Mississippi Motorcycle Endorsement Guide

What a motorcycle endorsement is, who needs one, and how to add it to your Mississippi driver license.

What Is a Motorcycle Endorsement?

In Mississippi the motorcycle privilege is an endorsement added to your regular driver license, not a separate license. To operate a motorcycle or motor scooter on the road you must hold a valid Mississippi driver license carrying a motorcycle endorsement.

Earning the endorsement requires passing both a knowledge (written) test and an on-cycle skills (road) test on the operation of a motorcycle.

Endorsement vs. Motorcycle-Only License

	Endorsement	Motorcycle-Only License
Who it's for	Drivers who already hold a Mississippi license	Riders without a regular driver license
Added to	Your existing license	Issued as its own license
Knowledge test	Motorcycle knowledge test	Motorcycle knowledge test
Lets you drive a car	Yes — keeps your car privileges	No — motorcycle only

How to Add the Endorsement — Steps

Hold or apply for a Mississippi driver license (issued at age 16); a motorcycle learner's permit is available at 15.
Study the Motorcycle Operator Manual and pass the 25-question knowledge test (20 correct, 80%).
Practice on the learner's permit with an endorsed rider age 21+; the permit is valid one year or until age 17.
Pass the on-cycle skills (road) test — trailer your bike or bring a motorcycle-licensed rider, and show proof of insurance — or present an AAMVA-approved safety-course card to waive it.
Pay the $5.00 motorcycle endorsement fee to add the endorsement to your license.

MSF Course Waiver

If you successfully complete a motorcycle safety class endorsed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), you are not required to take the on-cycle skills test.

The course waives the skills test only — you still must pass the written knowledge test. Separately, if you already hold a valid out-of-state license with a motorcycle endorsement, Mississippi may issue the endorsement without any further testing.

Cost & Renewal

The motorcycle learner's permit costs $1.00 and the motorcycle endorsement costs $5.00, separate from the driver-license fee.

The motorcycle endorsement renews together with your driver license — there is no separate renewal cycle. Confirm current fees with the Mississippi DPS Driver Service Bureau.

Start With the Knowledge Test

Start the Mississippi Practice Test →

Get Your Permit Study Guide Test Tips FAQ

Source: Test details reflect the consensus of major rider-education sources — confirm with the state agency before your visit. Mississippi adopts the unmodified MSF Motorcycle Operator Manual (17th Edition), which the DPS Driver Service Bureau hosts. The motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, 20 correct (80%) to pass — a third-party consensus, since the DPS page does not publish the count. Universal helmet law; the motorcycle privilege is an endorsement on a Mississippi driver license.