Motorcycle Laws 2026: Riding Ages in 158 Countries

Eighteen is the commonest minimum riding age across the 158 countries in this table, but the exceptions are where trip planning actually happens: plenty of European states licence mopeds from 14 to 16, and Europe’s ladder splits larger machines into A1 at 125cc, A2 at 35kW and unrestricted A. Helmet laws are close to universal, with a few US states the visible exception and enforcement uneven elsewhere. A car licence rarely carries any motorcycle entitlement in the EU, so check the category printed on your permit before you book a bike abroad.

Key Findings

• 158 countries with motorcycle licensing data
• Most common motorcycle minimum age: 18 years (same as cars in many countries)
• Many European countries allow mopeds from age 14-16
• Helmet laws are nearly universal but enforcement varies

Motorcycle Licensing Ages

European Graduated Licensing (A1/A2/A)

The EU uses a three-tier motorcycle licence system:

• AM (age 16): Mopeds up to 50cc and 45 km/h
• A1 (age 16-18): Light motorcycles up to 125cc and 11 kW
• A2 (age 18-20): Medium motorcycles up to 35 kW
• A (age 20-24): Unrestricted motorcycles (direct access at 24, or 20 with 2 years A2 experience)

Helmet Laws Worldwide

Helmets are legally required for motorcycle riders and passengers in virtually every country. Notable points:

• Standards vary: ECE 22.05/22.06 in Europe, DOT in the USA, AS/NZS in Australia
• Some US states have partial helmet laws (required only for riders under 18 or 21)
• Southeast Asia: Helmet laws exist everywhere but enforcement varies significantly

IDP for Motorcycles

If you hold a motorcycle endorsement on your home licence, your IDP typically covers motorcycle riding abroad. However, some countries require a separate motorcycle IDP category. Check with your destination country before riding.

New rules from 1 October 2026 — gloves, footwear and the hard shoulder

Spain changes its motorcycle rules on 1 October 2026, and the change affects visitors on hired bikes exactly as it affects residents. The instrument is Real Decreto 518/2026, de 24 de junio, which amends the Reglamento General de Circulación and states plainly that it “entrará en vigor el 1 de octubre de 2026”.

Four things change:

• Protective gloves become compulsory on interurban roads — for the rider and the passenger. In town they are not required; the moment you leave the built-up area they are.
• Closed footwear becomes compulsory on every type of road. Sandals and open shoes stop being legal on a motorcycle anywhere in Spain.
• The same two rules extend to mopeds (ciclomotores), rider and passenger alike.
• Moped helmets must be type-approved (homologado), not merely certified — the decree closes the gap that let a weaker standard through.

One rule moves the other way: motorcycles may now use the hard shoulder when traffic is congested, which the decree frames as separating riders from stationary traffic rather than as a filtering right.

If you are hiring a bike in Spain in October, the practical trap is footwear: gloves are easy to remember, but the closed-shoe rule applies on every road, including the short urban hop from the rental counter.

Source: Real Decreto 518/2026 — BOE-A-2026-13889, text checked 2 September 2026.

Motorcycles can use reserved lanes — a 2025 change most guides missed

Portugal opened its reserved traffic lanes to motorcycles with Lei n.º 24/2025, de 12 de março, in force since 11 April 2025 (the law gives itself 30 days from publication).

The shift is bigger than it looks. The old wording of article 77 of the Código da Estrada said access could be allowed “in certain cases, by decision of the competent municipal council”, and a separate paragraph required an opinion from the national road-safety authority first. Both are gone. The new text is flat: “É permitida a circulação nas vias referidas no n.º 1 a motociclos e triciclos motorizados” — motorcycles and motorised tricycles are permitted, nationwide, without a town hall having to grant it.

Two practical notes:

• The lanes in question are reserved traffic lanes generally, which in most Portuguese cities means the bus lane — but the article covers any lane reserved to a vehicle class, so read the signs rather than assuming every reserved lane is a bus lane.
• The same law added a parking rule: urban car parks must set aside at least 5% of their area, and never fewer than one space, exclusively for motorcycles and motorised tricycles, with councils required to comply by 31 December 2025.

Source: Lei n.º 24/2025 — Diário da República, 1.ª série n.º 50, text checked 2 September 2026.

Related Tools & Guides

• Driving Age Checker — check age requirements
• Driving Permit Checker — IDP requirements
• Required Equipment by Country — mandatory gear