What to do, what to bring, and what to expect at the BMV office — start to finish.
A Maine motorcycle permit lets you practice while you prepare for a Class M motorcycle endorsement. The path is unusual: Maine law requires every applicant, of any age, to complete a Secretary of State-approved motorcycle rider education course before a permit, license or endorsement can be issued. You must be at least 16 years old to apply.
The steps below follow the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles process. Maine does not publish a motorcycle-specific knowledge-test count -- practice tests use the widely cited 25-question / 80% format. Always confirm current fees, accepted documents and office locations at maine.gov/sos/bmv before you go.
You must be at least 16 years old to apply for a Maine motorcycle instruction permit. Every applicant, regardless of age, must complete an approved motorcycle rider education course -- there is no age exemption.
Maine adopts the standardized MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual. Study the riding strategies, the SEE process, braking and swerving, lane positioning, curves, and Maine's helmet and licensing rules -- both the course and any knowledge test are based on it.
Sign up for a Secretary of State-approved motorcycle rider education course. The Basic Rider Course uses the MSF curriculum: a three-hour e-course, five hours of classroom instruction, and about 10 hours on a closed range operating a motorcycle.
Pass the course's knowledge and on-cycle skills evaluation. Your certificate of successful completion functions as a temporary motorcycle permit valid for 60 days from the completion date shown on the certificate.
Use the temporary permit period to build experience. While on the temporary permit you may not carry a passenger. If you do not complete the licensing process within the permit's validity, you must retake the rider education course.
Take your course completion certificate to the BMV. On receipt of the certificate, the Secretary of State may waive both the written and the road examinations, and add the Class M endorsement to your driver's license. An endorsement issued through the road-test waiver bars carrying a passenger for 60 days.
Check the official BMV page for current fees and accepted forms of payment.
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.