A 16-year-old passes the New York motorcycle road test. Which license class does section 501 issue?VTL 501(2)(a)(viii)
A New York driver holds a class D license and a learner's permit for class M at the same time. How does section 509(5) treat this?VTL 509(5)
A New York rider holds only a class D license. Which two-wheelers does section 501 let that license cover?VTL 501(2)(a)(iv)
How closely must a New York motorcycle learner's permit holder be supervised while riding, under section 501(5)(c)?VTL 501(5)(c)
How long does a New York learner's permit stay valid under section 503(1)(b)?VTL 503(1)(b)
How many hours of actual motorcycle operation must an approved New York rider training course include, under section 410-a?VTL 410-a(1)
May a New York class M license holder tow a trailer behind a motorcycle under section 501?VTL 501(2)(a)(vii)
Under section 502(3), what must a New York applicant pass before any learner's permit is issued?VTL 502(3)
What happens to a New York class MJ license on the day its holder turns 18?VTL 501(2)(a)(viii)
What is the minimum age for a New York class MJ license, and what must come with the application?VTL 502(2)(d)
What is the normal minimum age for a New York class M license under section 502(2)?VTL 502(2)(c)
Where in New York does section 501(3) prohibit driving on a class MJ license altogether?VTL 501(3)(c)
Which New York license class is valid for any motorcycle?VTL 501(2)(a)(vii)
Who may ride as a passenger with a New York motorcycle learner's permit holder?VTL 501(5)(c)
Who may supervise a New York motorcycle learner's permit holder under section 501(5)?VTL 501(5)(a)
Show all 76 questions (61 more)
Helmets, lamps and equipment 25
A New York motorcycle has a sidecar attached. How many lamps does section 381(1)(a) then require?VTL 381(1)(a)
A New York rider fits an exhaust system that is louder than the one the motorcycle came with. How does section 381(11) treat it?VTL 381(11)
At what distance does section 386 measure a New York motorcycle's sound level?VTL 386(3)(d)
From how far must the rear lamp make a New York motorcycle's number plate readable?VTL 381(1)(a)
From how far must the red rear reflector on a New York motorcycle be visible at night in undimmed headlights?VTL 381(4)
How far ahead must the front lighting of a New York motorcycle be visible under section 381(1)(a)?VTL 381(1)(a)
How high may the handlebars or grips of a motorcycle be in New York?VTL 381(5)
How many number plates does the commissioner issue for a New York motorcycle under section 410(3)?VTL 410(3)
How often must a motorcycle registered in New York pass a safety inspection under section 301?VTL 301(a)
May the red rear reflector required by New York's section 381(4) be part of the rear lamp?VTL 381(4)
Section 381(7) of New York law names one person who must wear goggles or a face shield. Who?VTL 381(7)
Section 381(12) bans exhaust devices built so the baffling can be taken out. Which New York motorcycles does it leave alone?VTL 381(12)
What color may the stop lamp of a New York motorcycle show under section 381(1)(a)?VTL 381(1)(a)
What color of light may show from directly in front of an ordinary New York motorcycle?VTL 381(3)
What does New York's section 381(11) call an exhaust device with no internal baffles?VTL 381(11)
What does section 381(8) require of a wind screen fitted to a New York-registered motorcycle?VTL 381(8)
What must a New York motorcycle operator wear over the eyes under section 381(7)?VTL 381(7)
What must a New York-registered motorcycle carry under section 381(10)?VTL 381(10)
What sound level may a New York motorcycle not exceed where the speed limit is 35 miles an hour or less?VTL 386(3)(d)
When may New York riders lawfully go without helmets under section 381(6)?VTL 381(6)
When must a New York motorcycle show a lighted lamp in front and one at the rear?VTL 381(1)(a)
Where the New York speed limit is over 35 miles an hour, what is the motorcycle sound limit in section 386?VTL 386(3)(d)
Which New York motorcycles must have brakes on both the front and rear wheels?VTL 381(1-a)
Which standard must a New York rider's helmet meet under section 381(6)?VTL 381(6)
Who must wear a helmet on a motorcycle in New York?VTL 381(6)
Passengers, seating and loads 10
A New York motorcyclist grabs the side of a moving truck for a tow uphill. What does section 1253 say?VTL 1253
A New York rider wants to carry a bundle in one hand while riding. What does section 1251(c) say?VTL 1251(c)
Besides other vehicles, what does New York's section 1253 name as something a motorcycle rider may not cling to?VTL 1253
Does New York's section 1251(d) bind the passenger as well as the operator?VTL 1251(d)
How must a person sit on the seat of a New York motorcycle under section 1251(b)?VTL 1251(b)
Section 1251(d) of New York law stops an operator from carrying a person in a position that interferes with what?VTL 1251(d)
When may a New York motorcycle carry a passenger at all, under section 1251(a)?VTL 1251(a)
Where may a passenger sit on a New York motorcycle built for two?VTL 1251(a)
Where must the operator of a New York motorcycle sit?VTL 1251(a)
Who is excused from New York's rule that riders sit astride and face forward?VTL 1251(b)
Lane use and signals 8
A car in New York squeezes alongside a motorcycle inside the motorcycle's lane. Which rule does the driver break?VTL 1252(a)
From which side of the vehicle must New York hand and arm signals be given?VTL 1165
How many motorcycles may ride side by side in one lane in New York?VTL 1252(d)
How much of a traffic lane is a motorcycle entitled to in New York?VTL 1252(a)
May a New York motorcyclist overtake a car while staying inside the car's own lane?VTL 1252(b)
Traffic is stopped in two lanes on a New York expressway. May a motorcyclist ride between the rows of cars?VTL 1252(c)
