Getting your Motorcycle License
You must be at least 15 years old before you can apply for a motorcycle licence in New Zealand.
New Zealand has a graduated driver licensing system. This means you get your licence in three stages. (These stages apply regardless of your age when you first apply for a licence.)
The stages are:
- Stage 1 - Learners licence
- Stage 2 - Restricted licence
- Stage 3 - Full licence
How much do motorcycle licences cost?
| Fee | |
|---|---|
| Basic handling skills test | $41.00* |
| Learner licence application fee | $39.30 |
| Learner licence test | $39.70 |
| Restricted licence application fee | $39.30 |
| Restricted licence test | $48.90 |
| Full licence application fee | $44.30 |
| Full licence test | $70.80 |
| Total | $323.30 |
* This is the fee charged by testing officers. The fees charged by motorcycle riding instructors will vary.
All fees include GST and are non-refundable.
How long does getting a motorcycle license take?
A learner license must be held for 6 months before the restricted license test may be sat.
The minimum amount of time spent on a restricted license is different depending on the applicants age. It can also be decreased by completing an approved course (commonly referred to as a Defensive Driving Course). For riders under the age of 25 the restricted license period is 18 months with the period decreasing to 6 months for those aged 25 or over. Both these periods can be decreased with the completion of one of the approved courses, lowering the periods to 12 months and 3 months respectively.
Therefore the minimum time to obtain a full motorcycle license can be between 9 and 24 months, depending on the above factors.
Further information can be found here.
