Rider Licensing in New South Wales:

• you must be at least 16 years and 9 months of age
• attend a pre-learners course and obtain a Certificate of Competency
• complete a learner knowledge test at an RTA within 3 months of obtaining the Certificate of Competency
• attend a pre-provisional course after 3 months of gaining your learner licence and pass the pre-provisional test within 6 months of obtaining your learner licence

NB: Regardless of what process you need to take to get your license, you must have held a rider's licence for at least 12 months before you are permitted to carry a pillion passenger.

You can find detailed information about obtaining a riders licence on the RTA website - here are some of the most useful pages:

Rider Licensing in other states:

ACT

The ACT requires riders of any sized motor scooter to obtain a learners permit by completing compulsory training and a written knowledge test.

Contact: Stay Upright on 6241 3963. They train riders over 10 hour programs and then provide a certificate to be used when gaining a learners permit. You need to request to do the course on an automatic scooter when you book the course. Your learner’s licence is valid for two years and you are not allowed to take passengers during that time.

To drive any sized motor scooter you need a motorcycle licence. The RTA issues these after you have completed the compulsory training and a riding test, as well as a written knowledge test. To obtain this, you must be 16 years and 9 months, and do a pre-learner training course that is 3 hours a day for 2 days. Once you receive your certificate, a knowledge test must be completed at the RTA. To Schedule with RTA, simple call 132213 and select option 3. A rider’s handbook is on the RTA website: www.rta.nsw.gov.au

NORTHERN TERRITORY

A 50cc scooter can be driven on your current full or provisional car licence but larger scooters need a motorcycle licence.

You must be 16 years and 3 months and complete a written drivers knowledge test to get your learners license. Either a basic, intermediate, or advanced riding course is completed to obtain a rider learners licence in the class R (e). These are run by METAL (Motorcyclists Education, Training and Licensing) in the Northern Territory

QUEENSLAND

In Queensland a motorcycle licence is not required but learner scooter drivers must be 16 years and 6 months to gain a permit. Scooters can be driven on your current car licence. There is no compulsory training course or test. Learner riders must be under the guidance and instruction of someone who has had a licence for one year or longer for the size of motor scooter/motorcycle you are riding. It costs around $14.00 to obtain the learner permit licence.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

A 50cc scooter can be driven on your current full or provisional car licence but larger scooters need a motorcycle licence.

South Australia requires a written knowledge test, practical training and a riding test to be completed and passed, to acquire a motorcycle licence (needed to ride your scooter). There are two levels of courses to be completed:

For more details contact: Rider Safe on free call: 1800 018 300.

Rider Safe Level 1: Basic training course to receive a competency certificate.

Rider Safe Lever 2: Training course and practical assessment.

TASMANIA

Tasmania requires scooter riders to obtain a motorcycle learners permit by completing compulsory training, a riding test, and a written knowledge test. You must be 16 years to do so.

VICTORIA

In Victoria, scooter riders require a motorcycle learners permit to begin riding their scooter. Call Vic Roads on 13 11 71 to arrange your compulsory training and riding test to obtain a learners permit. You must be 18 years to do so.

See www.vicroads.gov.au for more details.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

A 50cc scooter can be driven on your current full or provisional car licence but larger scooters need a motorcycle licence (details below).

To ride a larger scooter in Western Australia you are required to complete a written knowledge test, as well as compulsory riding training and testing. To obtain a learners permit, contact The Transport Licensing Centre on 13 11 56 to book a driving assessment.

You will be issued with a learners permit and log book (to record your supervised 25 hours of riding) if you pass the test. You must learn to ride with the accompaniment of someone who has had his or her licence (for the same class of bike/scooter) for a minimum of 4 years. Once a practical test is completed you will need to pass a Provisional licence test to obtain your Provisional riding licence.