Class M is California’s motorcycle license. It comes in two grades — M1 for motorcycles and M2 for mopeds and motor-driven cycles — and you can hold it on its own or add it to an existing Class C license.
This page is the quick version: the M1-vs-M2 difference, how Class M relates to your car license, and how to get one. For the permit rules, the California Motorcyclist Safety Program (CMSP) course, and the skills test in depth, see the full motorcycle guide.
M1 vs M2
The two grades differ by what they let you ride:
- Class M1 — any two-wheel motorcycle, including on the freeway. This is the one most riders want. Minimum age 16 (permit at 15½).
- Class M2 — mopeds and motor-driven cycles only (smaller-engine machines, no freeway riding). It’s a narrower license; M1 already covers everything M2 does.
If you’re unsure, most riders should get M1 — it’s the same fee and covers full-size motorcycles.
Class M vs Class C
They authorize different vehicles, and they’re independent:
- A Class C license covers cars and light trucks up to 26,000 lbs — but not motorcycles.
- A Class M covers motorcycles — but not cars.
If you drive a car and ride a motorcycle, you need both — which is why Class M is usually added to an existing Class C. If you only ride, you can hold a Class M on its own.
How to get a Class M
The process mirrors any other license, with a motorcycle-specific test:
- Pass the knowledge test based on the California Motorcycle Handbook.
- Pass a skills test, or complete an approved CMSP training course — which waives the DMV skills test and is required for riders under 21.
- Apply at a DMV office with form DL 44 and pay the $46 fee (the same whether standalone or added to an existing license).
- Riders under 18 must first hold a motorcycle instruction permit.
Where to take the test
Not every DMV office administers the motorcycle skills test. Before you book, check which nearby offices offer it — or complete a CMSP course to skip the DMV skills test entirely.
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