How to get an M category license for a scooter and moped?

This article will talk about at what age you can get a driver's license . The determining factor in this case is the category of driver’s license that the candidate driver plans to open.

In addition, below you will find out at what age you can start learning to get your license, at what age you can get a driver’s license in hand, and in what cases you can start driving a car:

• Age to study theory?
• What is the starting age for driving school?
• What is the age to drive a moped or small motorcycle?
• Age to get a motorcycle license?
• Age to carry passengers on a moped or motorcycle?
• Age for obtaining a driving license category B (passenger cars).
• Age for obtaining rights of other categories.
• Age table for obtaining a license.
• When is the best time to start studying?

Let's look at everything in order.

At what age can you learn theory?

There are no restrictions on the study of theory. Quite the contrary, learning the rules of the road at an early age is strongly encouraged.

So if you want to get a license in the future, start by studying the rules. Start even if you are only 7-8 years old. The rules will come in handy in any case, and competent behavior on the road will protect you from possible troubles.

If the question arises of how to learn the rules of the road, then there are no difficulties. You can buy a rule book at almost every bookstore or newsstand. The issue price is approximately 30 rubles. As an alternative, I suggest one from pddmaster.ru. It's completely free.

Traffic regulations 2022

You can also start studying the traffic rules exam papers 2021 and 2022. However, there is little point in rushing to buy tickets, because... Traffic police tasks are updated quite often, sometimes several times a year, and you can study them quite quickly. Literally in 3-4 days. So it will always be done in time.

Approximate cost of training

Not all driving schools specialize in training category M drivers.

Those schools that are capable of this provide three types of training programs:

1. Only theoretical lessons. The cost of training ranges from 7 to 12 thousand rubles, and the duration of full training is from one to two months.
2. Theory + practical lessons on driving a scooter. This course lasts at least two and a half months, and will cost from 15 to 25 thousand rubles. The program will not include any additional services.
3. The most extended program will cost from 25 to 35 thousand rubles. In addition to theoretical lectures and driving lessons, the program will include a package of additional services. Assistance will be provided in preparing for the traffic police exam and a trial exam will be held within the driving school. In addition, school employees themselves will pay the costs of the medical examination and state fees.

At what age can you start driving school?

Let's consider clause 21.4 of the traffic rules:

21.4. Drivers who have reached the age of:

• 16 years old - when learning to drive a vehicle of categories “B”, “C” or subcategory “C1”;
• 20 years - when learning to drive a vehicle of categories "D", "Tb", "Tm" or subcategory "D1" (18 years - for persons specified in paragraph 4 of Article 26 of the Federal Law "On Road Safety" - when learning driving a vehicle of category “D” or subcategory “D1”).

Those. You can only take training in driving a car (B) or a truck (C) or a motorcycle from the age of 16 .

As for buses (D), trolleybuses (Tb) and trams (Tm), you can begin training on them starting from the age of 20 . The only exception is military buses, for which training is possible from the age of 18.

As for other categories (for example, motorcycles of category A), you can start training for them at the same age when you receive a license for the corresponding category. This will be discussed below.

Scooter and moped from the point of view of traffic rules

Please note that within the framework of traffic rules, the concept of a moped includes the concept of a scooter, i.e. Traffic rules for scooters in 2021 are similar to the rules for mopeds. Well, from the point of view of the rules, a scooter and a moped are the same thing:

“Moped” is a two- or three-wheeled mechanical vehicle, the maximum design speed of which does not exceed 50 km/h, having an internal combustion engine with a displacement not exceeding 50 cubic meters. cm, or an electric motor with a rated maximum power in continuous load mode of more than 0.25 kW and less than 4 kW. Quadricycles with similar technical characteristics are considered equal to mopeds.

Note. Mopeds include only scooters whose engine capacity does not exceed 50 cc. cm, and the maximum speed does not exceed 50 km/h. If your scooter has a larger engine capacity or can reach higher speeds, then it is a motorcycle.

First, I want to consider the traffic situation that I observed several years ago.

