(2024) How old can you get a motorcycle driver's license?

1. How old can you get a motorcycle driver's license?

Based on Article 60 of the 2008 Road Traffic Law, the age requirements for motorcycle drivers are as follows: Individuals aged 16 and above are allowed to ride motorcycles with an engine capacity below 50 cc. For motorcycles with two or three wheels, and motorcycles with an engine capacity of 50 cc and above, as well as similar vehicles, the driver must be at least 18 years old. According to Article 59 of the 2008 Road Traffic Law, the A1 license - the most common motorcycle license - is issued to individuals who operate motorcycles with an engine capacity ranging from 50 cc to less than 175 cc.

Therefore, to obtain an A1 motorcycle license, the driver must be at least 18 years old. The age for taking the driver's license exam is calculated from the date of birth stated on the birth certificate to the date of the examination. Therefore, individuals who are not yet 18 years old can still register for the driver's license exam but can only take the exam when they turn 18. Additionally, individuals aged 16-18 are allowed to ride motorcycles with an engine capacity below 50 cc without a driver's license, as there are no provisions in the Road Traffic Law regarding licensing for these types of vehicles.

2. To calculate the age for taking the motorcycle driver's license exam

The concepts of "from X age" and "from reaching X age" are used in legal terms. Therefore, you need to distinguish between these two concepts to accurately calculate the age for taking the motorcycle driver's license exam. For example, Mr. A was born on March 11, 2005. On March 11, 2022, Mr. A will celebrate his 17th birthday, at which point he will be considered 17 years old. On March 12, 2022, Mr. A will turn 18 but will still not be 18 years old and will have to wait until March 12, 2023, to reach the age of 18 and be eligible to take the driver's license exam.

Specifically, you can subtract the current date from the date of birth stated on your ID card, and if you are 18 or older, you are eligible to take the driver's license exam. For example: Mr. B was born on March 15, 2003, and the current date is March 30, 2022, so Mr. B has been 18 years old for 15 days and meets the requirements for taking the motorcycle driver's license exam. However, if Mr. B was born on April 15, 2003, and the current date is March 30, 2022, Mr. B is still 15 days away from turning 18 and does not meet the requirements for taking the motorcycle driver's license exam.

3. Penalties for underage motorcycle riders:

According to Clause 4 of Article 21 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, individuals who are underage and operate motorcycles will be subject to the following penalties: Verbal warning: For individuals aged 14 to under 16 who ride motorcycles or similar vehicles (including electric motorcycles). Fines ranging from 400,000 VND to 600,000 VND:

For individuals aged 16 to under 18 who ride motorcycles with an engine capacity of 50 cc and above. Therefore, if you ride a motorcycle while underage, you may receive a verbal warning or a fine of up to 600,000 VND, depending on the age and circumstances of the violation. Furthermore, traffic police are authorized to temporarily impound the vehicle for up to 7 days before making a decision on the penalty for underage motorcycle riding. This is stated in Clause 1 of Article 82 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP.

In addition, if the vehicle owner allows an underage person to operate the vehicle, they will also be subject to penalties according to Point d, Clause 4 of Article 30 of Decree 100/2019/ND-CP, which states the following:

"Article 30. Penalties for vehicle owners violating regulations related to road traffic:

5. Fines ranging from 800,000 VND to 2,000,000 VND for individuals, and from 1,600,000 VND to 4,000,000 VND for organizations, who own motorcycles or similar vehicles and commit one of the following violations:

d) Handing over the vehicle or allowing a person who does not meet the requirements stated in Clause 1 of Article 58 of the Road Traffic Law to operate the vehicle (including cases where the driver has a driver's license but it has expired or is currently suspended)."