Category AM driving licence

A moped driving licence

Category AM includes two-, three-, and four-wheel mopeds.

Content

• General Information: category AM
• Category AM initial training
• First aid course
• Two- or four-wheel moped?
• Many people have a right to drive a moped without a driving licence
• State exams for category AM drivers
• Other useful info for category AM students

General Information: category AM

You can start a course for a category AM licence at 14 years of age. However, you should consider that a person under 15 must have the written consent of a legal representative to obtain the right to drive.

Category AM initial training

The two-wheeled moped driver course consists of at least 24 theory and 12 driving lessons. The duration and workload of the four-wheel moped driver course depends on the driving school curriculum. The theory course is an abbreviated version of a category B driving course with the peculiarities of driving a moped added. You will learn about traffic rules, the basics of road safety, about riding gear, etc. The theory and driving lessons take place simultaneously. You can take a look at the curriculum here.

In addition to the basic driving course, you must also complete a first aid course. After graduating from a driving school and passing the exams, you will be issued a driving licence for category AM.

First aid course

Category AM training includes a first aid course

Every driver should be able to provide first aid. Therefore, in the driving school, all students take a first aid course with a total of 16 academic hours. The training involves not only theory, but also practice — you can practice in providing first aid on special mannequins.

First aid training also includes learning resuscitation techniques and how to help people who have lost consciousness. During the training you will learn what to do in the event of an accident, how to call for help, how to stop bleeding, how to help a person in shock, and much more. You will also be introduced to important first aid equipment.

Two- or four-wheel moped?

Category AM driving licences have differences

The most common mopeds in Estonia have two or four wheels. A four-wheel moped is also known as a moped car. A two-wheeled moped is similar to a motorcycle and a four-wheel moped to a passenger car. The driving methods with two and four wheels differ and therefore, the curriculum of the driving school is also different.

A driving test taken with a moped car is not very common in Estonia and the driving schools usually offer courses for two-wheeled mopeds.

Many people have a right to drive a moped without a driving licence

A moped is a motor vehicle with the weakest engine and many people are allowed to drive it without completing a driving course and passing exams.

If you have a driving licence for any category motor vehicle, then you are automatically allowed to drive a moped. The same applies if you have a limited right to drive.

If you were born before 1 January 1993, then you automatically have the right to drive category AM motor vehicles. It seems unfair, but before the Road Traffic Act that came into force in 2011, a moped was essentially considered equal to a bicycle and the traffic was much calmer. Before 2011, a driving licence was not necessary for driving a moped and as the law does not apply retroactively, this right was retained by people who had the right to drive a moped before the new Road Traffic Act took effect.

If you were 16 or 17 years old when the current Road Traffic Act took effect (1 July 2011), i.e. you were born between 02.07.1993 and 01.07.1995, then you must only pass the theory test of the Transport Administration to be allowed to drive a moped.

State exams for category AM drivers

The theory test consists of 30 questions, seven of which are about road safety. You are allowed a maximum of four mistakes, but only one in the case of questions about road safety. You have up to 30 minutes to complete the test.

The driving test is carried out in two stages – exercises on the training track and driving on the road. When taking a test on a two-wheeled moped, you must complete three obligatory exercises and one freely chosen exercise on the training track.

The obligatory exercises are:

• slow driving;
• slalom exercise;
• figure-8 exercise.

A freely chosen exercise could be (the examiner selects an exercise):

• emergency stopping;
• stopping and bringing the vehicle to a stop at the designated spot;
• passing obstacles;
• pushing the vehicle to a parking spot and leaving the parking spot.

You can make two attempts to complete each exercise. For more information, click here.

When taking a driving test in a four-wheel moped, you must complete two exercises on the training track. One is parking with a manoeuvre and the other is selected by the examiner at their own discretion from the following list:

• reversing on a small area;
• parallel parking;
• eversing in a straight line or along a course.

The road traffic part of the driving test lasts about 35–45 minutes.

For more information on state exams and assessment, please click on this link .

Once you have passed your tests, you will be issued a category AM driving licence valid for 10 years.

Other useful info for category AM students

You can take a theory course for a moped driver in a classroom or online.

At Liikluslab, you can prepare for the theory test – check and improve the level of your knowledge. The study environment will indicate the likelihood of passing the test (if interested, read more about the AI algorithms here).

To start your training, you must first select a suitable driving school. You can read about the aspects to consider when choosing a driving school and where to find a list of driving schools along with the feedback of trainees here.

The driving school provides the necessary riding gear (helmet, jacket, etc.). However, buying your own personal riding gear, suitable for your build, before your first driving lesson would be sensible. Nevertheless, do not be too hasty with the purchase – before you buy anything, you should complete the theory lesson that explains the principles and nuances of selecting suitable gear.

Before starting a driving course, you should obtain a health certificate. If you already have one, check its validity. This process is described in greater detail here.

If you fail the driving test of the Transport Administration three times, you are referred back to a driving school for continued training. You can read more about it here.