Driving Licence Reform: What Changes for Motorcyclists

Much is being written about the driving licence reform, mostly with the car licence in mind. What of it affects the motorcycle licence? And what is already settled, what is only a draft? Here we separate cleanly: decided, planned, open. The reference date is 12 November 2026, and this is about Germany. The basics of categories A1, A2 and A are explained in our article on motorcycle licence categories.

In short

Decided: On 5 November 2026 the Bundestag passed the act amending the Driving Instructors Act and other road traffic laws. EU directive 2025/2205 is in force.
Planned: An ordinance (Bundesrat document 365/26) is to regulate tests, special drives and theory. It is a draft before the Bundesrat.
Open: The Bundesrat's consent, the final entry into force and how much costs for motorcycle categories will fall.
Motorcycles: The limits for A1, A2 and A do not change through this reform.

What is decided

The act in the Bundestag

On 5 November 2026 the Bundestag passed the government's bill (document 21/7404, in the version of the Transport Committee 21/8979) with the votes of CDU/CSU and SPD. The Bundestag reports this itself. The act creates the legal basis for modernising driving school training. Among other things, compulsory classroom theory is dropped and theory can be learned entirely digitally.

Important: passed does not mean in force. According to reports by ZDFheute and VerkehrsRundschau of 5 and 6 November, the Bundesrat still has to consent. I found no later Bundesrat decision, so treat it as open.

The new EU driving licence directive

Directive (EU) 2025/2205 has been in force since 26 November 2025. Member states must transpose it by 26 November 2028 and apply it from 26 November 2029 (Article 29). For motorcyclists the essentials are quickly told: Article 6 defines the categories as Germany already does. A2 stays at 35 kW and 0.2 kW/kg and must not be derived from a vehicle with more than 70 kW. The minimum age stays at 16 for A1, 18 for A2 and 20 for A after two years of A2 (24 with direct access), Article 7. Moving up after two years of practice is also provided for (Article 10). More on the A2 limit in our article on the A2 restriction.

The directive also allows member states to let category A1 motorcycles fall under the B licence (Article 9(3)). Whether and how Germany does this has not been decided. It is linked to the code B196, which we describe in our article on the digital driving licence and B196. That article also covers the EUDI wallet, which this reform does not regulate.

What is only planned: the draft ordinance

On 10 June 2026 the federal government sent the Bundesrat the Ordinance on the Modernisation of Driving School Training (Fahrschulmodernisierungs-Verordnung, FahrschModV). It bears the number 365/26 and needs the Bundesrat's consent. It replaces the previous driving student training order with a new driving school training ordinance. Whether the draft passes unchanged is open. The following points are in the draft and are not the law in force.

Theory

Learners are to decide themselves whether to study at the driving school, digitally or in a mix (section 3 of the draft). According to the Transport Ministry, the question catalogue is to shrink by about a third from today's more than 1,100 questions. The theory test stays at 30 questions for first-time applicants in all motorcycle categories. Today up to 10 error points are allowed, with questions counting two to five points. In the draft each question counts one point, 3 error points are allowed, and certain specially marked questions mean failure if answered wrongly. This applies equally to AM, A1, A2, A and B.

Special drives

The draft no longer sets a fixed number of special drives. It only requires that, for each category (except AM, T and L), drives take place on country roads, on motorways or expressways and at dusk or in the dark. How many depends on the learner's progress. The previous minimums are given in the draft's explanatory memorandum: 12 teaching units of 45 minutes for A1, A2 and A for first-time applicants and 6 for moving up. The halving assumed there for the cost calculation is an estimate and not a requirement. The draft sets no further figures for motorcycles. For two-wheelers the instructor is, according to the draft, to let the learner mostly ride ahead.

Practical test

For categories AM, A1, A2 and A the test is to last at least 40 minutes, of which 25 minutes are driving time. Today it is 70 minutes, of which 30 minutes driving time, under Annex 7 FeV. For moving up from A2 to A it is currently 60 minutes. According to the Transport Ministry, 25 minutes corresponds to the European minimum.

Moving up from A1 to A2 and from A2 to A

For moving up after two years of holding the lower category, the exception stays: the training ordinance does not apply, as section 15(3) FeV already provides today. You still only take the practical test.

Code B196

The B196 training remains in the draft: at least nine teaching units of 90 minutes each. The period between completing the training and entering the code is to be extended to two years. Whether you will notice this later depends on whether the Bundesrat consents.

What does not affect motorcyclists

Supervised practice with relatives: The trial ordinance applies to category B, not to motorcycles.
New B extensions for heavier vehicles with alternative drives and motorhomes: according to the draft the entitlement expressly does not extend to motorcycles of categories AM, A1, A2 and A.
Car figures: The often quoted average price of around 3,400 euros and the savings forecasts refer to category B.

Open questions

Bundesrat: According to the sources I consulted, consent to the act and to the ordinance is still pending.
Date: The Transport Ministry spoke of early 2027 in May, media name essentially 1 July 2027. The draft names 1 January 2027 for parts and 1 July 2027 for the rest. Only the published ordinance is binding.
Costs for motorcycle categories: I found no official forecast for A1, A2 and A. For cars, the ADAC and the driving instructors' associations differ on how realistic the savings are.
Digital driving licence: The Commission's deadline for the first implementing act runs until 26 November 2026. I have not checked whether it was adopted.

If you are planning your licence now, you do not have to wait for the reform. The routes and costs today are in our guide to the motorcycle licence and in the manufacturer discounts.

Frequently asked questions

Is the driving licence reform already in force?

No. The Bundestag passed the act on 5 November 2026, the Bundesrat still has to consent. The ordinance exists as a draft. Essentially 1 July 2027 is envisaged.

Do the power limits for A1, A2 and A change?

No. Neither the reform nor EU directive 2025/2205 changes the limits of 11 kW, 35 kW and the open category.

Will the practical motorcycle test get shorter?

According to the draft, yes: at least 40 instead of 70 minutes in total and 25 instead of 30 minutes of driving time. This is not yet decided.

Does anything change when moving up from A2 to A?

No. Moving up after two years stays a purely practical test with no prescribed training.

Does the reform affect me if I have B196?

Only indirectly. The draft keeps the training and extends a period. A switch to EU law has not been decided.

Sources

As of November 2026. The reform is not yet complete, details may change.

#licence reform#driving school#category A#EU driving licence directive#motorcycle licence

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