Apply for a New Motorcycle Safety School License

A school must have a valid license to conduct training in motorcycle operation in exchange for compensation, unless the school is otherwise exempt from licensing.

Application and Fee

To apply for a new school license, begin by submitting a completed Motorcycle School License Application Form (PDF) with the non-refundable application fee of $100.

A motorcycle school license is valid for two years after the date of issuance.

You will need to include with your application materials certain information about the business as well as details about the courses you intend to offer (see below).

Business Information

Controlling Persons

Your application form must list all “controlling persons” in your organization. A controlling person may include:

• a sole proprietor
• a general partner of a partnership
• controlling person of a business entity that is a general partner of a partnership
• anyone who possesses direct or indirect control of at least 25% of the voting securities of a corporation
• the president, secretary, or a director of a corporation
• anyone who has authority to set policy or direct the management of a business entity

Instructor Listings

Include with your application form, a list of all instructors who will be employed or under contract to provide services at your school.

Inventory of Facilities and Equipment

Provide a list of all real property that will be used to meet the training site requirements (e.g. driving area, classroom, etc. ) and proof that you own, or have written authorization by the owner to use, each property.

You must also provide a list of motorcycles, if any, that will be available for use by students, including for each motorcycle the year, make, model, and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

Range Site Approval

You must request approval from TDLR for the operation of a motorcycle training range before the range can be used for student training.

To avoid delays in issuing your license, please submit a completed range application form with your license application materials.

See the Training Range Site Approval page for details on how to complete a range application form.

Insurance Requirement

You will need to include proof of insurance with your application materials.

A motorcycle school must be covered by an insurance policy that provides at least $2 million in liability coverage and $10,000 in medical payments coverage.

Curriculum Offerings

Include with your application materials, a list of the TDLR approved courses that you intend to offer to students.

Also include proof of ownership of, or your authority to offer, each course.

Exemptions from Licensing

A motorcycle or ATV training school is not required to be licensed, if it meets the following criteria:

• the course is taught by law enforcement agencies to law enforcement officers, or
• the course is not advertised or otherwise claimed to meet the training requirement for a Class M driver’s license and:
  • provides instruction only in off-road dirt bike training for use on trails, tracks, or other nonpublic roadways; or
  • provides instruction only in motorcycle racing techniques on a racetrack for the purpose of motorcycle racing competition

Applicants with Criminal Convictions

If you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor (other than a minor traffic violation) or pleaded guilty or no contest (resulting in a deferred adjudication) to any in-state, out-of-state or federal criminal offense, you must provide a completed Criminal History Questionnaire (PDF) along with your application materials.

TDLR will conduct a criminal history background check on all persons who apply for a license. Criminal convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Licenses may be denied based on the nature of the conviction and how long prior to the application the conviction occurred. Depending on your criminal history, a review can take from one to six weeks to complete.

Individuals may request TDLR review their criminal background before actually applying for a license. TDLR uses the same process for this pre-application evaluation as the process described below. See the Criminal History Evaluation Letter page for more information.

Please see the Guidelines for License Applicants with Criminal Convictions, which describe the process that TDLR uses to determine whether a criminal conviction renders an applicant an unsuitable candidate for the license, or whether a conviction warrants revocation or suspension of a license previously granted.