Motorcycle licence

Before you are allowed to ride a motorcycle, you must have a separate motorcycle licence, which is known as the category A licence. To obtain a category A licence you must pass both a theory and a practical test. If you already have a car licence (category B licence) you are allowed to start practical motorcycle lessons immediately. If you do not yet have a car, you must first obtain a category A theory certificate before getting on a training motorcycle.

Your age determines which motorcycle you are allowed to use for your practical test. If you are under 21, you must take the test for the category A licence on a light motorcycle. A light motorcycle has a maximum power of 25 kilowatts and no more than 0.16 kilowatts per kilo of tare weight. If you pass you will receive a category A driving licence that will only be valid for riding light motorcycles for two years from the issue date (restricted category A licence). After these two years, that restriction will expire and you will also be allowed to ride a heavy motorcycle, without having to pass another test.

If you are 21 or above, you may decide for yourself whether you wish to take the light or the heavy test. If you take the heavy test, you will receive a category A licence, which allows you to ride a heavy motorcycle immediately. If you choose the light test, you will only be allowed to ride a light motorcycle for two years from the date when the licence is issued.

In 2012, the new European rules relating to licences will come into force. The European Parliament has approved the proposals and they are now definitive. However, each country will be allowed to make its own decisions within certain margins.

A light motorcycle category of up to 125 cc will be added. For this category the European minimum age will be 16, but the Netherlands will probably opt for a higher minimum age together with a number of other countries. The current restricted category A licence (currently up to 25 kW) will be extended to 35 kW. The minimum age for this category will be at least two years above the minimum age for light motorcycles.

For the unrestricted category riders will then require at least two years of experience on a motorcycle in the restricted category (up to 35 kW). This is already the case in the Netherlands. Direct access to the heavy category will be subject to a minimum age of at least 24. This is stricter than the current system in the Netherlands.

Since 1991, it has no longer been prohibited for motorcyclists to ride in between traffic jam queues. As overtaking is possible in many different ways, rules have been agreed about how a motorcyclist must overtake a queue of cars. These rules are set down in ‘Working together in queues’ ('Samenspel in de file', only in Dutch).