by visiting any of the TX DPS drivers license office locations and being ready to:

• Provide proof of your identity and Social Security number.
• Pass a vision screening, written exam, and on-cycle motorcycle riding test (see the note below).
• Pay the $15 examination fee and the $8 license fee. Remember that your license will expire on your next birthday, but once you are 18 it will start remaining valid for six years.

NOTE: Information about the written exam, as well as a number of practice test questions, can be found in the TX DPS motorcycle operator manual - the one-stop shop for information about safely and legally operating motorcycles in Texas. For the on-cycle skill test, you must provide your own motorcycle, a passenger vehicle to follow you during the test, and a driver for the passenger vehicle.