How to get category M for a scooter

In one of the previous articles, we found out whether you need a license for a scooter in Ukraine. Russian officials have adopted a bill in which perhaps the most important innovation is the introduction of category M in a new driver’s license. Officially, the initiators of innovations in the Road Safety Rules explain the ban on riding a scooter without a license by the large number of accidents involving motor scooters.

Read on to find out what it means, how and in which driving school you can open or buy category M, as well as how much training costs in 2021.

What does category M mean in driving license?

Category M in the license means the ability to drive vehicles provided for it. The open category M gives the right to ride a moped, scooter, light ATV, the internal combustion engine capacity of which does not exceed 50 cubic meters or the maximum electric motor power of up to 4 kW. Driving any type of vehicle based on this category is prohibited. Also, according to the Road Traffic Regulations, such vehicles should not be structurally capable of exceeding a speed of 50 km/h.

If we speak in simple Russian, then in 2021 you do not have the legal right to drive fifty dollars Honda Dio and similar scooters without an M class driver's license. But there are some nuances here, which are discussed below.

Moped licenses in 2021

Since the appearance of mopeds and scooters on Russian roads, a huge number of questions have arisen related to the features of driving a vehicle.

Since 2013, certain measures have been put in place to introduce special rules. They must be observed by persons operating such vehicles.

This is the answer to the question of whether you need a license for a moped up to 50cc in 2021 in Russia.

If previously these vehicles did not belong to the category of mechanical vehicles and did not require a special driver's license.

This led to minors getting behind the wheel, which caused numerous accidents.

All this became the reason and basis for making a decision at the legislative level on the obligation to obtain rights to drive mopeds.

Since 2013, mopeds and scooters are considered as mechanical means of transportation; accordingly, only a person who has a special license can drive them.

Many drivers are wondering which mopeds do not require a license? The category of mopeds and scooters includes vehicles equipped with an engine not exceeding 50 cubic meters. They must not exceed a speed of 50 km/h.

If you plan to obtain a license for mopeds with special electric motors, their power should not exceed 4 kW.

To drive vehicles of this type, according to modern legislation, it is required to obtain a license of category M.

Is it possible to ride a moped without a license? No! Driving without a driver's license is a fairly serious violation of traffic rules and automatically entails administrative liability in the form of a serious administrative penalty.

The fine for riding a moped without a license ranges from 5 to 15 thousand rubles . In case of repeated violation, a person may be fined up to 30 thousand rubles with the simultaneous assignment of corrective labor.

Video: Rights to a scooter and moped

How to get category M

To help you avoid trouble when meeting with police officers (the fine for riding a scooter without a license in 2021 is 5-15 thousand rubles), we will tell you how to pass for category M.

To obtain a category M license, the following conditions must be met:

You need to undergo a medical examination and receive a certificate with a mark in the appropriate category field
Complete training and pass an internal exam at a driving school
Pass the theoretical and practical exam for category M at MREO
You must be at least 16 years old at the time of taking the exam.

If you have never had a driver’s license for the right to drive any vehicle, then we recommend stamping the medical certificate in the category A column, and if you are already 18 years old, then in the group B and even C cells.

Why? Having received category A, you will be able to drive all types of motorcycles, mopeds and scooters, regardless of engine capacity. Having opened rank B and (or) C, category M opens automatically “as a gift”.

Driving schools teaching category M must have a state license and permit. The result of the training is an internal test in theory (tickets) and practice (driving).

To be allowed to take the exam at any traffic police department throughout Russia, you need:

Present a certificate issued by a driving school
To write an application
Pay the state fee

The traffic police exam is analogous to a test in a driving school: first tests with 20 questions (no more than 2 mistakes are allowed on the ticket), and then practical driving (snake and figure eight, going into the city on a moped is not provided). Each exam can be retaken up to three times. If you fail the tests, you will not be granted access to the next stage.

Let us add that you can start studying at a motorcycle school before the age of 16 and pass your license after reaching the specified age.

Now let’s talk about whether category M is needed if there is A or B. This question is not so clear.

On the one hand, the Law of the Russian Federation “On Road Traffic Safety” clearly states that a driver’s license of any category or subcategory gives the opportunity to drive a type M vehicle. But some traffic police officers require owners of a new type of license to have an open class M. We advise you to replace the license in advance open category M or you will have to carry excerpts from the law of the Russian Federation with you. In disputes with representatives of the traffic police, you can also be helped by a court decision on this matter, which can be viewed here.

Let's summarize: if you have an old-style driver's license, then you do not need to specifically obtain category M in order to drive a moped up to 50cc. When receiving new rights, it is better to immediately open this category to avoid unpleasant moments in the future.

In any case, always wear a scooter helmet and obey traffic rules.

What is needed to obtain a driver's license category m

To obtain a license, the candidate must undergo training at a driving school and pass exams. But it is necessary to clearly know and follow the sequence of actions to achieve the goal.

