Driving licence

hosi

Hi there!
I hold already a full B driving licence for 12 years. Can I apply for a full A driving licence straight away or do I need to apply first for a provisional one?

The answer to this question may be obvious, but I'm quite new here in Ireland

drdre

hosi wrote:

Hi there!
I hold already a full B driving licence for 12 years. Can I apply for a full A driving licence straight away or do I need to apply first for a provisional one?

The answer to this question may be obvious, but I'm quite new here in Ireland

Thats a good question as i have a full car licence and would like to get a full bike licence.Can i just apply and get it or do i have to do another test

parliament

You need to do the theory test and then do the driving test again...of you can drive a moped up to 50cc in engine size on your full car license

murphaph

Indeed, believe it or not fellas, riding a bike is harder than driving a car!

Hagar

At one time getting a car licence automatically got you a bike licence.
Can anyone remember when that changed?

murphaph

When petrol was 6d a gallon?

Idleater

murphaph wrote:

When petrol was 6d a gallon?

No, Before that, when it was three rods to the hog's head.

drdre

Hagar wrote:

At one time getting a car licence automatically got you a bike licence.
Can anyone remember when that changed?

Yes that what i thought.I had a full car licence and i thought i automatically got a bike licence.i dont know when it changed but its really annoying.
Is there anyway of getting the licence without sitting the theory test.

Fabritzo

drdre wrote:

Yes that what i thought.I had a full car licence and i thought i automatically got a bike licence.i dont know when it changed but its really annoying.

:rolleyes:

drdre

Fabritzo wrote:

:rolleyes:

Yes that was the case before.when you got a car licence you just tick the bike licence box as well.

Idleater

drdre wrote:

Yes that was the case before.when you got a car licence you just tick the bike licence box as well.

Absolutely years ago mate.

That went out with the amnesty.

drdre

nereid wrote:

Absolutely years ago mate.

That went out with the amnesty.

No it wasnt YEARS ago.its about 4-5 yrs ago
Just before i got my licence

KTRIC

You lads are going to be really disappointed when you find out what you can drive with your new provisional licences.

Nothing with a power to weight ratio of over 0.16
No motorway driving
Hughly inflated insurance premiums

You've got 2 years of that even after you pass your driving test. Oh and you've also got the compulsory training that's being introduced in July.

Enjoy

sutty

I got my first bike just under 5 years ago. I can tell you this now, it was WAY before then that you got the A license with your B one. Maybe the 80's?

Krusty_Clown

Yes, it was much longer ago.. Around 7 years (?) they introduced the two year purgatory after you got your full license, so it was well before that.. There should be a Wiki Page on Wikipedia.. They could call it 'A history of lunacy..'

Wishbone Ash

drdre wrote:

No it wasnt YEARS ago.its about 4-5 yrs ago
Just before i got my licence

It was way before that. I think it was on the 12th August 1985.

drdre

Wishbone Ash wrote:

It was way before that. I think it was on the 12th August 1985.

it must be me getting confused then

Dar

drdre wrote:

it must be me getting confused then

Unless ure thinking about provisionals. You used to be able to get bike & car provisional at the same time just by tickin the box. Now you need to sit a seperate theory test for each.

murphaph

drdre wrote:

Yes that what i thought.I had a full car licence and i thought i automatically got a bike licence.i dont know when it changed but its really annoying.
Is there anyway of getting the licence without sitting the theory test.

Would you expect to get a truck licence as well? There's more similarity in driving a car and a truck than a car and a motorcyle afterall. Different controls completely on a bike and of course, a bike falls over in its unupported state

drdre

murphaph wrote:

Would you expect to get a truck licence as well? There's more similarity in driving a car and a truck than a car and a motorcyle afterall. Different controls completely on a bike and of course, a bike falls over in its unupported state

No it wasnt truck licence.I thought i seen car, motorbike and the smaller vechiles

murphaph

I know it wasn't a truck licence. I'm asking if you'd expect a truck licemce just because you passed a car test? A bike is a completely different experience to a car (or a truck). I don't understand your frustration that you can't just hop on a bike and take off.

Hagar

Wishbone Ash wrote:

It was way before that. I think it was on the 12th August 1985.

Have you any more info on that? Anything concrete? A link perhaps?