A six-lane road in the center of a Russian city, midday. There are quite a lot of cars driving along the street. The traffic jam is still a long way off, but there aren’t that many empty spaces between cars.

Among other vehicles, a small scooter is moving in the traffic. He attracted my attention from afar. This was due to the fact that the driver was using low beam headlights. “Wow,” I thought then. “But someone knows the rules of the road.” As the scooter approached, my surprise only grew.

The scooter was driving right in the center of the six-lane roadway, and right along the double solid marking line. At this point I smiled: “Does the driver really think that the double solid road is a path for scooters?”

Nevertheless, it still remains a mystery to me what was going through the minds of the scooter driver and his two passengers (all 12-13 years old) during such an amazing ride...

I suggest you count how many traffic rules are violated in this example. Well, after reading this article, you can do the calculation again. It is possible that the results will differ.

Let's get straight to the rules for scooter drivers.

At what age can you start driving a moped or small motorcycle?

Persons over 16 years of age are allowed to drive mopeds (category M) and motorcycles with small engines (up to 125 cubic centimeters - category A1).

To obtain a license of category M or subcategory A1, you need to pass the theory exam cards, as well as practice at the race track.

At the same time, the list of exercises on the autodrome exactly corresponds to the exercises for category A. The only difference is in the vehicle in which the candidate driver takes the exam.

Let me emphasize once again that obtaining a driver’s license from the age of 16 is only possible for categories A1 and M.

The new law on rights from the age of 16 - is it true?

No. In fact, in the history of car laws, there have been several initiatives to introduce the ability for young people to drive. But none of the proposals from various departments ever came to fruition.

Updated 03/30/2021. The network is once again actively discussing the fake news that from the age of 16 you can drive when accompanied by an adult. Allegedly, the new rules for admission to driving cars will come into force on April 1, 2021. However, this information is not true. You will not find any corresponding changes in legislation since the beginning of April.

Let's take a quick look at the relevant chronology of events.

• Back in the days of the Soviet Union, the traffic rules actually stated that a teenager has the right to drive if he is supervised by an adult in the passenger seat.
• In the second half of 2021, the Ministry of Internal Affairs proposed to restore this tradition in Russia by law - to introduce the possibility of driving passenger cars before reaching the age of 18, provided that an accompanying adult with a license is sitting next to them. But it was not really about obtaining a driver’s license from the age of 16 - not from 16, but from 17 years old, and not a full-fledged right to drive, but only permission to drive. Although the initiative was put forward by the traffic police department itself, it did not come into force, and for 2021 the version of the Federal Law on Road Traffic Safety is in force, implying the ability to get behind the wheel only after reaching 18 years of age.
• In September 2021, deputies of the State Duma proposed to give a full driver’s license from the age of 16, explaining this by the fact that teenagers in our time begin an independent life much earlier, and at this age they can already be employed. But this project has not yet been supported.

At what age can you get a motorcycle license?

Let's take a step-by-step look at all the stages of preparation associated with driving a motorcycle.

1. The exam for category A (motorcycle driving) includes 2 parts: theoretical and practical.

2. At present, independent training (external training) has been cancelled, so in order to obtain a license you will in any case have to attend a driving school.

3. You can apply for a motorcycle license and obtain a driver’s license only are 18 years old .

Note. Driving a motorcycle without a category A driver's license is punishable quite severely. The fine for lack of rights is 5,000 - 15,000 rubles. In addition, the owner of the motorcycle will receive a fine of 30,000 rubles for transferring control. So it will be cheaper to go to a motorcycle school and get a license.

Fine for lack of rights

Knowing that a license for a scooter is needed, and at the same time driving a vehicle without one, a person is at great risk. If the product is powerful enough to fall under the “M” category, the driver must have a license with him, since in this case there is a fine:

• from 5 to 15 thousand rubles. for persons who did not pass the exam and did not receive a license.
• 500 rubles for citizens who forgot them at home or lost them but did not have time to restore them.

It is important to know! The presence or absence of a driver's license is checked by a traffic police officer on the spot using a computer database. Therefore, if you plan to constantly travel on such transport, you should think about the need to obtain a document and pass an exam.

