For motorcycles, power decides which licence you need. Unlike for cars, German law sets fixed kW limits for motorcycles in the Driving Licence Ordinance (Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, FeV). Here you find all limits with PS values, the additional conditions on power-to-weight ratio and restricted bikes, and the minimum ages.
The power limits at a glance
| Class | Power | in PS | Other conditions | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedelec | ≤ 0.25 kW | 0.34 | assistance only up to 25 km/h; no licence needed | – |
| AM | ≤ 4 kW (electric) | 5.44 | up to 45 km/h; combustion up to 50 cm³ | 15 |
| A1 | ≤ 11 kW | 14.96 | up to 125 cm³, at most 0.1 kW/kg | 16 |
| A2 | ≤ 35 kW | 47.59 | at most 0.2 kW/kg, not derived from more than 70 kW | 18 |
| A | unlimited | – | – | 24, or 20 after 2 years of A2 |
The PS values are converted exactly with 1 PS = 0.73549875 kW. Whether a particular motorcycle fits a class is best checked with the kW value from field P.2 of the registration certificate. The matching PS and hp values come from the kW to PS and hp calculator.
Class A1: up to 11 kW
Class A1 covers light motorcycles with at most 125 cm³ displacement and at most 11 kW engine power. A third condition applies: the ratio of power to weight must not exceed 0.1 kW/kg. A motorcycle with the full 11 kW must therefore weigh at least 110 kg. 11 kW equal 14.96 PS, roughly 15 PS – hence the familiar shorthand “125 cc with 15 PS”.
Smaller values are common too: a light motorcycle with 9.6 kW has 13.05 PS, about 13 PS, and is well within the A1 limit. Class A1 can be obtained from age 16.
A1 with a car licence: code 196
Holders of class B can also ride light motorcycles with the same limits (125 cm³, 11 kW, 0.1 kW/kg) via code 196. The requirements under section 6b FeV: you are at least 25 years old, have held class B for at least five years and have completed rider training of nine 90-minute units, four of them theory and five practical. There is no test. The entitlement is valid in Germany only and is not a full class A1.
Class A2: up to 35 kW
With class A2 you may ride motorcycles with at most 35 kW, which is 47.59 PS, rounded 48 PS. Again there is a power-to-weight limit: at most 0.2 kW/kg. A motorcycle with 35 kW must therefore weigh at least 175 kg.
The third condition concerns restricted motorcycles. An A2 motorcycle must not be derived from a motorcycle with more than 70 kW. In other words: only bikes that deliver at most 70 kW (95.17 PS) in their unrestricted version may be restricted to 35 kW and ridden on an A2 licence. With a restricted bike, always check the original power of the unrestricted model as well.
Class A2 is available from age 18. After holding it for two years, you can move up to class A from age 20.
Class A: no power limit
Class A allows motorcycles of any power. Direct access is possible from age 24, or from age 20 after holding class A2 for two years.
Class AM and pedelecs
Below A1 are the mopeds of class AM. They are limited to a top speed of 45 km/h. For combustion engines the displacement is limited to 50 cm³, for electric motors the continuous rated power to 4 kW, which is 5.44 PS. Class AM is automatically included in class B.
Pedelecs are not motor vehicles at all: under section 1(3) of the Road Traffic Act, a bicycle with electric pedal assistance counts as a bicycle if the motor has a continuous rated power of at most 0.25 kW and the assistance stops at 25 km/h. You do not need a licence for it.
And for cars?
Germany has no power limit for car licences, not even for new drivers. Class B is limited by the permissible total mass of 3,500 kg, not by kW or PS. If you want to know what a licence costs overall, the driver's licence cost calculator works it out.
How to check your motorcycle
- Read the power in field P.2 of the registration certificate part I. It is given in kW.
- Compare the value with the limits: up to 11 kW A1, up to 35 kW A2, above that A.
- Check the power-to-weight ratio: kW divided by the weight in kg, at most 0.1 (A1) or 0.2 (A2).
- For restricted bikes: the unrestricted version may have had at most 70 kW for A2.
As of October 2026. Legal basis: sections 6, 6b and 10 of the Driving Licence Ordinance (FeV), section 1(3) of the Road Traffic Act (StVG).