My licence predates that, yes I am that old , and I am thinking of getting a bike here for the summer but would rather not go through the French test etc.

sutty

Hagar wrote:

Have you any more info on that? Anything concrete? A link perhaps?

My licence predates that, yes I am that old , and I am thinking of getting a bike here for the summer but would rather not go through the French test etc.

If you hold a French license, then it wont apply to you anyway. I'm also pretty sure it wont matter what date you go it. To apply for a license now, you will need to sit the theory test and as K-trick said, you will also need the Mandatory training. (thank feck for that)

Hagar

No, I still hold an Irish licence, there is no legal obligation on me to change it.
A valid EU licence is a valid EU licence end of story.
If I can confirm my right to an Irish bike licence I would like one.

sutty

Dont think you have any right to one. I think you where able to apply for one when applying for your full license. But as you didn't You are no longer entitled to it. You like the rest of the people with a Current full B License will need to apply for a prov test, then do your training and then get the prov license. Then when you are ready, apply for your full biking license. Which will still be restricted to prov level for the first 2 years.

murphaph

That french test is reputedly the toughest in the EU. All sorts of stuff like carrying apillion round an obstacle course in a certain time etc...It'd be easier to apply for a test here then do a crash course and hope for the best. The pass rate is quite high on the bike test here (figures not published but my instructor reckoned it was over 75%).

oleras

Just out of curiosity...........

Is it possible to get your provisional, apply for and pass your test and sit on the licence for 2 years and then drive unrestricted ? Or do you need 2 years ncb on a restricted bike before the insurance comes down any ?

Hagar

It's just that I don't want to go to a great deal of expense for soemthing I will just use for 3 months a year. Traffic where I live gets chaotic in the tourist season, a bike / scooter is yer only man for getting around. I might get a, don't laugh, 49cc runaround that requires no licence. I don't be going far anyway.

seamus

If you have a full B licence, you can have the M category added to your licence without having to sit a test. This entitles you to drive bikes with an engine size no larger than 50cc and a maximum speed of 50km/h.

For anything larger, you have to go through the full process.

Fnz

oleras wrote:

Is it possible to get your provisional, apply for and pass your test and sit on the licence for 2 years and then drive unrestricted ? Or do you need 2 years ncb on a restricted bike before the insurance comes down any ?

ARRGH... MY PLAN! Who told you?
You don't even need to pay for your own insurance to pass the test!

The '2 year power restriction after getting your full license' is just a legal restriction.

The no claims bonus, I presume, will add up regardless of whether you're actually riding or not.

Fnz

BTW - I got my provisional license yesterday. I'm delighted.

Didn't have to sit the theory test or nuttin!

Giggity Giggity Giggity! :cool:

mcgrailg

if you have a 125 bike and you do the test on that, do you need to do another test on a bike over 125 ?

Wossack

mcgrailg wrote:

if you have a 125 bike and you do the test on that, do you need to do another test on a bike over 125 ?

doing the full license test on a 125 will end up with you getting an A1 license (restricted to 125cc etc etc). A full 'A' requires the applicant to drive a bike greater then 125

so yes

Wossack

oleras wrote:

Just out of curiosity...........

Is it possible to get your provisional, apply for and pass your test and sit on the licence for 2 years and then drive unrestricted ? Or do you need 2 years ncb on a restricted bike before the insurance comes down any ?

whats the aversion to the restriction? you wanna jump on a full power blade 2 years down the line with no experience? thought the point of the restriction was to stop people doing that and just killing themselves...

apply for provisional, get restricted bike of your dreams, pass test, 2 years later remove restriction from said bike

mcgrailg

I actually have an A license ( a couple of years driving a ped when i was younger meant i could get the A when i got the 125) so where does that leave me ?

Wossack

mcgrailg wrote:

I actually have an A license ( a couple of years driving a ped when i was younger meant i could get the A when i got the 125) so where does that leave me ?

you have a full A licence? not prov A/A1? how many years ago?

mcgrailg

Sorry Wossack, Its a prov A, in my early 20's i had a ped for a few years but the license had lapsed when i got my bike last year, so when i went to get a new one they said i could get the prov A as i had done more then the 2 on the A1

Wossack

mcgrailg wrote:

Sorry Wossack, Its a prov A, in my early 20's i had a ped for a few years but the license had lapsed when i got my bike last year, so when i went to get a new one they said i could get the prov A as i had done more then the 2 on the A1

hmmm you're probably in the same boat as us all so - 2 year restriction upon passing your full test.