You need to find a driving school that provides training for the required category of license, and find out when enrollment for the new course will begin. Most driving schools teach driving mopeds in the spring or summer, when the roads are dry, which greatly facilitates the learning process.
Make sure that the driving school has the appropriate permits.
Drive to the driving school and sign a training agreement. The contract must clearly state what course will be taken and how many hours of practice are planned for driving training.
Collect documents required for training:
passport;
photos 3*4.
Take a theoretical course
Take practical training in moped driving skills.
After completing the course, you must pass an exam at a driving school, which serves as admission to the traffic police exam. The person must be 16 years of age at the time of taking the exam.
Passing the traffic police exam takes place in two stages:
safety fundamentals;
first aid rules;
technical device of the vehicle.
practical control of a moped in site conditions. Unlike any other category, the exam does not include travel to the city.

Persons who do not pass the theoretical part of the exam do not receive access to the practical part. Retaking is allowed, but there are some restrictions.

So, retaking the theory is permissible only after a week. In case of three unsuccessful attempts to re-examine, the candidate has the right to return only after a month.

If a candidate passes the theory but fails the practical, then the results of the theoretical exam are valid for six months. If during this period the candidate fails to pass the practical part of the exam, he will have to start all over again.

For those who failed the exam, it is worth noting that there is no need to put off retaking the test. Learning the theoretical part of the exam is not so difficult, but if you procrastinate, you will have to catch up all over again.

If you successfully pass the exam, the traffic police officer taking the exam issues a card with the results and informs you on what day you need to appear to obtain your license.

When obtaining your license, you must have with you:

an examination card with marks on completion of both stages;
passport;
medical certificate. If the original certificate was left at the driving school, then it must be collected;
documents confirming training at a driving school;
money to pay the state fee for issuing a driver's license.

According to the law, if the driver already has a certain category of rights, then admission to category M opens automatically.

Formally, a driver can drive a moped without checking the corresponding license box. But if documentary evidence is needed, then when replacing rights, it is necessary to remind about the opening of category M.

Tuition price

Several years ago, when the new law on traffic safety was adopted, even in Moscow it was very difficult to find a driving school that provided training for category M. In 2021, the situation is much better, but still, if you want to open a category for a scooter not in a metropolis (such as St. Petersburg or Rostov-on-Don), prepare to go for motorcycle driving training (A/A1).

The price of passing for a category M license depends on the region (the cost in Kaliningrad and Orenburg will be different) and the “package of services” of the driving school, so it is difficult to say exactly how much it costs to pass for a category M license.

On average, tuition prices range from 7 to 34 thousand rubles:

From 7,000 to 12,000 rubles for a theoretical course consisting of 16 lessons
From 16,000 to 26,000 rubles for a theoretical and practical course (18 hours of driving)
From 20,000 to 34,000 rubles for a theoretical course, driving training, passing a medical examination, registration with the traffic police and support, equipment for a scooter, plus other services.

It is worth considering that the cost of the license is affected by the price of fuel, medical certificate, state duty, availability of your own moped, etc.

Price

As has been noted, studying at a driving school costs a lot of money. To obtain a license for a scooter (category “M”), you need a full course of classes on the theory of traffic rules, that is, the cost of obtaining this category will be the same as for other categories and will amount to 15,000-35,000 rubles, depending on the course of study.

Estimated cost of training for category “M”:

Full extended course (theory, driving practice, exam at a driving school, medical commission and payment of state fees) - 25,000-35,000 rubles.
Driving theory and practice course without additional services (duration 1.5-2.5 months) – 16,000-26,000 rubles.
Theory course (duration 1-2 months) – 7000-12000 rubles.

How much does it cost and where to buy a category M license?

We will not go into detail about the reasons why you need to buy a license for a scooter. This could be due to loss of documents or lack of time. The only thing we strongly advise is not to buy a driver’s license if you do not have experience driving mechanical vehicles or are not confident in your knowledge of traffic rules.

Buying category M licenses in Moscow, St. Petersburg or Novosibirsk is not difficult. This service costs from 10 to 30 thousand rubles, depending on the availability of a certificate from a medical institution, a certificate from a motorcycle school and other open categories. Companies selling driver's licenses online promise privacy, quality and delivery, but you need to be careful because buying, making and selling fake documents is a criminal offense.

We hope that we have clearly explained how to get a license for a category M scooter and there will be no problems during training and passing the exam.

Who can get rights

Anyone who has reached the age of 16 has the right to obtain a driver's license to operate a scooter, subject to successful passing of qualifying exams, which are carried out taking into account medical indicators obtained during the examination.

Knowing the rules of the road and undergoing mandatory procedures in the presence of medical contraindications to driving does not provide any guarantee of obtaining a license. It follows from this that before obtaining a license, it is necessary to study the basic rules for drivers.