On this page
- Endorsement vs. motorcycle-only license
- The path to your endorsement
- Step 1, Get your motorcycle temps (TIPIC)
- Step 2, Pass the skills test, or take an approved course
- Step 3, Get your endorsement issued at the Akron BMV
- Fees
- Hours & location
- What causes return trips
- Questions people ask at the counter
- Helpful next pages
- Before you come in
- Where this information comes from
Adding a motorcycle endorsement in Ohio is a sequence: get motorcycle temps, pass the skills test or approved course, then come to the Akron BMV to have the endorsement issued. The Akron BMV issues the credential, but the skills test itself is handled through Ohio’s exam-station process.
Here’s the split to know up front: the Akron BMV issues your motorcycle endorsement or license. The motorcycle skills test is administered on an off-street course (through the state’s exam/testing system or by completing an approved Motorcycle Ohio course), not at a deputy registrar. We put the endorsement on your card once you’ve met the requirement.
Endorsement vs. motorcycle-only license
Two ways to be legal on two wheels in Ohio:
- Motorcycle endorsement, added to your existing Ohio driver license. This is what most riders who already drive a car want.
- Motorcycle-only license, for someone who doesn’t hold a car license but wants to ride. It functions as your license, valid only for motorcycles.
Either way, the requirements to earn the privilege are the same: a motorcycle knowledge test for the permit, then either a skills test or an approved rider course.
The path to your endorsement
| Step | Where | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle knowledge test → motorcycle TIPIC (temps) | Test through the official state path, then permit issuance at Akron BMV | Motorcycle temporary permit |
| Skills test or Motorcycle Ohio Basic Course | Off-street test course / approved rider course | Pass result or course completion card |
| Endorsement / license issuance | Deputy registrar / Akron BMV | Endorsement on your license, or motorcycle license |
Step 1, Get your motorcycle temps (TIPIC)
To get a Motorcycle or Motor Scooter TIPIC, you must be at least 15 years, 6 months of age and pass a motorcycle/motor scooter knowledge test. To prepare, study the Ohio Motorcycle Operator’s Manual and Section 4 of the Digest of Ohio Motor Vehicle Laws.
What to bring (originals or certified copies):
- Proof of full legal name, date of birth, and legal presence (passport or certified birth certificate)
- Proof of Social Security number
- Two proofs of Ohio residency from different sources
- Your current Ohio driver license, if adding an endorsement
- If under 18, a parent/guardian present to sign with their own ID
- Payment
Use the official state online or testing-location path for the motorcycle knowledge test unless the state system specifically offers a participating location. The Akron BMV issues the motorcycle TIPIC after you pass and bring the right documents.
A motorcycle TIPIC carries riding restrictions, no nighttime riding, no freeway riding, no passengers, and a helmet is required, until you complete the skills requirement and earn the endorsement.
Step 2, Pass the skills test, or take an approved course
There are two ways to satisfy the skills requirement:
Option A, The skills test
Schedule a skills test on an off-street course. You must present a valid TIPIC and wear a helmet and protective eyewear, and your motorcycle or motor scooter must be street-legal and in safe working condition. The test happens at a testing course, not at the Akron BMV.
Option B, Motorcycle Ohio Basic Course (recommended)
Complete an approved Motorcycle Ohio rider course (such as Basic Riding Skills). A Motorcycle Ohio Basic Course completion card waives the motorcycle skills test for 60 days from the date of issuance, bring it to the Akron BMV within that window. Beyond the waiver, the course is the single best way for new riders to build real safety skills.
Riders under 18: before testing for a motorcycle license or endorsement, you must first complete the probationary driver license requirements and driver education, 24 hours of classroom/online instruction plus 8 hours of driving time at an approved driving school.
Step 3, Get your endorsement issued at the Akron BMV
With a passing skills-test result or a valid Motorcycle Ohio completion card, come to the Akron BMV to have the motorcycle endorsement added to your license (or a motorcycle-only license issued).
