According to current legislation, as of 2021, there are few types of transport on the territory of the Russian Federation that do not require a driver’s license. It is worth noting that category “M” can be obtained by minors aged 16 to 18 years. To obtain a license, a teenager must take paid driving courses, after which he must successfully pass the exam. It is easier for adults to immediately obtain an “A1” license, which includes categories “B” and “M”.
Driving license categories for driving a moped or scooter
Everything has become both simpler and more complex with the introduction of new categories a few years ago. Previously, a driver's license was not required to operate a scooter, but now it is required. So what kind of driver's license is needed for a moped? The answer is simple - category "M" . It is easy to open it; you just need to pass a theoretical exam on your knowledge of traffic rules, if you have already reached the age of 16 , as well as a practical exam.
It will also be automatically opened upon receipt of a license to drive a motorcycle, car or truck.
Is it possible to drive without a license?
A motorcyclist is a driver who drives high-risk vehicles. Therefore, any type of motor vehicle requires a license. After all, a license is a confirmation of driving competence.
But if you decide to ride a motorcycle without a license, know that you risk being fined. The first hit will cost 15,000 rubles, and subsequent hits will cost 30,000 rubles. Also, an irresponsible driver can be arrested for 15 days, and a motorcycle (moped/scooter) can be sent to a impound lot. The driver's license presented must have the category of the vehicle the driver is driving. That is, if it is a motorcycle of more than 125 cubic meters, then the license must be category “A” and not “A1” or “M”.
A driver driving onto a public road must remember that he is not alone on the road; there are also other road users and pedestrians. And it is desirable that when driving on public roads, the driver has well-honed driving skills.
Vehicle license
To answer the question of how many cubes you need a license for a scooter, just look at the latest edition of the Code of Administrative Offenses or the official website of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate . Now a driver's license with an open category "M" is required to drive anything, even a moped or scooter with a 50 cubic centimeter engine. And traffic police officers, by the way, regularly stop small-capacity motorcycles and check documents, so it’s not worth the risk.
Up to 50 cubic meters
This is where the moped category comes in handy. According to the rules, a moped is considered a two-wheeled vehicle with an engine of no more than 49.9 cubic centimeters and a maximum speed of up to 50 km/h . But no one has been paying attention to the second part of this long-outdated criterion, born in the USSR. Some Aprilia RS50 can easily accelerate to more than 100 km/h, but it still falls under the “M” category . still need .
More than 50 cubes
the “A1” subcategory was introduced , allowing you to drive motorcycles with an engine capacity from 50 to 125 cc. cm. Horsepower is not taken into account, as is the maximum speed, although de jure it should not exceed 4 kW. You can also open the “A1” subcategory . For a moped you need an M license, and for a motorcycle like the Yamaha YBR-125 you need an A1 license. That is why, by the way, many motorcycle schools began to massively purchase 150 cc Chinese bikes instead of the time-tested YBR-125, since they can be passed immediately to category “A”, which gives the right to drive any motorcycle at all.
From 150 cubic meters
Officially, there is no such division at all, since motorcycles with an engine of 125 cc or more fall under category “A” , which can now be taken from the age of 18 (previously it was possible from the age of 16).
The gradation is quite strange, since there is much less difference between a 50 cc scooter and a motorcycle with, for example, a 250 cc engine than between a similar small-capacity bike and a sportbike like the Yamaha YZF-R1. Category “A” included all motorcycles en masse, from budget “Chinese” and Soviet “Izhi” with Voskhods to incredibly powerful sportbikes and heavy touring Harley-Davidsons.
At what age can you drive a moped?
Previously, a moped license was not needed. Teenagers, starting at the age of 12-13, roamed the streets on mopeds. But it was a long time ago. Over time, the streets in cities became so crowded with transport that without certain knowledge and skills it became very dangerous to go there. Road traffic accidents involving underage drivers have become more frequent. Therefore, since 2013, a new clause has appeared in the legislation, which states that a moped or scooter now also requires a license. Now all mopeds and scooters must be registered. Each of them is assigned a license plate.
By the way, driving a moped or scooter without a helmet or with an unfastened helmet entails a fine of 1,000 rubles. Persons who have reached the age of 16 at the time of the offense bear administrative responsibility for violating the rules. If the offender cannot pay the fine himself, then it is paid by the offender’s parents. In addition, parents who allowed a child who does not have a driver’s license to drive a scooter or moped will bear administrative liability in accordance with Article 5.35 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation.
