Straight answers to the most common questions about passing the DMV motorcycle knowledge exam.
Not at the DMV. Rhode Island no longer issues motorcycle learner permits and does not give a standalone DMV knowledge test, so there is nothing to study for online. Instead, every new rider must complete the CCRI Basic Rider Course, which includes its own knowledge check and riding evaluation.
Complete the required CCRI Basic Rider Course, then bring your certificate of completion and your valid Rhode Island driver's license to any DMV branch, submit the License/ID/Permit application (Form LI-1), and pay the fee. A Class M endorsement is then added to your license. You must do this within six months of finishing the course.
Yes. Rhode Island is the only state in the nation that requires every new motorcyclist to pass a rider-safety course. The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Basic Rider Course satisfies that requirement; there is no way to get a Class M endorsement without it (other than the out-of-state reciprocation path).
No. The RI DMV states plainly that motorcycle permits are no longer issued. You go straight from the CCRI Basic Rider Course to adding the Class M endorsement to your existing license.
The Basic Rider Course is $295, which includes a $10 non-refundable registration fee. As of January 1, 2026, the previous $100 out-of-state surcharge no longer applies. If you do not pass, the retake fee is $60.
The Basic Rider Course is about 16 hours: an online eCourse (the lecture portion, ideally completed within 30 days before your first range day) plus two in-person riding sessions of roughly five hours each. CCRI provides the training motorcycle; you bring your own helmet, gloves, boots, and other riding gear.
You must be at least 16 and hold a Rhode Island license — a provisional license if you are 16 to 18, or a standard license at 18 and older. Students under 18 must submit a notarized Minor Release Agreement form to enroll in the CCRI course.
The Rhode Island DMV fee schedule lists the motorcycle license fee at $53.50. The endorsement is added to your existing license and renews with it — Rhode Island licenses run for five years, so there is no separate motorcycle renewal.
Under R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 31-10.1, a helmet approved by the administrator is required for any operator under 21, every passenger regardless of age, and any new rider for one year from the date their first license is issued. Experienced adult operators past that first year are not required to wear one.
Yes. The law requires every motorcycle operator to use approved eye protection when riding on streets and highways. There is no windshield exception, and no age cutoff — it applies to all operators, even those not required to wear a helmet.
Rhode Island's traffic-fine schedule sets a $100 fine for no motorcycle helmet, whether the violation is by the operator or by a passenger.
There is no separate DMV road or skills test for Rhode Island riders. The riding evaluation is built into the Basic Rider Course, and the certificate of completion is what you present at the DMV to receive the endorsement.
No. Since March 1, 2022, CCRI courses and certificates are 2-wheel or 3-wheel specific. Take the Basic Rider Course that matches the motorcycle you intend to ride; your endorsement follows the course you complete.
Possibly. CCRI offers a Motorcycle Reciprocation path for riders who completed an approved out-of-state course. Contact CCRI's motorcycle program to confirm your course qualifies before you go to the DMV.
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.