What a motorcycle endorsement is, who needs one, and how to add it to your Rhode Island driver license.
In Rhode Island the motorcycle privilege is a Class M endorsement added to your existing Rhode Island driver's license — not a separate stand-alone motorcycle license and not a written-test add-on. Once added, it appears on your license and renews along with it.
Because Rhode Island no longer issues motorcycle permits and gives no DMV knowledge or road test, the only route to the endorsement for new riders is completing the mandatory CCRI Basic Rider Course (or qualifying through CCRI's out-of-state reciprocation path).
| Endorsement | Motorcycle-Only License | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Drivers who already hold a Rhode Island 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 |
Rhode Island does not treat the safety course as an optional skills-test waiver the way most states do — the CCRI Basic Rider Course is mandatory and is itself the qualifying evaluation. There is no separate DMV knowledge or road test to skip; the course certificate is what earns the endorsement.
Riders who completed an approved motorcycle course in another state may qualify through CCRI's Motorcycle Reciprocation option instead of repeating the full course. Confirm eligibility with CCRI before applying at the DMV.
The Rhode Island DMV fee schedule lists the motorcycle license fee at $53.50, paid when the Class M endorsement is added to your license.
The endorsement renews together with your driver's license — Rhode Island licenses are valid for five years — so there is no separate motorcycle renewal cycle.
Source: Test details are confirmed on the official agency page. Rhode Island is the only U.S. state that requires every new motorcyclist to complete a rider-safety course. The DMV no longer issues motorcycle permits and gives no standalone written test, so there is no online practice test to take — the CCRI Basic Rider Course is mandatory and leads to a Class M endorsement. Details verified against dmv.ri.gov, the CCRI program pages, and R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 31-10.1.