Straight answers to the most common questions about passing the Driver Services motorcycle knowledge exam.
The Tennessee motorcycle knowledge test has 30 multiple-choice questions. By state law, at least 25% of them cover alcohol, drugs, and impaired driving.
You need a minimum of 80% — 24 of the 30 questions correct. The same 80% standard applies to all Tennessee knowledge exams.
No. It is a separate motorcycle rules-of-the-road test for a Class M license. If you do not already hold a Class D or PD license, you must also pass the regular car knowledge test based on the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver Manual.
A Class M license for any two- or three-wheel vehicle over 125cc. You can hold a motorcycle-only Class M license or add Class M to an existing license in the secondary position; the minimum age is 16.
Yes — with a difference. A certificate from a Tennessee-Certified Motorcycle Rider Education Program (MREP) waives both the knowledge and skills tests if you already hold a valid Tennessee license. A Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course completed in any state within the last three years waives the skills test only — never the knowledge test.
Yes. Tennessee has a universal helmet law: every operator and passenger must wear a crash helmet meeting federal standard 49 CFR 571.218 (DOT), at every age. The only narrow exception is a rider 18 or older in a parade traveling no faster than 30 mph.
A rider 21 or older may wear a helmet that meets standard 218 but is exempt from the penetration, contour, and labeling rules — provided it carries an ASTM, CSPM, or Snell Foundation label. Everyone must still wear a helmet.
Your motorcycle must have a USDOT-approved windshield, or you and your passenger must wear safety goggles or glasses with impact-resistant lenses, or a helmet with a face shield. The helmet and eye protection must be in place before the examiner will give the road test.
Yes. Tennessee law requires a motorcycle's headlight to be on at all times while it is being operated, day and night.
No. State law prohibits operating a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent rows of vehicles, and you may not overtake and pass in the same lane the vehicle ahead is using.
Yes. Motorcycles are entitled to the full use of a lane and may ride no more than two abreast in a single lane. Three or more abreast is not allowed.
A motorcycle learner permit (Class PDPM) is available to minors 15 years of age. It limits you to a motorcycle of 650cc or less, daylight-only riding, no passengers, no interstate highways, and a 20-mile radius of your home, and it is valid for one year.
At age 16 the holder of a motorcycle learner permit can exchange it for a full motorcycle license at a Driver Service Center with no further tests, and all the permit's size and use restrictions are removed.
A blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher is legally intoxicated for an adult. For a rider 16 to 20, a BAC of just 0.02% is underage driving while impaired, which carries a one-year license loss and a $250 fine.
By riding in Tennessee you have consented to a chemical test of your blood or breath if an officer has reasonable grounds to believe you are impaired. Refusing the test suspends your license for 12 months.
A headlight on at all times, a rearview mirror mounted on the left handlebar, footrests for the driver and any passenger, at least one red tail light and stop light visible from 100 feet, and a working muffler. 'Straight pipes' are illegal.
A passenger must ride on a permanent seat built for that purpose and use footrests. Tennessee sets no minimum passenger age, but it is a misdemeanor to carry a child whose feet cannot reach the footpegs or footboard (a sidecar is exempt).
Yes. Completing a state-Certified Motorcycle Rider Education Course and passing the vision screening earns a 10% discount on motorcycle liability insurance, which stays in effect for three years.
Motorcycle licenses follow the same renewal cycle as regular driver licenses. Since January 1, 2016, Tennessee licenses for people over 21 expire every eight years from the date of issuance.
The knowledge, vision, and on-cycle skills tests are given at Department of Safety and Homeland Security Driver Service Centers throughout the state. Locations and hours are listed at tn.gov/safety.
Source: Test details are confirmed on the official agency page. Confirmed in an official search snippet: 30 questions, minimum 80% to pass. State law requires at least 25% of the test to cover alcohol and drugs.