How to Get Your Motorcycle Licence in BC (Class 6)

The BC path at a glance

BC has two different paths, and which one you're on depends on the licence you already hold.

• If you already hold a full BC driver's licence (Class 1–5): knowledge test → Class 6L learner → motorcycle skills test → Class 6 road test → full Class 6. No novice stage.
• If you're a new driver, or hold a car L or N: knowledge test → Class 8L learner → motorcycle skills test → Class 8 road test → Class 8N novice → Class 6 road test → full Class 6. Class 8 is the Graduated Licensing Program's motorcycle class, and that second road test is a required step, not a fallback.

Step by step

1. Study Learn to Ride Smart. ICBC's official riding guide is the source for every knowledge-test question — signs, rules, and rider-specific skills like lane position and hazard scanning. Reinforce it with free practice tests in the ICBC format. You must be at least 16.
2. Pass the knowledge test. 40 multiple-choice questions on a touch-screen kiosk at a driver licensing office, 80% to pass (32 correct), about 30 minutes. Bring accepted ID and your glasses or contacts if you wear them — there's a vision screening too. Our road signs guide covers the entire signs portion with pictures.
3. Ride as a learner. You get a Class 6L (or 8L) learner licence, and the conditions are stricter than most people expect: you must stay within sight of a qualified supervisor who holds a full Class 6 licence (19+ for 6L, 25+ for 8L), you must not exceed 60 km/h, no passengers, and daylight hours only. Class 8L riders must also display an L sign.
4. Pass the Motorcycle Skills Test (MST). A roughly 15-minute assessment in a paved lot: identifying controls, hand signals, stands, slow-speed clutch control, a slalom, braking, a controlled emergency stop, u-turns and three-point turns. Passing it removes the supervisor requirement and the 60 km/h limit — the daylight and passenger restrictions stay until you pass a road test.
5. Pass your road test(s). An examiner follows you through real traffic — typically in a car, in radio contact — assessing observation, lane position, and control. Full-licence holders take the Class 6 road test and are done. GLP riders take the Class 8 road test first, hold Class 8N for 24 prohibition-free months, then take the Class 6 road test.

Certified training can skip the ICBC skills test. This is the part most riders don't realise: per ICBC, if you take a course at a certified rider training school and qualify, the school's assessment replaces the ICBC motorcycle skills test — and you skip the waiting period before it. Training isn't just "recommended" in BC; it can shorten the whole process, and it's usually where riders learn the slow-speed control the MST is testing for.

The bike you test on matters

Take your road test on a motorcycle of 200cc or less and you'll be licensed with a restriction that stops you carrying passengers until you retest on a larger bike. Test on a scooter and you get a scooters-only restriction. It's a common and expensive mistake — make sure the bike you book with matches the licence you actually want, and that it's insured and registered.

What it costs

Budget $15 for the knowledge test and about $50 for the Class 6 road test, plus licensing fees — and course fees if you take rider training. The motorcycle skills test itself is free at ICBC. GLP riders pay separately for the Class 8 road test as well. Fees change; check ICBC's current fee schedule before you book.

Fees, learner conditions, and wait periods change and differ by GLP status — and BC's Graduated Licensing Program is changing in October 2026. This guide describes the process as of 2026; always confirm current requirements with ICBC.

How to pass the knowledge test on the first try

The written test rewards familiarity with the question format as much as the material. Practice by topic until every chapter sits above 80%, then run full-length mock exams. The free BC practice test mirrors the ICBC format — 40 questions, 80% to pass, illustrated signs — and tracks which chapters still need work.

Frequently asked questions

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Unofficial guide — not affiliated with ICBC or any licensing authority. Rules, fees, and formats change; always verify current requirements with ICBC.