1.3 Learner Permit Rules & Mandatory Initial Basic Training (IBT)
Key Takeaways
- A learner permit alone is not enough: first-time motorcycle learners must complete Initial Basic Training (IBT) with an RSA-approved instructor before riding unsupervised.
- IBT for categories AM and A1 is a 16-hour course of Modules 1, 2, 3 and 4; first-time IBT for A2 or A is an 18-hour course of Modules 1, 3 and 5.
- Learner motorcyclists must display an L on a yellow fluorescent tabard and carry their IBT certificate with their learner permit.
- A motorcycle or moped learner permit holder must not carry a passenger and must not ride on a motorway.
- First-time learner permit holders must hold the permit for six months before the driving test, and learners are disqualified at 7 penalty points.
Learner Permit Rules & Mandatory Initial Basic Training (IBT)
A learner permit lets you learn on public roads, but for motorcyclists it comes with extra conditions. Since 6 December 2010, all new first-time motorcycle learner permit holders must complete Initial Basic Training (IBT) with an RSA-approved IBT instructor before they can ride a motorcycle unsupervised. The RSA describes IBT as part of its Graduated Driver Licensing scheme, intended to improve road safety.
Getting a First Learner Permit
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| FIRST MOTORCYCLE LEARNER PERMIT: THE STEPS |
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| 1. Pass the category AM Driver Theory Test (certificate valid 2 yrs) |
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| 2. Get an eyesight report completed by an optometrist or doctor |
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| 3. Add a medical report if one is required |
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| 4. Apply to the NDLS (online with a PSC and verified MyGovID) |
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| 5. Receive the learner permit, then complete IBT before riding alone |
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Eyesight report
An eyesight report form is required with an application for your first learner permit. The National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) says the form must be signed by you in the presence of the optometrist or doctor completing it, and submitted with your application within one month of the date it was completed. If you are required to submit a medical report form, a separate eyesight report is not required unless your doctor indicates otherwise.
Medical report
A medical report form is required if you are aged 75 or over, or if you have one of the medical conditions that the NDLS says must be reported on all applications. The doctor certifies whether you meet the relevant medical fitness standard, and the form must be presented to the NDLS within one month of being signed.
Applying and paying
You can apply online through the NDLS using a Public Services Card and a verified MyGovID account, or apply in person. The NDLS fee for a first-time or renewal learner permit is €45. A first and a second learner permit are normally valid for two years.
Minimum ages for a first learner permit are 16 for AM and A1, 18 for A2, 24 for A by direct access (or 20 with progressive access), and 21 for category A motor tricycles.
Initial Basic Training (IBT)
IBT is a training course that teaches basic riding skills to learner motorcyclists. It mixes theory with practical riding and is delivered only by RSA-approved IBT instructors. IBT is not an exam with a percentage score: your instructor records each completed module in your logbook, and when the course is complete you receive a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion.
Which course you need
| Your situation | IBT modules | Course length (RSA) |
|---|---|---|
| First-time learner, category AM or A1 | Modules 1, 2, 3 and 4, completed in sequence | 16 hours |
| First-time learner on a larger motorcycle, category A2 or A | Modules 1, 3 and 5 | 18 hours |
| Moving up a category by progressive access, or changing the type of motorcycle you ride (for example automatic to manual) | Progression module | Shorter than repeating the whole course |
What the modules cover
The module outline published by MAG Ireland, the Irish Motorcyclists' Association, based on the IBT syllabus, gives a good picture of the course:
- Module 1 (classroom): personal protective equipment, an introduction to the motorcycle controls, technical checks, putting the machine on and off its stand, walking alongside it, and starting and stopping the engine.
- Module 2 (training area): moving off and stopping, use of brakes and gears, slow riding, figure of eight, U-turn, slalom, rear observation and mirrors, turning left and right, and emergency adjustment of speed.
- Module 3 (classroom): legal requirements, the Rules of the Road, being seen, road surfaces, road and lane position, rear observation, speed, anticipation and reaction, and weather conditions.
