Motorcycle licence in Uzbekistan (A and A1): how and where to learn

In short: a motorcycle needs category A; a moped or scooter needs A1. Both are available from age 16. For A you can study theory on your own since 2026, but the practical part (at least 20 hours) must be done at a driving school. For A1 you can go straight to the tests. A category A course in Tashkent costs roughly 1.8–3.2 million som.

Every spring people walk into driving schools with the same question: "I bought a motorcycle, now what?" Better if they ask before the first ride. Below is what the law requires, how the course and test work, and what to learn beyond the syllabus to ride calmly in Tashkent. Figures are as of October 2026, based on the Law on Road Traffic (ZRU-900), the Traffic Rules (Cabinet Resolution No. 172) and Cabinet Resolution No. 408 as amended by Resolution No. 125 of 30 March 2026.

A or A1: which one you need

The line between the categories is drawn by the technical definitions in the Traffic Rules, not by how big the bike looks.

	A1	A
What it covers	Mopeds and scooters, plus low-power machines up to 25 km/h	Motorcycles and electric motorcycles (and everything in A1)
Petrol engine	Moped: 25–50 cc	Motorcycle: 50 cc and above
Electric motor	Scooter: 0.25–4 kW	Electric motorcycle: 4 kW and above
Design speed	up to 50 km/h	50 km/h and above
Minimum age	16	16
Driving school	Not required	Practical part required
Theory test pass mark	16 of 20	18 of 20

Rule of thumb: if your machine's papers say it goes faster than 50 km/h or has an engine of 50 cc or more, it is a motorcycle and you need category A. That includes the 125 cc and 150 cc big-wheel scooters popular in Tashkent: they look like scooters but count as motorcycles by engine size. Check the engine size and power in the registration papers, not in the sales listing.

On the licence card A1 is not a separate line: an "A1" mark is placed in the category A field. For more on light two-wheelers, see scooter and moped licence.

Riding on a B licence

If you already hold a B, C or D licence, you can ride mopeds and scooters without an extra category. A B licence does not cover motorcycles, and this is a common mistake: someone buys a 150 cc scooter, calls it a "moped" and rides it on a car licence. At a check that is riding without the right category.

Is driving school mandatory

Here A and A1 follow different rules.

Category A1. Under clause 24¹ of Resolution No. 408 you do not need to complete the mandatory programme. You can take an online or offline course or prepare yourself and book the theory and practical tests directly. No school confirmation is required.

Category A. Since 1 February 2026, candidates for A and B may study the theory part of the programme on their own. Not the practice: you complete it in full at a driving school, the school assesses your skills and sends an electronic confirmation to the traffic police and the test centre. Without it you cannot book the test.

How long it takes:

• the standard for the A programme is at least 9 weeks and at least 20 hours of practical riding;
• if you study theory yourself, only the practice remains mandatory; many schools fit it into 1–2 months, but check the schedule in your contract;
• 20 hours is the minimum. Someone who has never sat on a motorcycle usually needs more, especially for the slow-speed exercises.

Schools that teach category A are listed under category A in Tashkent. Not every school keeps motorcycles, so check before you pay.

What it costs

Published category A prices in Tashkent are scarce. Reference points:

Item	Estimate	Note
Category A course	1.8–3.2 million som	Kun.uz (November 2025) and osonprava.uz (March 2026) reviews
Medical certificate 083/u	100–400 thousand som	depends on the clinic
Tests and licence	test centre tariffs and state fee	details in licence cost

In October 2026 listings, motorcycle instructors and schools usually write "affordable prices" and quote by phone. Ask straight away: whose bike you ride, whether fuel is included, whether a helmet and protection are provided, how many practice hours the price covers and what an extra hour costs.

Medical certificate and documents

Before enrolling, pass the medical check and get certificate 083/u. Make sure it states fitness for category A; if it was issued for B, check this separately. How to get one and what it costs is covered in medical certificate 083.