At what age can you carry passengers on a moped or motorcycle?

The age at which a driver can transport passengers on a motorcycle or moped deserves special attention.

To transport passengers on a moped, the driver must have a driver's license of any category for 2 years; to transport passengers on a motorcycle, the driver must have a license of category A or subcategory A1 for 2 years.

In any case, you can transport passengers 18 years of age .

Is category M necessary if B is open?

How to open category M if there is B and is it necessary? Category B provides the opportunity to drive cars weighing up to three and a half tons. It can only be issued to adult citizens. Category B automatically includes M, which means that nothing additional needs to be opened.

It happens that by B they mean subcategory B1. It, unlike B, provides the ability to control only ATVs and tricycles. That is, three or four-wheeled motor vehicles for public roads with a title.

Age for obtaining a driving license category B (passenger cars)

Let's take a step-by-step look at the stages of preparation related to driving a car.

1. You can take training at a driving school to drive a car whose maximum permitted weight does not exceed 3500 kilograms and the number of seats, in addition to the driver’s seat, does not exceed 8, from the age of 16 .

In this case, the car in which the training takes place must be specially equipped (additional pedals and a rear-view mirror for the instructor). Naturally, the instructor himself must have documents confirming his right to study.

2. You can take the driving test after reaching 17 years of age.

3. Regardless of the age at which the qualifying exam was taken, the age for obtaining a category B driving license in hand remains the same - 18 years .

4. You can drive a car independently from the age of 18 , or accompanied by an instructor from the age of 16 (during training).

Location of the scooter on the roadway

the traffic rules for scooters again :

24.7. Moped drivers must move along the right edge of the roadway in a single file or in the bicycle lane.

Moped drivers are allowed to move along the side of the road if this does not interfere with pedestrians.

The movement of scooters on the roadway is allowed only in one row on the right edge of the roadway.

Please note that the scooter does not have to be driven within the rightmost lane .

For example, traffic rules for a scooter allow you to go around a trolleybus or bus stopped at a stop.

The rules for driving a scooter also allow driving in a dedicated lane for cyclists and in a bicycle zone indicated by road signs:

Note. Do not confuse a dedicated lane for cyclists with a bicycle path. A moped cannot drive on a bike path.

Scooters can also be driven on the side of the road. At the same time, it is not allowed to interfere with pedestrians.

Age for obtaining rights of other categories

To obtain a driver's license category C , which allows you to drive trucks, the age is the same as for category B (18 years). The Category C exam can be taken from the age of 17.

In addition, at the age of 18 you can obtain a license of subcategory B1 (tricycles and quadricycles), subcategory C1 (light trucks).

But licenses of category D and subcategory D1 , which allow you to drive cars with more than 8 passenger seats (buses), can only be obtained at 21 years of age . The same applies to the license allowing you to drive trams (Tm) and trolleybuses (Tb).

Note. for category D and D1 . It applies to drivers undergoing military service. Such drivers can take exams and obtain a license to drive buses starting at the age of 19 . At the same time, from the age of 19 you can only drive military equipment; civilian buses can only be driven from the age of 21.

To obtain a license of category E ) 12 months of experience driving vehicles of categories B, C or D. In this case, you do not need to provide the traffic police with additional documents confirming your experience. All you need is a driver's license, which has been in the required category for a year.

As for subcategories C1E and D1E, they require one year of experience driving either cars of subcategories C1 and D1, or cars of higher categories C and D.

Using low beam headlights on a scooter

19.5. During daylight hours, all moving vehicles must have low-beam headlights or daytime running lights on to indicate them.

As practice shows, mopeds and scooters are extremely rarely equipped with special daytime running lights. Instead, the driver must use low beam headlights. The driver must turn on the headlight immediately after he has taken his place in the seat and has firmly grasped the steering wheel.

This rule is very important from a safety point of view. It allows drivers of other vehicles to notice a moving scooter or motorcycle in advance. Therefore, the safety of the driver of a two-wheeled vehicle directly depends on turning on the low beam.

