Motorcycle licence in Poland: A1, A2 and A, age, entitlements and test

You can get a motorcycle licence from 16 (A1, motorcycles up to 125 cm3 and 11 kW), from 18 (A2, up to 35 kW) and from 24 (A, any motorcycle); if you have held A2 for at least 2 years, you can get category A at 20. Under 18 you need a parent's consent for the course and test.

Minimum age for a motorcycle licence: A1, A2 and A in a table

The motorcycle categories come in three steps. They differ in the candidate's age and in the engine size, power and power-to-weight ratio of the motorcycle you may ride. We give the age thresholds according to the Act on Vehicle Drivers (ustawa o kierujących pojazdami) as worded from 3 March 2026.

Each of these categories also gives you AM entitlements, meaning mopeds and light quadricycles. If you are 14 and want to start with a moped, read our article on the AM licence from the age of 14.

Under 18 you need the written consent of a parent or guardian: for the course (art. 21(2)), for the test (art. 50(2)(8)) and for the licence to be issued (art. 11(2)). A full overview of all categories, including cars and lorries, is in our article on driving licence categories, age and entitlements.

Step-by-step route or straight to category A

Two routes lead to category A:

1. Stepped: A2 at 18, and after holding A2 for at least 2 years, category A from the age of 20.
2. Direct: category A from 24, without A2 first.

An example: someone who gets A2 right after their 18th birthday can take the A test just after turning 20. Someone who waits until 24 for a motorcycle starts straight with A. The Act ties the lower threshold of 20 exclusively to category A2, so category A1 on its own does not shorten this route.

In both variants the same rules apply as for every category: you may start the course no earlier than 3 months before reaching the minimum age (art. 21(1)), and take the test no earlier than a month before it (art. 50(1)). A sixteen-year-old therefore signs up for A1 at 15 years and 9 months.

A 125 motorcycle with category B: when you do not need A1

There is also a fourth route to a light motorcycle, without a motorcycle test. Anyone who has held category B for at least 3 years may ride in Poland a motorcycle up to 125 cm3, up to 11 kW and up to 0.1 kW/kg, or a motor tricycle (art. 6(3)). This entitlement works only within Poland and does not cover motorcycles in the A2 or A range. The details, including the other vehicles available with category B, are in our article on what you can drive with category B.

If you are planning a more powerful motorcycle or a trip abroad, or have held category B for less than 3 years, that leaves the course and test for A1, A2 or A.

The motorcycle course: how many hours and what to sort out first

Before you sign up with a driving school, you need a driver candidate profile (PKK, Profil Kandydata na Kierowcę). To set it up you need a medical certificate from a doctor authorised to examine drivers (fee up to 200 zł (PLN)), a photo and an application; a psychological examination is not required for A1, A2 and A. The PKK is free.

The minimum course programme for A1, A2 and A follows from the training regulation (§ 9):

Riding lessons have a daily limit: for the first 4 hours of practice a maximum of 2 hours a day, then a maximum of 3 hours (§ 11). Anyone who has already passed the theory test at a WORD (Wojewódzki Ośrodek Ruchu Drogowego, the regional exam centre) is exempt from the theory part of the course (art. 23a of the Act on Vehicle Drivers). How to choose a school, how price lists differ and what the contract should contain is described in our article on the driving course, its length and price.

Theory test: 32 questions, as for every category

Theory for A1, A2 and A looks the same as for category B: 32 questions, including 20 on basic knowledge (YES/NO) and 12 on specialist knowledge (A/B/C), 25 minutes, 74 points available, and you pass from 68 points. For a basic question you have 20 seconds to read it and 15 seconds to answer, for a specialist one 50 seconds in total. A passed theory test is valid indefinitely, and you sit the practical part only after it. The step-by-step course of the test and the scoring rules are described in our article on what the driving theory test looks like.

Practical test on the manoeuvring area: slaloms, avoiding an obstacle, braking

The manoeuvring area for categories AM, A1, A2 and A is described in table no. 1 of annex no. 1 to the examination regulation (assessment criteria: table no. 3). The tasks include, among others:

The fast slalom does not apply to category AM, but for A1, A2 and A it is compulsory. Note the two speeds: 30 km/h in the fast slalom and 50 km/h when avoiding the obstacle. Emergency braking (at least 50 km/h, with the front and rear brakes) is formally a task in road traffic (table no. 6, item 24), but the examiner may order it on the manoeuvring area. These are what most often set the manoeuvring area apart from what you did on the course at a calm pace.

Riding a wheel over the line marking the outer edge of the station, or riding onto or knocking over a cone or pole, ends the test on the manoeuvring area: there is then no road traffic part (§ 12(2)). One correction of your line is allowed where the table provides for it.

Riding in traffic: 25 minutes and the examiner over the radio

The minimum riding time in traffic for A1, A2 and A is 25 minutes (table no. 7). On the motorcycle you ride alone: the WORD provides radio communication between the examiner and the candidate (§ 13(1)(1)(g)), so the examiner assesses your riding from a separate vehicle, giving instructions over the radio. The tasks in traffic include passing an oncoming vehicle (wymijanie) at a speed of at least 50 km/h (item 18 of the table of tasks).

The assessment rules are the same as for category B: a negative result comes from performing the same task incorrectly twice, or from the test being stopped because of a hazard (§ 28). The examiner tells you about a mistake straight away and discusses the result after the test. At the candidate's request and expense, the test for AM, A1, A2 and A may take place on a motorcycle belonging to the school that trained you (art. 53(4a) of the Act on Vehicle Drivers).

Kit for the test: what the WORD provides and what you bring yourself

The regulation divides protective equipment into two parts (§ 13(1)(1)(f) and § 13(1)(3)):

The examiner assesses your kit before the test. Without full footwear, long trousers, a jacket and gloves, the test does not go ahead (§ 15(1)(2)(f)). The regulation provides for exemption from paying the fee again only when the cause lies with the WORD or is beyond your control (breakdowns, weather), so shorts on a hot day are a real cost.

How much a motorcycle licence costs (as of September 2026)

Exam fees are set by the regional assembly (sejmik województwa), so outside Masovia the amounts may differ slightly. Every further attempt at the test is a new fee.

Probation period, document validity and what comes next

The probation period covers only a person who has obtained a category B driving licence for the first time (art. 91(1)). Getting A1, A2 or A does not trigger it. If you already have category B and your probation period is running, a new motorcycle category changes nothing about it.

The document for categories A1, A2 and A is issued for 15 years, shorter only when the medical certificate has an expiry date (art. 13(1)(1)). After you pass the test, a temporary electronic driving licence appears in mObywatel (the government app), valid until you collect the plastic document, for a maximum of 30 days and only in Poland (art. 5b).

A final practical tip: before you choose a school, check which motorcycle it trains on and whether its power fits your category. On the manoeuvring area the speeds of 30 and 50 km/h are what count, so ask your instructor for separate sessions devoted only to the fast slalom, avoiding the obstacle and emergency braking.