Motorcycle Road Skills Test

You should be familiar with your motorcycle and the basic operating skills necessary for your safety before riding on a street with other traffic. To make sure you have the basic skills to ride, you will be required to take a road skills test on your motorcycle.

According to Virginia law, if you fail the DMV motorcycle road skills test twice after June 30, 2007 you will be required to successfully complete a Virginia Rider Training Program before adding the Class M designation to your driver’s license.

Preparing for the Skills Test

When you arrive for your test you must have:

• An approved helmet with a face shield and safety glasses or goggles.
• Your motorcycle with a valid license plate and a current inspection sticker.

Wear proper protective clothing, including long pants and a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, boots or shoes that cover the ankles and riding gloves.

Taking the Test

The examiner will conduct a vehicle/equipment inspection before you perform the riding maneuvers to make sure your motorcycle is properly registered, inspected and in good working condition.

The road skills test will include exercises that measure your ability to handle a motorcycle including starting, accelerating, shifting, turning, braking and swerving. The license examiner will explain each exam exercise and scoring before you begin the test. You must successfully complete all skills exercises to pass the test.

The test will be stopped by the examiner if you operate your motorcycle in an unsafe manner, disregard instructions or lose enough points to fail.

You can also stop the test. You should not try a maneuver that you do not feel you can perform safely. If you feel the exercise is too hard or you cannot safely follow the instructions, tell the examiner.

Where to Take the Test

The road skills test is offered at all DMV customer service centers EXCEPT the following locations:

Skills Test Waiver

DMV will waive the road skills test for motorcycle license applicants who have successfully completed the Virginia Rider Training Program course.

• If you have completed a Virginia Rider Training Program class before July 1, 2007, bring your DMV certificate of completion with you when you apply for your motorcycle license. The requirement to hold a learner's permit for 30 days prior to getting your license will be waived and you will not be required to take the motorcycle road skills test. You will be able to operate a motorcycle once you have passed the motorcycle knowledge exam and taken the vision test. Certificates issued before July 1, 2007, are valid for a period of two years from the date of completion.
• If the certificate was issued after July 1, 2007, bring your DMV certificate of completion with you when you apply for your motorcycle license. You will be exempted from taking both the motorcycle knowledge exam and the road skills test, and you will be allowed to operate a motorcycle for 30 days after completing the course. However, you must apply within the 30 day period to add the Class M designation to your license to remain eligible to operate a motorcycle. Certificates issued after July 1, 2007, are valid for a period of one year from the date of completion.