How old do you need to be to be allowed to drive a motorcycle in the United States? It’s a question that a lot of people have been posting online. Perhaps you are a young person who is looking to take up motorcycling as a sport or hobby. Or maybe you have a son or daughter who you would like to take up motorcycling. Perhaps you are an enthusiast yourself and you would like to have your child follow in your footsteps. Whatever your reasons, this article will show you the minimum legal age for motorcycling in the US.
At what age can a child ride a motorcycle?
The table below shows the minimum legal age requirements for driving motorcycles in different States in the U.S;
| State | Minimum legal age to drive a motorcycle |
| Alabama | 16 |
| Alaska | 14 to get a permit and 16 for a license |
| Arizona | 15 for a permit and 18 for a license |
| Arkansas | 16 |
| California | 16* |
| Colorado | 16 |
| Connecticut | 16 |
| Delaware | 17* |
| Florida | 16 |
| Georgia | 17 |
| Hawaii | 16* |
| Idaho | 15* |
| Illinois | 16* |
| Indiana | 16 |
| Iowa | 16 for a license and 14 for a permit |
| Kansas | 16 for a license and 14 for a permit |
| Kentucky | 18* |
| Louisiana | 16 |
| Maine | 16 |
| Maryland | 16 for a permit and 15 for a license |
| Massachusetts | 16 |
| Michigan | 16* |
| Minnesota | 18* |
| Mississippi | 17* |
| Missouri | 15 years and 6 months |
| Montana | 15* |
| Nebraska | 17 |
| Nevada | 15 years 6 months |
| New Hampshire | 16* |
| New Jersey | 17 |
| New Mexico | 15* |
| New York | 16 |
| North Carolina | 16 |
| North Dakota | 14* |
| Ohio | 15 years and 6 months |
| Oklahoma | 14 |
| Oregon | 16 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 |
| Rhode Island | 16* |
| South Carolina | 15 |
| South Dakota | 14 for a permit and 16 for a license |
| Tennessee | 15 for a permit and 16 for a license |
| Texas | 15 |
| Utah | 16 |
| Vermont | 16 |
| Virginia | 15 years and six months |
| Washington | 16 |
| West Virginia | 16 |
| Wisconsin | 16* |
| Wyoming | 17 |
The average is 16
In the above table, we covered most of the States that form the USA. We looked at the legal minimum age for a person to get a license to drive a motorcycle in each of these States.
Based on our data, we can say the average age for a person to be allowed to drive a motorcycle in the United States is 16. Having said that, there are States that allow people as young as 14 to drive motorcycles.
However, in most of these states, there is a catch. Those are the States that have asterisks in the above table. In all these States, there are conditions that have to met for a young person to be allowed to drive a bike.
The biggest of these conditionalities is the requirement to take a safety test. This test varies from one State to the other. How long it lasts also varies. Whatever the case, it’s a requirement for most States.
Requirements by State
In this section, we are going to take a look at some of the States that have conditions on granting licenses and permits to young people who wish to start driving motorcycles;
California
California allows people 16 years and above to drive motorcycles. However, to do so, you need to have acquired a learner’s license at least 6 months before you apply for a license. If you don’t have this, you will have to wait till you are 21 to be allowed to drive a motorcycle.
Delaware
In Delaware, you can drive a motorcycle if you are 17 years and above. However, if you are below 18, you will need to attend and pass a safety class.
Hawaii
The minimum age to drive a motorcycle in Hawaii is 16. However, people under the age of 18 need to first get permits. They also need to pass a safety course.
Idaho
For Idaho, you can drive a motorcycle at 15 provided you have passed a safety course and taken a road test. Otherwise you will have to wait till you are 21 to be allowed to drive a motorcycle.
Illinois
Illinois, on the other hand, mandates that people can drive motorcycles at 16 and above. However, if you are below 18, you also need to attend a safety course.
Kentucky
In Kentucky, you can drive a motorcycle at 16 provided you have a driver’s license. Otherwise you will have to wait till you are 18 to get a motorcycling permit.
Michigan
Michigan requires that people between 16 and 18 take a safety course and a road test before they can drive motorcycles. After you have reached 18, you can take a rider education course without having to undergo the road test.
Minnesota
You can ride at 16 provided you have take a motorcycle safety course.
Mississippi
In Mississippi, you can get a driver’s license at 17. This can be used to apply for a motorcycle endorsement.
New Mexico
New Mexico actually gives licenses to people as young as 13, provided the engine displacement is within a restricted range.
Get a professional company to ship your motorcycle
Those are the minimum age restrictions for driving motorcycles in various States in the United States. Note that in this article we are distinguishing between riding and driving. In actual fact, there are some restrictions on riding motorcycles as passengers in some States.
Whatever the case, one thing that we can say is that should the need arise, you should look to AA Motorcycle Shipping to get your motorcycle transported to any part of North America. We are one of the best known companies in this regard.
Our focus is on security for the motorcycles that are left in our care. We have nearly 30 years of experience in this regard. In that time, we have acquired State of the art equipment, allowing us to properly handle your priced possession.
If you wish to know how much it’s going to cost you to get your motorcycle shipped, simply get a quote from us.
