How much does the motorcycle licence cost? Three honest sample calculations

The motorcycle licence does not have a fixed price because the biggest cost block depends on you: Practice sessions. Only the special driving lessons are required by law – how many practice sessions you need before that depends on prior experience, talent and the frequency of practice. Therefore: A modular calculation is serious business, where you know every single item – what is not serious is any flat rate that assumes unrealistically few lessons and ends up costing more than the honest offer through extra charges. That is why we give you our building blocks instead of a total – the same ones as on our Pricing page.

Every motorcycle licence calculation is made up of the same parts. This is what it looks like with us in Frankfurt – categories A, A2 and A1:

• Registration fee (basic charge): €439
• Practice session (45 minutes): €75
• Special training ride (45 minutes, per rural-road, motorway and dusk/night ride): €85
• Learning app for test preparation (optional): €40 – not needed for B196 and upgrades, as there is no theory test
• Theory test presentation fee: €110
• If you fail the theory test, no separate basic fee is charged; re-booking the theory test costs the same as the first time, €110 plus the TÜV fee.
• Practical test presentation fee: €175 at 70 minutes or €165 with a 60-minute test period
• A80 (category A from 21 with code 80, category A2 motorcycles until 24): same prices as category A – if you already hold category A1, registration (basic fee) €150 and 6 instead of 12 special training rides. More about the A80 licence

B196: €750 complete – 4 theory and 5 practical sessions of 90 minutes each, no test.

Upgrade A1 → A2 and A2 → A:

• Registration fee (basic charge): €150
• typically 4–6 lessons at €75 each
• Practical test introduction: €165 (60 minutes test time)
• No theory test
• Applies if you have held the lower class for at least 2 years (A1 for A2, A2 for A)

Plus (not paid to us): Eye test, first-aid course, passport photo, the administrative fees for the driving licence application as well as the TÜV testing fees. B196 exception: There, the eye test, first-aid course and exam fees do not apply – leaving only a biometric passport photo and the driving licence office's fee for the registration.

And your Protective clothing: €500 to €700 for a solid beginner's set – with a clever purchase sequence can be spread out over time, but cannot be argued away.

What your training roughly costs for a given number of practice sessions can be worked out, without obligation, with the price calculator on the pricing page .

The most expensive of the three options – not because of the small engine, but because it’s all happening for the first time: full core theory syllabus (12 + 4 double lessons), the main theory test (30 questions), no road experience whatsoever – so more practice lessons than average before the 12 special training rides make sense – plus all additional costs including the first-aid course. This is how you calculate with us: basic fee (see building blocks above) + theory test presentation fee €110 + practical test presentation fee €175 (70-minute test) + 12 special training rides at €85 each (€1,020 in total) + your practice lessons at €75 each – plus protective clothing, the TÜV and licensing authority fees and, if you like, the learning app (€40, optional). The honest consolation for parents: part of this is an investment in the licences that follow – anyone who later takes category B covers less theory there as an existing licence holder, and the road experience from two years on a 125 is hard to put a price on.

The standard case: late twenties or older, driving a car for years, now the motorcycle. You save money in three places – half the core theory syllabus (6 + 4 double lessons), minor theory test (20 questions), no new first aid course – and you bring road routine that saves practice lessons: many category B holders manage with a single-digit number before moving on to the 12 special training rides. The calculation has the same items as the A1 route: basic fee, theory test presentation fee €110, practical test presentation fee €175 and 12 special training rides at €85 each – the learning app (€40) is optional. What it adds up to in the end is decided almost entirely by the number of practice lessons at €75 each – anyone who brings a feel for two wheels from cycling or riding a scooter ends up at the lower end.

The process is similar to the A2 route – half the basic training and a short theory test also apply here (provided you hold a Class B licence) – with two differences: the training takes place on the large, open machine, whose power takes a little more getting used to, and the practical test takes just as long at 70 minutes but requires six basic riding manoeuvres on the heavier motorcycle. The items are the same as for A2; the practical test booking also costs €175. For comparison, it is worth looking at the step-by-step route: A2 now and, two years later, the upgrade test – spreads the cost but means a second test (with us: basic fee €150, usually 4–6 practice sessions at €75 each, practical test booking €165).

If you are 21, 22 or 23, the same calculation applies to the A80 licence (category A with code 80) – at the same prices with us. More about the A80 licence

The three most common cost drivers: More training sessions than planned – completely normal and not a failure, but worth building into your budget as a buffer (two or three extra sessions cost €150 to €225 with us). An unsuccessful attempt in the practical test: booking the practical test again (€175 with us, €165 for the upgrade) and the TÜV fee, plus refresher sessions – annoying, but not a fresh start. And the most avoidable one: the expired theory test – anyone who delays the practical training for more than 12 months after the theory test pays and learns twice. What doesn't break the bank, on the other hand: the season. Motorcycle training runs from about March to October depending on the weather – that takes planning, not money.

Smart saving: Timing (register in winter, get theory and paperwork done in advance – free of charge and effective), second-hand jacket, trousers, boots (completely fine, if suitable and undamaged), comparison of the module prices instead of the bargain-bait offers. False economy: at the helmet (always new – no exception), during the practice sessions (those who enter the test half-prepared pay for the failed attempt plus retraining – the supposedly saved hours come back twofold) and at driving schools whose price lists do not mention all items. The rule of thumb: Transparency is the best cost-cutting programme – if you know every building block in advance, there are no surprises at the end. You can find our specific prices on the Pricing page.