Strange they gave you the A for holding the A1 for 2 years - applying in your 20's you should have been eligible to obtain both at the same time. And theres no extra fee's for getting both... weird, dunno bout that

Reason I asked about your age, and the age of the provisional, was that if you have a provisional license that pre-dates the introduction of the 2 year restriction period, when you hand in your prov to get a full, you wont be restricted.
Unfortunately, I cant find the date, and its very unlikely you've got one old enough

mcgrailg

Thanks for the info Woss, when i first applied they said i could only get the A1 so thats why i went that route, it was about 11 years ago. If i do the test on a 125 does that mean i get a full A license (as i have a prov A) restricted for 2 years or does a test on the 125 only entitle me to a full A1 and then i have to sit the test again on a bigger bike ?

Wossack

yea unfortunately, the full 'A' licence needs to be undertaken on a bike greater the 125cc (not including 125... :mad: ). Its pretty ridiculus - 'A1' is great and all when you're younger, but the insurance racket has killed the younger market so the age restriction on the licenses is pretty much irrelevent. I heard a good while ago that the cc restriction on the A1 was gonna be changed to a max speed limit, but was probably just a rumor at this point.

If you want a full 'A' licence, you'll have to rent a bike 126cc+ for the test day. Thankfully this is pretty easy these days, and rental bikes are readily available from motorbike instructors and schools. Insurance is included in the rental cost. Just when you get one, make sure its in full working order before you leave the school - heard of people being refused testing due to out of date tax discs, faultly lights and bald tires :eek:

seamus

mcgrailg wrote:

Thanks for the info Woss, when i first applied they said i could only get the A1 so thats why i went that route, it was about 11 years ago. If i do the test on a 125 does that mean i get a full A license (as i have a prov A) restricted for 2 years or does a test on the 125 only entitle me to a full A1 and then i have to sit the test again on a bigger bike ?

In order to get a full A licence, you must pass the test on a bike with a engine capacity greater than 125cc. There is no two year restriction once you pass the A1 test (though you're obviously restricted to 125s). The timed restriction only applies to the full A licence, and begins the day the licence is issued. This is regardless of what other licences you hold/have held and how long you've held them for.

(Obviously on a provisional A, you are permanently restricted until you pass the test).

mcgrailg

thats great info, thanks Seamus & Wossack

Dorsanty

Yay, I just got mine this morning. Now proud owner of one full A license

Let the 2 year countdown begin.

murphaph

seamus wrote:

If you have a full B licence, you can have the M category added to your licence without having to sit a test. This entitles you to drive bikes with an engine size no larger than 50cc and a maximum speed of 50km/h.

For anything larger, you have to go through the full process.

The M category is a national category and is NOT an EU/EEA harmonised category. Just because one can drive 49cc peds/tractors on a cat B licence in RoI does not automatically entitle one to drive these types of vehicles outside the state. That would be a matter for french law. The only harmonised categories (ie, ones where your licence is automatically and indefinitely valid in all other EU/EEA states) are A1, A, B, C1, C, D1, D and the relevant categories with a trailer attached (E+). Anything else (such as P and T on UK licences and M and W on irish ones) are purely at the discretion of the issuing authority and cannot be taken as granting one the automatic right to drive these vehicles in other EU states.

oleras

Wossack wrote:

whats the aversion to the restriction? you wanna jump on a full power blade 2 years down the line with no experience? thought the point of the restriction was to stop people doing that and just killing themselves...

apply for provisional, get restricted bike of your dreams, pass test, 2 years later remove restriction from said bike

Exactly, i was just pointing out a flaw in the system.

Wossack

oleras wrote:

Exactly, i was just pointing out a flaw in the system.

ah k, yea valid point

congrats on the pass Dorsanty btw you dont happen to drive through harolds cross most mornings ~7:50 on a silver fazer do ya? (lookin at your sig)

Dorsanty

Wossack wrote:

congrats on the pass Dorsanty

Cheers. Big thank you to Aaron Rider Training for getting me up to scratch.

Wossack wrote:

btw you dont happen to drive through harolds cross most mornings ~7:50 on a silver fazer do ya? (lookin at your sig)

Not me. Mine is black and to be mostly found on N4, M1 (legal from now on), or on the Quays.