Driving licence category A1: light motorcycle, minimum age and power limits

Section 2(1)(2) FSG covers motorcycles, with or without a sidecar, of up to 125 cc, with engine power of no more than 11 kW and a power-to-empty-weight ratio of no more than 0.1 kW/kg. These technical values apply together. Engine capacity alone or a sales-platform description is therefore insufficient for the classification.

Category A1 also covers three-wheeled motor vehicles with power of no more than 15 kW. That limit concerns the three-wheeled vehicle type and must be distinguished from the limits for motorcycles. For each vehicle, compare the registration certificate, type plate and technical data.

Under section 6(1)(2) FSG, granting category A1 requires the applicant to have reached the age of 16. The person must therefore be 16 before the driving entitlement can be granted. The minimum age for granting the entitlement must be kept separate from the start of training.

Section 6(2) FSG allows theoretical and practical driving-school training to begin no earlier than six months before the required minimum age is reached. For A1, training can therefore generally start before the sixteenth birthday. The driving entitlement remains subject to completion of the sixteenth year.

Section 5 FSG links an application for a driving entitlement, among other things, to the age required for the driving training. The application is submitted through the driving school attended by the applicant. The driving school records it in the driving licence register and starts the administrative procedure.

Before the practical test, it should be clear which motorcycle will be used and what its technical data are. A motorcycle exceeding the A1 limits does not fit the intended category. Keep training records, examination documents and the vehicle data together so that the classification can be traced.

A motorcycle with exactly 125 cc can fall outside the A1 scope because its engine power exceeds 11 kW. Conversely, low power does not help if the engine capacity exceeds 125 cc. The power-to-empty-weight ratio must also remain at or below 0.1 kW/kg.

Calculate the power-to-weight ratio using reliable technical data for the exact motorcycle. After a modification or a vehicle change, verify the classification again. If the figures conflict, resolve the issue before riding. A verbal statement by another person does not replace the vehicle documents.

Section 2(1)(3) FSG assigns category A2 to motorcycles of up to 35 kW and a power-to-empty-weight ratio of no more than 0.2 kW/kg, subject to further statutory limits for derived vehicles. A2 is therefore a separate motorcycle category with a different power framework. Any later progression from A2 to A is a separate question.

Code 111 is connected with category B and does not automatically grant category A1. Check the original driving licence for the category, code and any restrictions. The guidance on Code 111 and motorcycles up to 125 cc explains this boundary in more detail.

• driving licence showing the category A1 entry
• registration certificate and technical data of the motorcycle
• engine capacity, power and empty-weight data
• documents concerning a conversion or technical modification
• training and examination records for a new entitlement

If an authority has issued a notice or the entry is unclear, arrange the complete file and proof of service. The guidance on a time-limited driving entitlement illustrates why the actual document and its conditions must be reviewed separately.