- Module 4 (public road): gradients, junctions, traffic lights, roundabouts, safe distance, anticipation, pedestrian crossings and bends, with the trainer in radio contact.
- Module 5 (training area and public road): the Module 2 and Module 4 skills on the new type of machine, plus topics such as obstacle avoidance, overtaking and carrying pillion passengers.
When you have the certificate, you must keep it with your learner permit and carry it whenever you ride, because a member of An Garda Síochána may ask you to produce it. You can then apply for your practical driving test.
Non-Negotiable Learner Rider Rules
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| LEARNER MOTORCYCLIST: KEY RULES |
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| [ MUST ] |
| * Display an 'L' on a yellow fluorescent tabard, front and rear |
| * Carry your learner permit and IBT certificate |
| * Complete IBT before riding unsupervised |
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| [ MUST NOT ] |
| * Carry a passenger |
| * Ride on a motorway |
| * Take the driving test before holding a first permit for 6 months |
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1. The L tabard
As a learner motorcyclist you must display an 'L' on a yellow fluorescent tabard so that other road users know you are a learner and may need extra care. The Rules of the Road says the 'L' must conform in size and colour to the normal L plate. Wear the tabard over your jacket so the L is clearly visible from the front and the rear. Since December 2014, a motorcyclist not wearing the L tabard has committed a penalty-point offence.
2. No passengers
The RSA states that a learner permit holder in categories A1, A2, A or AM must not carry a passenger. The rule has no exception for experienced passengers, instructors or family members, and it lasts until you hold a full licence for that category. No learner permit holder in any category may carry a passenger for payment or reward.
3. No motorways
As a learner permit holder you must not drive on a motorway in any vehicle category, and it is an offence to do so. Plan routes that use national, regional and local roads instead.
4. Riding unaccompanied after IBT
Car learners must be accompanied by an approved driving instructor or by someone who has held a valid licence in the same category for more than two years. Motorcycle learners are treated differently: once you have your IBT Certificate of Satisfactory Completion, you can ride unaccompanied on public roads other than motorways, while following all the learner rules above.
5. The six-month rule
A first-time learner permit holder must hold the learner permit for six months and complete IBT before taking the driving test. NDLS code 991 on a learner permit in categories A1, A2, AM or A records this six-month wait. If you move up a category by progressive access using training only, you do not need to hold the learner permit for six months first.
Learner Permit Renewals and the 1 November 2026 Changes
| Situation | Rule before 1 November 2026 | Rule from 1 November 2026 |
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| First and second permits | Normally valid for 2 years | Normally valid for 2 years |
| Third permit | You must have booked, or sat and failed, a driving test in the previous 2 years (a 2-year permit if you sat and failed; a 1-year permit if a test is booked) | Only if you have taken a driving test in the previous 2 years; otherwise you must take the theory test again |
| Fourth permit | Same rule as the third permit | Only if you have taken a driving test in the previous 2 years, and the permit lasts 1 year |
| After four permits | Not applicable | No fifth permit unless you were medically restricted; you must take the theory test again |
| Permit expired for 2 years or more | Not applicable | You must take the theory test again |
Lower penalty point threshold
A fully licensed driver is disqualified for six months on reaching 12 penalty points within three years. A learner permit holder, and a novice in the first two years of a first full licence, is disqualified for six months at 7 penalty points. The RSA says this lower threshold applies to people who took out their first learner permit on or after 1 August 2014.
What are the specific modular training requirements and total minimum training hours for a candidate undertaking Initial Basic Training (IBT) for Category A2 or Category A under Direct Access?
Which of the following riding scenarios is legally permitted for a motorcyclist operating on an Irish public road on a Category A2 Learner Permit after completing Initial Basic Training (IBT)?
Under Irish road traffic law, what is the mandatory minimum waiting period from the date of issue of a first motorcycle learner permit before the holder may sit the RSA practical driving test?