So, having reached the age of 16, you can safely go to a motorcycle school and get a license for a moped, scooter or small-capacity motorcycle. And then with these rights and with knowledge of the matter, you can go on the road.
Fine for not having a license for a scooter
It’s one thing if the driver doesn’t have a driver’s license at all and has never received one, and quite another if he just left it at home. In the latter case, the forgetful driver will face a modest fine of 500 rubles , but a lot of time will have to be spent, since the traffic police inspector will need to check the veracity of his words. But violators who never had a driver’s license will face a fine of 5,000 to 15,000 rubles . The exact figure here remains at the discretion of the inspector. The answer to the question of whether you need a license for a moped is clear - yes, you do , if you don’t want to pay huge fines.
Avoidance of punishment
The law does not provide for this. Of course, the inspector may let the offender go, but what are the chances of that? The same law directly obliges him to remove the driver from driving and issue him a fine for not having a driver's license . And attempting to bribe an inspector is a criminal offense.
Avoidance of punishment
How many cubes do you need permissions for?
Many people don’t take motorcycles seriously, so they don’t consider it necessary to follow traffic rules and are not at all interested in which motorcycles can be ridden without a license. However, a motorcycle is the same transport as all other types, so a meeting with a State Traffic Inspectorate inspector while driving without a license or in violation of the rules can result in serious trouble.
There is a misconception that you can avoid punishment in the following way:
- take off your helmet. Traffic police officers usually refuse to pursue a driver without the required equipment, so you can escape from the traffic police, but only to the first checkpoint, at which the driver will be fined not only for driving without a license, but also for lack of equipment and failure to comply with the inspector’s requirements to stop ;
- provide a passport. It is believed that the punishment for minor drivers is less severe. In fact, their parents (legal representatives) will receive a fine of 2.5 to 5 thousand rubles. At the same time, do not forget that the vehicle will be sent to an impound lot, the maintenance of which also needs to be paid for. And if a minor driver receives serious injuries as a result of an accident, the question of deprivation of parental rights may arise.
It turns out that there are no legal options to get around the fine for driving without a license. Therefore, you should not experiment, endangering not only yourself, but also other road users.
The procedure for registering rights to a scooter
Having reached the age of 16 , you must contact any traffic police department that issues driver's licenses. It is enough to submit the appropriate application, pay the state fee and pass the exams. You first need to pass a medical examination and undergo training at a motorcycle school, which is necessary in order for you to be allowed to take the exam. Everything is quite serious, but upon receipt of any license by a driver who has reached the age of 18, the “M” category will be opened automatically.
Who can get rights
To legally drive a moped, it is enough not to have health problems that are incompatible with driving, which must be confirmed by a medical board . At what age can you get a moped license? As already written above, from 16. But you will have to undergo a medical examination and training at school together with other drivers; the law does not make exceptions here. If you want to get a scooter, it is better to obtain a driver's license in advance, as this process can take quite a long time.
Where does the training take place?
Anyone wishing to open the “M” category must study at any accredited motorcycle school . Most of these institutions offer assistance in learning to drive both motorcycles and cars, and finding the nearest school will not be difficult. Driving a moped is a fairly simple process, and after a couple of lessons, any beginner will get the hang of it.
Cost of education
It depends on the specific motorcycle school you apply to. Typically, terms start from one month, and the price includes both theoretical training and practical training. On average, you will have to pay 11-12 thousand rubles .
Required documents
To obtain permission to take the exams, you must provide all the documents from the list:
- General passport
- Application (written to the traffic police)
- Results of passing a medical examination in psychiatric and drug treatment clinics
- Certificate 003-В/у (results of a routine medical examination, during which the general state of health is checked)
- Receipt for payment of state duty
- Photo size 3x4
Features of passing the exam
The first stage of passing the traffic police exam will be theory . It includes questions on knowledge of traffic rules and first aid rules . If the theory is successfully passed, the student is allowed to take the second stage . It consists of practice on the site , and takes place in three stages. Each day, inspectors select three exercises to pass. One critical mistake is allowed - if it doesn’t work the first time, you can try again.
When is it allowed to drive without a transport license?
