The requirement
RCW 46.20.500 is short and direct: no person may drive either a two-wheeled or a three-wheeled motorcycle, or a motor-driven cycle, unless that person has a valid driver license specially endorsed by the director.
The endorsement is an addition to a license you already hold. It is not a separate license, and there is no version of a Washington driver license that includes motorcycles automatically.
The penalty is not just a ticket
Riding without the endorsement is a traffic infraction subject to the base penalty under RCW 46.63.110, plus an additional $250. That extra $250 is deposited into the state motorcycle safety education account, which is the fund behind rider training in Washington.
There is a certain irony there worth pointing out: the money you pay for riding untrained goes toward training other riders. It costs less to take the course.
Who does not need one
The statute carves out several vehicle types.
- Mopeds. A person 16 or older with a valid driver license may operate a moped without a special examination.
- Electric-assisted bicycles. No license required, though a person under 16 may not operate a class 3 e-bike.
- Motorized foot scooters, subject to speed and age restrictions, and electric personal assistive mobility devices and power wheelchairs.
- Enclosed three-wheelers. A holder of a valid driver license may operate a motorcycle as defined in RCW 46.04.330(2) without an endorsement.
That last exemption, explained
RCW 46.04.330 defines a motorcycle as a motor vehicle designed to travel on not more than three wheels, not counting stabilizing conversion kits, where the driver either:
- rides on a seat or saddle and it is steered with a handlebar, or
- rides on a seat in a partially or completely enclosed seating area with safety belts and it is steered with a steering wheel.
Category two is the enclosed, car-like three-wheeler, sometimes called an autocycle. Because RCW 46.20.500 exempts that category, a driver license alone is enough for it.
This is the single most misread rule in Washington motorcycle licensing, because people extend it to any three-wheeler. It does not reach an open three-wheeler you steer with handlebars. A Can-Am style machine with handlebars and no enclosed cab is category one, and it needs a three-wheel endorsement. We break the two apart in 2-wheel vs 3-wheel endorsement.
How you actually get endorsed
Two tests stand between you and the endorsement: a knowledge test and a skills test. You can take both at the DOL, or you can complete an approved training course, which can waive that testing. Most riders choose the course, because it comes with the motorcycle, an instructor, and a range instead of a parking lot and your own bike.
WMST is contracted with the Washington DOL, so we train riders and administer the official tests in the same place. The full path is laid out on how to get your endorsement, and the testing guide explains the waiver mechanics.