Straight answers to the most common questions about passing the BMV motorcycle knowledge exam.
The Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles does not publish a motorcycle-specific question count. Practice tests use the widely cited 25-question format, and every question is based on the Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual. Because Maine requires an approved rider education course that includes its own examination, confirm the current testing process with the BMV.
The common practice standard is 80% — about 20 of 25 correct. Maine does not publish an official passing score for a separate motorcycle knowledge test, so confirm the current requirement with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles at maine.gov/sos/bmv.
Yes. Maine law requires every applicant, of any age, to present a certificate of successful completion of a Secretary of State-approved motorcycle rider education course before a motorcycle learner's permit, license or endorsement can be issued.
The Basic Rider Course (BRC) uses the Motorcycle Safety Foundation curriculum and consists of a three-hour e-course, five hours of classroom instruction, and about 10 hours on a closed range operating a motorcycle. It includes both knowledge and on-cycle skills evaluation.
Yes. On receipt of a certificate of successful completion of an approved motorcycle rider education course, the Secretary of State may waive both the written examination and the road examination.
You must hold a Class M motorcycle endorsement on your Maine driver's license, or operate under a valid motorcycle learner's permit or course-completion temporary permit. Operating a motorcycle on public roads without one is illegal.
You must be at least 16 years old to apply for a Maine motorcycle instruction permit. Applicants must still complete an approved rider education course.
A motorcycle rider education course completion certificate functions as a temporary permit valid for 60 days from the course completion date shown on the certificate. While on this temporary permit you may not carry a passenger.
Not immediately. If your endorsement is issued through the road-test waiver after completing a rider education course, you are prohibited from carrying a passenger for 60 days following the date the endorsement is issued. Temporary-permit holders may never carry a passenger.
Maine has a partial helmet law. A helmet is required for operators and passengers under 18, for learner's-permit holders, and for operators — and their passengers — within the first year after passing the licensing tests. Other adult riders may legally ride without one.
No. Maine law does not require motorcycle operators or passengers to wear eye protection. The Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual still strongly recommends a shatter-resistant face shield or goggles, because a windshield and ordinary glasses do not protect your eyes from wind and debris.
An adult rider is considered legally intoxicated at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or above. For operators under 21, a much lower limit of 0.00% to 0.02% applies. The manual stresses that judgment and skill are impaired well below the legal limit.
No. The motorcycle knowledge test is separate and is based on the Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual. It covers riding-specific topics such as lane positioning, the SEE strategy, braking and swerving, curves, and Maine's helmet and licensing rules. The standard Class C car knowledge test is 30 questions with 24 to pass.
At a minimum a street-legal motorcycle must have a headlight, taillight and brakelight, front and rear brakes, turn signals, a horn, and two mirrors. Maine separately requires at least one mirror giving a clear view to the rear, plus proper muffler equipment.
The Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual teaches a minimum two-second following distance behind the vehicle ahead. Open it up to three seconds or more in the rain, at night, when the pavement is slippery, or when someone may squeeze in front of you.
Maine law permits two motorcycles to ride abreast of each other within a single lane. The Motorcycle Operator Manual still recommends a staggered formation for group riding so each rider keeps a full space cushion.
The Class C and Motorcycle Permit examination (written test) fee is $35, and each license endorsement is $20. Fees can change — confirm the current amounts with the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles before you apply.
The Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual is published by the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and is the standardized MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual. It is available through the BMV at maine.gov/sos/bmv — every motorcycle knowledge-test question is based on it.
Source: Test details reflect the consensus of major rider-education sources — confirm with the state agency before your visit. Maine adopts the standardized MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (16th Edition). The BMV does not publish a motorcycle-specific knowledge-test count; 25 questions / 80% is the third-party practice consensus. An approved motorcycle rider education course is required for everyone, of any age, before a permit, license or endorsement is issued, and completing it waives the BMV written and road tests. Maine law does not require eye protection, though the manual strongly advises it.