What to bring:
- Your skills-test pass result or Motorcycle Ohio completion card (within 60 days)
- Your valid motorcycle TIPIC
- Your current Ohio license (for an endorsement)
- A parent/guardian to sign if under 18
- Payment
The clerk verifies everything, takes a new photo if needed, collects the fee, and issues the updated credential. You leave with interim documentation; the card arrives by mail.
Fees
From the Ohio BMV fee schedule (last updated 9/30/2025), including the deputy registrar service fee. Confirm current fees on bmv.ohio.gov.
| Transaction | 4-year | 8-year |
|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle-only license | $27.50 | $54.00 |
| Motorcycle or moped TIPIC (temps) | $25.50 | N/A |
| Moped license | $24.00 | $47.00 |
Fees and figures change. Verify current amounts on bmv.ohio.gov before your visit.
If you add an endorsement to an existing license, the final amount depends on whether the BMV issues a new, renewal, or duplicate credential as part of the transaction. Confirm the exact total before you pay.
Motorcycle Ohio course fees are separate and set by the course provider; see motorcycle.ohio.gov.
Hours & location
Akron BMV, Ohio Deputy Registrar Agency 7731 688 Wolf Ledges Parkway, Akron, OH 44311
- Phone: (330) 434-3134
- Weekday hours: Monday-Friday 8 AM-5 PM
- Saturday: 8 AM-1 PM
For directions, parking, and a map, see hours, location & directions.
What causes return trips
- Going to the Akron BMV for the skills test. The skills test is on an off-street course; the Akron BMV issues the endorsement afterward.
- Letting the Motorcycle Ohio waiver lapse. The completion card waives the skills test for only 60 days, bring it in within that window.
- Riding outside TIPIC restrictions. No night, no freeway, no passengers, helmet required until you earn the endorsement.
- Showing up to test with an unsafe or non-street-legal bike, or without a helmet and eye protection, you’ll be turned away.
- Skipping driver-ed (under 18). Younger riders must complete probationary license requirements and driver education first.
Questions people ask at the counter
Do I need a separate license to ride a motorcycle in Ohio? You need either a motorcycle endorsement on your existing driver license or a motorcycle-only license. Both require a motorcycle knowledge test and a skills test (or an approved Motorcycle Ohio course).
Where do I take the motorcycle skills test? On an off-street testing course, not at the Akron BMV. Bring a valid TIPIC, a helmet, and eye protection, on a street-legal bike. Or take a Motorcycle Ohio course to waive the test.
How does the Motorcycle Ohio course waiver work? A Motorcycle Ohio Basic Course completion card waives the skills test for 60 days from issuance. Bring it to the Akron BMV within 60 days to get your endorsement.
How old do I have to be? You can get a motorcycle/motor scooter TIPIC at 15 years, 6 months. Riders under 18 must also complete probationary license requirements and driver education before testing.
Can the Akron BMV add the endorsement the same day? Yes, once you bring a passing skills result or a valid course completion card, we issue the endorsement and you leave with interim documentation; the card arrives by mail.
What are the restrictions while I’m on temps? A motorcycle TIPIC prohibits nighttime riding, freeway riding, and carrying passengers, and requires a helmet, until you earn the full endorsement.
Helpful next pages
Before you come in
Earned your skills result or course card? Bring it to the Akron BMV to get your endorsement. Get in Line Online or walk in, with the right documents in hand.
Where this information comes from
- Ohio BMV, Motorcycle / Motor Scooter (driver license): https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/dl-mo-motorcycle.aspx
- Motorcycle Ohio, Rider Courses (Basic Riding Skills): https://motorcycle.ohio.gov/information-for-riders/rider-courses/basic-riding-skills-2
- Motorcycle Ohio, Operator Laws and Regulations: https://motorcycle.ohio.gov/rider-safety-resources/operator-laws-and-regulations
- Ohio BMV, Documents & Fees (updated 9/30/2025): https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/doc-fees.aspx