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United Kingdom · Theory test

Getting a motorbike driving licence: steps and categories

In England, Scotland and Wales a full motorbike driving licence takes five steps: a provisional licence from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), compulsory basic training (CBT), the motorcycle theory test, module 1 and then module 2. Which category you end up with, AM, A1, A2 or A, depends on your age and the bike you take the tests on. Northern Ireland has its own rules.

  • 4Moped and motorbike licence categories
  • 15 years and 9 monthsYoungest age to apply for a provisional
  • Before 19 January 2013Licences that keep their old entitlements
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

How do you get a full motorbike driving licence?

  1. Apply to DVLA for a provisional licence, online or with form D1 from a Post Office.
  2. Complete CBT with a training school. You can then ride on L plates while you learn.
  3. Pass the motorcycle theory test, before or after CBT.
  4. Pass module 1, the off-road test.
  5. Pass module 2, the on-road test. You can ride without L plates straight away.

Your CBT certificate and your theory pass both have time limits, so plan the riding tests to fit inside them.

GOV.UK: Apply for your first provisional driving licence ↗What happens on a CBT course →

UK motorcycle licence categories explained

CategoryMinimum ageWhat you can ride
AM16Mopeds with a top design speed over 25 km/h and up to 45 km/h, and light quad bikes
A117Light motorbikes up to 125cc and 11kW, and motor tricycles up to 15kW
A219Motorbikes up to 35kW, plus everything in A1
A24 by direct access, 21 by progressive accessAny motorbike, and motor tricycles over 15kW
Moped licence (AM) →A1 motorbike test →A2 motorbike test →Full A licence by direct access →

Direct access or progressive access?

Direct access means taking the tests straight on the bike you want once you’re old enough for that category. Progressive access, also called staged access, means holding A1 or A2 for at least 2 years and then passing module 1 and module 2 again on the next category up. You don’t take another theory test or CBT to move up that way.

Learner rules on a provisional motorcycle licence

  • Complete CBT before you ride on the road
  • Display L plates, or L or D plates in Wales
  • Don’t carry a pillion passenger or pull a trailer
  • Don’t ride on motorways
  • On a bike over 125cc and 11kW, ride only with an approved instructor on another motorcycle, in radio contact
GOV.UK: The Highway Code, annex 2 ↗Motorcycle rider training courses →

Licences in Northern Ireland

The categories are the same, but the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) runs different riding tests and adds rules such as R plates after you pass.

Motorbike tests in Northern Ireland →
Sources: GOV.UK · DVSA on GOV.UK · nidirect and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

Explore

Everything else, in one place

OverviewWhere to learnBookingCostPass markHazard perceptionCBTRiding test

Licence categories

Moped (AM)A1A2Full A

Modules and training

Module 1Module 2Training

Theory test help

BooksCar vs bikeChanges

Where to take it

Test centresNorthern Ireland