How do I obtain Motorcycle License or Endorsement?    
Contact a driver's license examination station to make an appointment for the on-cycle examination. No fee is charged for this test. The examination stations are located in the back of the Motorcycle Operators Manual.

You must bring a street legal motorcycle to the examination site and you must wear a helmet and eye protection during the test.

After you have passed the On-Cycle Test, the examiner will fill out and validate the blue copy of the driving permit from your packet. The blue permit, red permit, and your drivers license (if you have one) must be presented to the license agency to receive your motorcycle license or to add a motorcycle endorsement to your current valid license. A fee is charged for issuing this new license.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you must show proof of completing all GDL requirements and a motorcycle safety course before you are eligible to take the On-Cycle Test, to obtain a motorcycle license or endorsement.

If you are 18 years old or above, you are not required to complete either course to take the On-Cycle Test. However, completion of the motorcycle course will help provide you with the skills to pass the test.

What is required to pass Ohio's Endorsement Test?    
Ohio's Motorcycle Endorsement test is an On-Cycle Test based on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Alternate Motorcycle Operator Skill Test (ALT-MOST), which consists of seven different skill exercises. These seven exercises evaluate your ability to perform basic vehicle control, rider judgment, and hazard response skills. These skills are evaluated by the applicants performing a sharp turn, normal stop, cone weave, U-turn, quick stop, and obstacle swerve.

The test may be terminated due to equipment failure, point accumulation, falling or dropping the motorcycle, disregard for instructions, committing an unsafe act or failure to understand or follow instructions. If at any time you feel an exercise is too difficult you my stop the test. However, you must complete the entire test to pass it.

If you are having trouble passing this test or are apprehensive, consider taking a Rider Training Course. There is the Basic Rider Course called the BRC.  Call 1-800-83RIDER for more information on the BRC. 

The following are the four portions of the riding skill evaluation known as the On-Cycle Test:

Run Number One
Applicants will be asked to ride a straight line, make a sharp left hand turn, and stop with their front tire in the box.
Run Number Two
Applicants will go through a cone weave, make a sweeping right turn and then demonstrate a U-turn in a box.
Run Number Three
Applicants will accelerate, stabilize speed at 12-20 mph from a starting point, ride through a set of cones and make a quick stop. Testing is based on the applicant's ability to stop in a predetermined stopping distance relative to the speed traveled.
Run Number Four
Applicants will be asked to drive a straight line, from a starting point, through two cones and swerve to the right or left around an obstacle box.

• Sufficient advance notice is given
• The mobile training unit is available
• A suitable riding area is secured
• Training is not available in your area
  
  Click here to find mobile training locations near you

What is the T-CLOCK inspection procedure?        
T-CLOCK is an acronym for the letters of the major items that should be checked prior to each time the motorcycle is ridden. The T-CLOCK acronym stands for:  

• T:  Tires & wheels
• C:  Controls
• L:   Lights
• O:  Oil
• C:  Chassis
• K:  Kickstand

What is the Motorcycle Ohio "Saved by the Helmet" program?        
The "Saved by the Helmet" program increases public awareness about the value of motorcycle helmets by publicly recognizing individuals whose use of a helmet, when involved in a motorcycle crash, prevented serious head injury.

Persons involved in recently-occurring crashes can be considered. The crashes must be certified through state records. Candidates for membership can be nominated either by the investigating officer or by someone with knowledge of the crash. Nomination of persons cited for serious offenses like driving under the influence or those who survived when another individual died would be discouraged.

Local law enforcement departments and other agencies are invited to join the Ohio State Highway Patrol in this program. The agency investigating the crash or nominating the candidate will present the "Saved by the Helmet" certificates, license plate badge and lapel pins to the candidates.

What are Ohio's laws about alcohol and riding?        

Alcohol and Ohio Law
Motor Vehicle operators arrested for suspected impaired driving, under Ohio law will:

• Be asked to take a sobriety test. If the test results are .08% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) or above the operator will be charged with DUI.
  

• Immediately have their license taken away by the arresting law enforcement officer and be immediately placed under license suspension.
  

• Lose their driver's license for at least 90 days and will be subject to other court penalties.
  
  
• Refusal to take the sobriety test will result in automatic loss of driver's license for one full year!

What is Motorcycle Ohio's address and phone number?       

Ohio Department of Public Safety
Motorcycle Ohio
1970 West Broad Street 4th Floor
P.O. Box 182081
Columbus, Ohio 43218-2081
Toll Free: 1-800-83-RIDER
Phone: 614-466-4041
Fax: 614-728-8330