Participation in competitions with cross-country vehicles does not require a registration card. It is against the law to ride a motorcycle without a license in your hands on public roads. Driving is permitted on other routes. This category includes:
- special training grounds;
- forest clearings;
- private sites.
If the driver purchased the vehicle for his personal collection and did not intend to drive it, then he does not need to obtain a driving license. If one day he drives onto a public road, he may be fined.
Therefore, driving a motorbike without professional training and obtaining a license is prohibited. Disobedience entails administrative liability, seizure of the vehicle and a fine.
Questions and answers
Is it possible to drive a scooter with category “B”?
Yes, this is allowed . The Federal Law “On Road Traffic Safety” directly allows drivers with any open category of license to drive a scooter with an engine up to 50 cc. see. Even if you haven’t changed your old-style driver’s license for a long time, you don’t need a separate “M” category.
110cc moped - what category is this?
Everything up to 50 cubic meters is category “M”. From 50 to 125 cubic meters - subcategory “A1”. Motor vehicles over 125 cubic meters belong to category “A”.
What do you need to ride a moped?
Driver's license category "M", motorcycle helmet. Compulsory motor liability insurance is not required; registration of your vehicle with the traffic police is also not required.
How many cubes can you drive on highways?
Motorcycles with an engine of 125 cc and above are allowed on highways marked with the appropriate sign.
Motor vehicles: classification
Initially, motor vehicles were divided into several classes based on weight, number of cylinders and fuel consumption. However, this distinction did not justify itself, and already in the middle of the last century, motor vehicles began to be divided into classes based on engine volume, which is what is used at the moment. Did you know? The first motorcycle was invented in the 19th century by the German engineer G. Daimler. It was equipped with a gasoline engine and a wooden steering wheel. The birthday of the iron horse is 08/29/1885.
Today the following types of motor vehicles are distinguished:
- ATVs and ATVs;
- motorcycle (mot) with a side trailer;
- sports motorcycles;
- dual-use motor vehicles (tourist transport);
- sports motorbikes;
- choppers and classic motorcycles.
Features of passing exams
- When you reach 18 years of age and have a category “B” or “C”, you do not need to undergo training or pass an exam; the category is assigned automatically. When exchanging rights, it is affixed on a new form without the applicant’s request.
- If he fails, he is given time for additional preparation, after which he is allowed to take the exam again. This can be done no earlier than 7 days from the date of the previous attempt.
- The practical part on public roads is not provided for drivers of category “M”.
- After successfully passing the exam, you need to contact the traffic police. Rights according to current requirements are issued on the day a person applies.
- If the theoretical part is passed, but the practical part is not, then the theory tickets will not be returned when re-taken.
Exam for category “A1”
First of all, it must be said that the exam is divided into 2 parts:
- theoretical;
- practical.
In the first part, the future driver must show his theoretical preparedness, as far as he knows the traffic rules. Preparation for the exam is carried out using valid traffic tickets.
If the first exam for category A1 is failed, a retake is scheduled exactly one week later.
As soon as the theoretical exam is passed, the practical exam is not scheduled immediately, but is given another 3 months to prepare.
The practical part of the exam from September 6, 2021 includes 3 groups of exercises:
- The first is a demonstration of skills in driving vehicles at low speed, driving through the “Figure Eight and Corridor”, the “Snake” exercise and driving with high-speed maneuvering;
- The second is movement with a demonstration of the maneuver of parking and leaving a parking space;
- The third is a passage with a stop for boarding or disembarking passengers.
This video is a clear example of how the above exercises should ideally be performed:
A week is also given to retake the driving test, but if in the second case it was not possible to pass the practical exam, the student is sent to re-training.
Category “A1”: characteristics
An incomplete version of category A rights is the rights of subcategory A1. And this is due to the characteristics of the vehicles that form these categories.
The following vehicles are eligible for Category A1:
- with a combustion chamber with a volume of no more than 125 cm3;
- engine power - up to 11 kW;
- weighing no more than 550 kg;
- maximum speed - 45 km/h.
Driver requirements
- The future driver must be healthy; the appropriate certificate is obtained before the start of the training course. It would be a shame to take a course at a motorcycle school and find yourself unfit for health.
When undergoing a medical examination, warn the medical commission about your desire to open the “M” category. If you do not do this, the category will not appear in your rights. You will not be able to drive a moped.
- Reaching a certain age – each category has age parameters;
- Completion of training at a motorcycle school corresponding to the required category.