What does New York's section 1250 say about a motorcyclist's place in traffic law?VTL 1250
Which way does the hand and arm point for a right turn signal under New York's section 1165?VTL 1165
Limited use motorcycles and three-wheelers 13
A moped sold in New York tops out at 28 miles an hour. Which class is it under section 121-b?VTL 121-b
How does New York's section 123 define a motorcycle?VTL 123
May a limited use motorcycle use a controlled access highway in New York?VTL 2262(2)
May a New York class M applicant take the road test in a two-front-wheel, belted three-wheeler that is not straddled?VTL 502(4)(b)
New York lets class D and class M holders drive one kind of three-wheeler. Which features does section 501 list for it?VTL 501(2)(a)(iv)
What is a limited use motorcycle under New York's section 121-b?VTL 121-b
What is the most a New York class C limited use motorcycle can do?VTL 121-b
What top speed puts a New York limited use motorcycle in class A?VTL 121-b
When may a New York class B limited use motorcycle leave the right-hand lane under section 2262(1)?VTL 2262(1)
Where on a New York public highway may a class B or C limited use motorcycle ride?VTL 2262(1)
Which class of New York limited use motorcycle is excused from article 6, the compulsory insurance article?VTL 2265(3)
Which class of New York limited use motorcycle must pass the state safety inspection?VTL 2265(2)
Which New York limited use motorcycle riders are excused from the helmet and eye protection rules?VTL 2265(1)
Road rules that bind riders 2
Under New York's section 1164(a), how may a required stop or turn signal be given?VTL 1164(a)
When does New York's portable electronic device ban in section 1225-d apply to the operator of an ordinary motor vehicle?VTL 1225-d(1)
Alcohol and insurance 3
Under New York's section 311(4)(a), what is the minimum limit for the death of two or more people in one accident?VTL 311(4)(a)
What is the least property damage coverage that counts as proof of financial security for a New York motor vehicle?VTL 311(4)(a)
What minimum bodily injury limit for one person does New York's section 311(4)(a) set?VTL 311(4)(a)
How this list was compiled: Written from the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law as published by the New York State Senate at https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/VAT, checked 2026-09-19. Each question names its section and links to it. Exam facts on the page come from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license/get-motorcycle-license, checked 2026-09-19: a 20-question multiple-choice written test based on the Motorcycle Operator's Manual, with at least 14 correct to pass, including at least 2 of the 4 road sign questions, and a supervising rider aged 21 or older who holds a motorcycle license and stays within a quarter mile. That page gives no time limit, so none is used. This bank holds no road sign questions, so the two-of-four sign rule cannot be practiced here. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site from the statute text; nothing is copied from the New York State Motorcycle Operator's Manual, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation or another practice test.
How it works
The DMV bases its written test on the Motorcycle Operator's Manual. This unofficial New York motorcycle permit practice test covers something else, the Vehicle and Traffic Law itself: 76 questions with the section under every one, on helmets, eye protection, lane rules and class M and MJ. Sections checked September 2026.
Read the full guide
What New York law asks of riders
VTL 381 puts a helmet on every operator and passenger at any age, and goggles or a face shield on the operator. VTL 1252 allows two abreast and bans riding between rows. Under 18 the license is class MJ, which VTL 501(3) bars inside New York City. As a NY motorcycle permit test study guide, this bank covers the law alone.
The written test as the DMV describes it
The DMV's motorcycle license page, checked September 2026, describes 20 multiple-choice questions. Fourteen correct is a pass, with at least two of the four road sign questions among them. The page gives no time limit. Press Exam mode under the question, then Start the exam. Marks come at the end. This NYS motorcycle permit practice test is statute-only: no riding technique and no signs.
In the Start from menu, pick Permits, class M and class MJ first. Press Missed to retry wrong answers until you get them right. Clear my progress, pressed twice, wipes all scores and saved questions on this device.
Sort limited use motorcycles by top speed: class A to 40 mph, class B to 30, class C to 20. Only class C operators may skip the helmet.
Lights stay on day and night: VTL 381(1)(a) wants a lighted lamp front and rear.
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the New York motorcycle permit test?
Twenty, all multiple choice, says the DMV's motorcycle license page. Fourteen correct passes, if two of the four road sign questions are right. Exam mode here copies the DMV's 20 questions and 70% mark but not the sign rule, because this bank holds no sign questions.
What can I not do on a New York motorcycle learner's permit?
Under VTL 501(5) you ride only while a supervisor aged 21 or older, licensed for motorcycles, keeps general supervision. The DMV puts that at within a quarter mile. The statute names no distance. Your only lawful passenger holds a valid class M license.
Are these the answers to the real NY motorcycle permit test?
They are not. This is not a government website, is not affiliated with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and has never seen its questions. Every answer here is a section of the Vehicle and Traffic Law. The DMV's test draws on riding technique and road signs from its manual, so study that too.