To apply for the test you need:

• passport or ID card;
• certificate 083/u;
• the driving school's electronic confirmation (for A; not needed for A1);
• a copy of your current licence if you are adding a category;
• payment for the tests.

How the test works

Theory. 20 questions, 25 minutes, in Uzbek or Russian. For A you need at least 18 correct answers, for A1 at least 16. A passed theory test stays valid for two months, and you must pass the practical within that time.

Practical on the training ground. Taken on a two-wheeled motorcycle or electric motorcycle (for A1, on a moped or scooter). The manual gearbox requirement that applies to cars does not apply to the motorcycle categories. An automated system does the scoring, with no examiner riding alongside.

Exercises under Resolution No. 408:

1. Start — pulling away.
2. Slalom — weaving between posts without touching them.
3. Narrow lane — riding straight along a narrow strip; tests balance.
4. Acceleration and braking — speed up and stop within a marked zone.
5. Semicircle — a curved turn without crossing the lines.
6. Corridor — riding through a restricted corridor.
7. Slow riding — covering a section at minimum speed.
8. Figure eight — a figure eight inside a restricted area.
9. Finish.

Most points are lost in the slow exercises: the figure eight, narrow lane and slow riding. At walking pace a motorcycle is held up by the clutch and rear brake, not the throttle, and that has to be learned with your hands, not from a book. Ask your school which machine your test centre uses and practise on something similar. Practice grounds with test markings are listed under training grounds in Tashkent, and the general test procedure is in the practical test on the training ground.

If you fail: theory can be retaken the next working day, the practical no sooner than seven days later.

If you already hold a B licence

Resolution No. 408 has no shortened "B to A" retraining course. The path is the same as for a beginner, only less stressful:

1. A medical certificate stating fitness for category A.
2. Practical training under the A programme at a school; theory on your own.
3. The theory test on motorcycle questions, then the practical on the training ground.
4. Replacement of your licence card, which will list all your categories.

Driving experience helps with the rules and reading traffic, but riding is a different skill. Drivers with many years behind the wheel often overestimate themselves in the first lessons.

Gear

Under the Traffic Rules, the rider and passenger of a motorcycle, moped or scooter must wear a fastened motorcycle helmet, and motorcycles must run dipped headlights in daytime. Children under 12 may not ride on the back seat.

The minimum I insist on before sending a student into city traffic:

• a helmet that fits, with the strap done up (a full-face helmet protects better than an open one);
• gloves, because palms are the first thing to hit the ground;
• a jacket with shoulder and elbow armour; mesh versions exist for the heat;
• closed footwear covering the ankle, not sandals;
• a light or reflective element on your clothing for evening rides.

Staying safe in Tashkent traffic

• They do not see you. The main cause of motorcycle crashes is a car driver who "didn't notice", especially on left turns and when cars pull out of residential courtyards in Chilanzar or Yunusabad.
• Stay out of the gap between lanes. In jams on Amir Temur or Bobur street, cars change lanes sharply without signalling and taxi doors open at any moment.
• Blind spots. Do not sit next to a Damas, a Gazelle van or a bus: the driver cannot see you in the mirrors.
• Road surface. Manhole covers, joints, sand at the kerb and road markings after street watering are slippery. Brake before the hazard, not on it.
• First months: daylight and dry weather only. Leave night riding with oncoming headlights and wet asphalt for later.

Common mistakes

• Buying a 150 cc scooter and assuming a B or A1 licence covers it.
• Practising on your own bike and meeting a different one for the first time at the test.
• Passing theory too early and not getting to the practical within two months.
• Riding with the helmet strap undone: in a fall the helmet comes off.
• Doing the bare 20 hours and heading straight into rush-hour traffic.

Bottom line

First decide what you will ride: a moped or scooter up to 50 km/h means A1 with no mandatory school; a motorcycle means A with practical training at a driving school. If you need a school with motorcycles and a workable schedule, browse the Tashkent driving school catalogue or leave a request for school matching, and we will tell you which schools in your district are actually running category A groups.