Are There Age Requirements for a Motorcycle License?
3 Answers
There are age restrictions for operating a motorcycle. Individuals under 18 years old are not allowed to ride a motorcycle. Those over 60 years old cannot obtain a new motorcycle license, and those over 70 years old will have their motorcycle license downgraded to an F-class license, which prohibits carrying passengers. Below are some requirements for applying for a motorcycle license: 1. Vision: Both eyes must have uncorrected or corrected visual acuity of at least 4.9 on the standard logarithmic eye chart. For those with monocular vision impairment, the better eye must have uncorrected or corrected visual acuity of at least 5.0 on the standard logarithmic eye chart, with a horizontal field of vision of at least 150 degrees. 2. Hearing: Both ears must be able to distinguish the direction of a sound source from 50 centimeters away using a tuning fork. 3. Lower limbs: Both lower limbs must be intact and have normal motor function, with a length discrepancy of no more than 5 centimeters; or, if the right lower limb or both lower limbs are missing or have impaired motor function, the individual must be able to sit upright independently.
I've been riding motorcycles for most of my life, but the age requirement is something you can't get around. According to regulations, you must be at least 18 years old to obtain a motorcycle license. Whether it's a small-displacement moped, a regular two-wheeler, or a three-wheeled motorcycle, the minimum age is 18. However, being too old is also an issue—once you pass 60, you can no longer apply for a regular motorcycle license. My neighbor, Old Zhang, wanted to learn to ride a three-wheeler last year, but at 61, the driving school outright turned him away. The key point is that before 18, a child's physical reflexes and judgment aren't fully developed, making it extremely dangerous to ride such fast machines. That's why traffic police are particularly strict about inspections. Last year, several underage riders were caught in our town.
As someone who just got a motorcycle license, I deeply understand the age restrictions. Before taking the test, I specifically checked the regulations: you must be at least 18 years old for a light motorcycle license, and the same applies to regular two-wheel or three-wheel motorcycles. However, there's an age ceiling—you can't take the test for a regular motorcycle license after turning 60. I remember a 58-year-old man in my driving school batch who trained frantically and passed the test just three months before the cutoff. Honestly, motorcycles can be hard to control and prone to accidents, and younger riders might not react quickly enough. Last week at the DMV, I saw a 16-year-old boy get rejected when trying to apply for a license, and his parents even argued with the staff. My advice to young people is not to rush—wait until you're 18 and then go to driving school for proper training.
