Motorbike Licence Categories Explained

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There are four motorbike licence categories in Great Britain: AM, A1, A2 and A. Each one comes with a minimum age and a limit on how powerful a bike you can ride, and there's more than one route through them. Where you start depends on how old you are and whether you already hold a car licence. This guide covers what each category lets you ride, how CBT and the tests fit in, and how your licence affects insuring a bike. Northern Ireland has its own rules, set out on nidirect.

The categories at a glance

Category What you can ride Minimum age How you get it Insurance
AM Mopeds with a top speed of 25–45 km/h, small three-wheelers up to 50cc and below 4kW, and light quadricycles 16 CBT, theory test and practical test Moped insurance
A1 Light motorcycles up to 125cc and 11kW, with a power-to-weight ratio of no more than 0.1kW per kg, and trikes up to 15kW 17 CBT, theory test and practical test 125cc motorbike insurance
A2 Motorcycles up to 35kW, with a power-to-weight ratio of no more than 0.2kW per kg. A restricted bike counts only if the original isn't more than twice as powerful. 19 Directly, with a theory and practical test, or after 2 years on an A1 bike and a further practical test Motorbike insurance
A Any motorcycle, with or without a sidecar, and trikes over 15kW 24, or 21 by progressive access Directly from 24, with CBT, theory and practical tests, or from 21 after holding A2 for at least 2 years and passing a practical test Motorbike insurance

These are GOV.UK's definitions. An AM licence also gives you category Q, which covers lower-speed mopeds.

Starting out: your provisional licence and CBT

You can apply for a provisional licence once you're 15 years and 9 months old. It usually covers mopeds, light motorcycles and cars, with each category starting from its minimum age. So a 16-year-old's licence will usually show car entitlement starting from their 17th birthday. The back of the photocard lists each category on its own line, so AM, A1, A2 and A each appear separately.

Before riding on the road, you need to complete compulsory basic training (CBT). It's a course with an approved training school, which GOV.UK says "usually lasts a full day". Once you've done it, GOV.UK says you can ride:

  • a moped, if you're 16 or over
  • a "motorcycle up to 125cc and with a power output of up to 11kW if you're 17 or over"

As a learner you must:

CBT isn't a licence in itself. GOV.UK says you must pass your theory test and full moped or motorcycle test within 2 years, "otherwise you'll need to complete CBT … again or stop riding". Riding without a valid CBT certificate can mean a fine of up to £1,000 and up to 6 penalty points.

Passing the tests

Every route to a full moped or motorcycle licence goes through the same tests:

  1. Theory test.
  2. Module 1: an off-road test of control skills.
  3. Module 2: an on-road riding test.

You must pass module 1 before taking module 2, and pass both within 2 years of your theory test. There's no minimum number of lessons before you can book. GOV.UK publishes the current test fees.

The bike you take the test on

For a motorcycle licence, the test bike has to match the category you're applying for (GOV.UK):

Category Engine size Power Other
A1 120–125cc Up to 11kW Power-to-weight up to 0.1kW per kg
A2 At least 245cc 20–35kW Power-to-weight up to 0.2kW per kg
A At least 595cc At least 50kW At least 175kg without a rider

Note that the A1 licence covers bikes up to 125cc. The 120cc minimum applies only to the bike you take the test on.

Automatic or manual

If you pass on an automatic or semi-automatic bike, GOV.UK says "you'll only get a licence for those types of motorcycle". To ride a manual bike afterwards, you'd need to pass on one.

Electric bikes

You can take your test on an electric bike if it "has the same engine power as the petrol version" and "can keep that power for at least 30 minutes". GOV.UK calls this the continuous power rating, and suggests checking it with the manufacturer.

Direct access or progressive access

There are two ways to reach the bigger categories:

  • A2: directly from 19, by passing the theory and practical tests on an A2 bike, or progressively, after 2 years' experience on an A1 bike and a further practical test.
  • A: directly from 24, or from 21 if you've held an A2 licence for at least 2 years and pass a further practical test.

As a learner, you can't ride a bike over 125cc or 11kW on your own. The Highway Code says you must meet the minimum age for the category, have completed CBT, and be "accompanied by an approved instructor on another motorcycle in radio contact". DVSA's direct access guidance adds that you must wear fluorescent or reflective clothing and display L plates (D plates in Wales) while you're being supervised.

If you already have a car licence

What a car licence lets you ride depends on when you passed your test (GOV.UK):

  • Before 1 February 2001: you can ride a moped up to 50cc without L plates, without CBT and without a moped test.
  • On or after 1 February 2001: you get a full moped licence once you've done CBT, or by doing CBT and then passing your car test within 2 years. You can then ride a moped without L plates, and the entitlement lasts as long as your car licence.

Anything bigger than a 50cc moped needs CBT, and you then ride it as a learner. A full car licence lets you ride other kinds of vehicle on the same conditions as a provisional licence (Road Traffic Act 1988, section 98), so the L plate, passenger and motorway rules above apply to you too. Our guide to 125cc motorbike insurance sets this out in a table.

Trikes

Motor tricycles follow their own rules (GOV.UK). You can ride a trike of any power if you're over 21 and hold a full car licence. Otherwise you need a full A1 licence for trikes up to 15kW, or a full A licence above that. A provisional car or motorcycle licence now covers trikes only if you have a physical disability.

If the category A line on the back of your licence shows the code 79 (3), that entitlement is "restricted to tricycles" (GOV.UK licence codes). It doesn't let you ride a two-wheeled motorcycle.

Licences issued before 19 January 2013

The categories changed in January 2013. If you held a moped or motorcycle licence before then, you keep your existing entitlements, though a new licence may show them differently:

  • older moped entitlement shows as category P, and newer licences also show AM and Q
  • motorcycle entitlement stays as category A
  • holders of the old trike category B1 will see B1 and A, with the A entitlement limited to tricycles

How your licence affects your insurance

When you get a motorbike insurance quote, you'll usually be asked which licence you hold and how long you've held it. Insurers can take both into account, along with your age and riding experience.

Make sure the bike fits your entitlement. Riding a vehicle your licence doesn't cover is an offence (Road Traffic Act 1988, section 87). Insurance policies generally only cover riders who hold the right licence for the vehicle, so you could be left uninsured as well. The same goes for riding a manual bike on an automatic-only licence, or a two-wheeler on a trike-only entitlement.

Passing a test or moving up a category may change what insurers offer you, so it's worth comparing quotes again when your licence changes. Comparing quotes through this site lets you see prices from 25+ providers, including if you're on a provisional licence:

Changes under review

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) consulted on changes to moped and motorcycle training, testing and licensing between January and May 2026. The proposals included:

  • changing how long CBT certificates stay valid
  • adding a theory test before, or as part of, CBT
  • restricting riders who take CBT on an automatic to automatic bikes
  • a course for riders upgrading their licence through progressive access

No decision has been published yet, so the rules above still apply. We'll update this guide when the outcome is announced.