Let me remind you that starting November 10, 2010, drivers of all vehicles must turn on low beam headlights.

Age table for obtaining a license

What kind of transport can you drive without a license?

Driving most vehicles requires training and a license. But there is a group of transport in which travel is allowed without passing exams and paperwork. These include:

1. Rollerblades and scooters. In the full sense, this cannot be called technology, but to operate skateboards and electric scooters, including those with an electric motor, obtaining permission is not required. Their “drivers” have the same rights as pedestrians. Such “vehicles” do not have a motor and move only due to human efforts; they are not capable of causing severe harm in a collision.
2. Bike. You can drive it without a license. And although the question of the need to register such equipment and obtain a license and license plate for cyclists has been raised more than once, today anyone can ride one, even if it is an electric bicycle.
3. Hoverboard or motorcycle wheel. Such devices differ from previous ones in the presence of a motor. However, they are not required to register or take a management exam. “Drivers” are not treated like pedestrians, although they can even walk on the sidewalk, but are considered owners of an electric vehicle.
4. Motoblock. Having a powerful engine, like a motorcycle or scooter, is not a basis for obtaining a license. This device is not intended for road use, so you do not need a vehicle license or license to use it.
5. Electrical engineering. All devices, such as an electric scooter or electric motorcycle, that do not reach a speed of more than 50 km/h and their power is less than 250 Watts, do not require obtaining a license. In fact, they differ only in the presence of an engine on a battery, the charge and power of which is not enough to assign it the category of a full-fledged transport.

In other cases, a license is required, especially for a snowmobile, motorcycle, jet ski and other equipment. This is necessary to ensure traffic safety.

The increase in the number of accidents on the roads has led to the need to tighten the requirements for obtaining a license to drive scooters. Category M is provided for them, and rights can be obtained by young people who have celebrated their 16th birthday. Before this, training is completed and an exam is passed. There is a fine for driving a vehicle without a special license.

Advantages of a scooter

1. Firstly, it is much more affordable than other means of transportation. Depending on the characteristics, its average price can vary from 25,000 to 75,000 rubles. This aspect will be especially pleasant for parents who want to give a gift to their child. For that kind of money you can buy either a mediocre scooter or an expensive branded bicycle. Any teenager will be happier with this “iron pony” than with a regular bicycle.
2. Secondly, it is more fuel efficient. The average fuel consumption per 100 km is only about 2 liters. But, of course, this value is applicable only if the scooter is maintained in perfect condition and certain rules are followed when riding. For example, you must not exceed the speed (more than 40 km/h). You can ride a scooter together, but this also has a big impact on fuel consumption. If you follow these simple conditions, the savings compared to a car are enormous.
3. Another important factor is its ease of operation. Even the smallest child can handle the control system, and its maneuverability and small size make it very convenient for driving in traffic jams. This will be very useful not so much for children, but for young people, who will find it convenient to use a scooter for part-time work.
4. And, of course, it is worth noting such a factor as its compactness. The weight of an average scooter varies around 40-70 kg, which makes it very convenient in terms of storage. For the winter, you can leave it right in the apartment or, alternatively, in the entrance.

Disadvantages of a scooter

The main disadvantages include the low speed of movement corresponding to the low engine power.
The scooter is designed for urban conditions and travel on normal roads, so it is better not to use it for off-road driving and long trips. Another minor drawback is the lack of presentation of the scooter in older circles. A serious businessman riding a scooter wearing a very funny helmet is a rather ridiculous sight. That is why, as a means of transportation, it is most popular among teenagers and young people. And this factor is quite ambiguous.

Passing the practical exam

If to obtain a category B license you need to pass the race track and the city, then for category A you only need the race track. The motorcycle driving test has changed little in recent years, and, as a rule, the vehicle for passing the test is provided by the traffic police.

Often this is an “old” motorcycle of domestic or Japanese production. If the exam takes place in a small town, the inspectorate may provide the opportunity to take the exam on your own motorcycle, but in large cities such an opportunity, as a rule, is not provided.