I want to drive a large bike, I want to ride the bike of my dreams. Are you considering obtaining Heavy Motorcycle license for that purpose?

Motorcycles, which require Heavy Motorcycle license, are powerful and large, so they require safe driving techniques. It may take several months for some people to obtain a license, so it is best to plan ahead when obtaining a license.

In this article, we will explain how to obtain Heavy Motorcycle license, the cost, difficulty level, and questions you may have. We will explain the basic process to obtain one, so if you are interested in obtaining Heavy Motorcycle license, please refer to it.

What is Heavy Motorcycle license?

This is a license required to drive a large and powerful motorcycle with a total displacement of 401cc or more and an electric motorcycle with a rated output of over 20kW. Officially, it is called a large motorcycle license, and there are two types: MT (manual) and AT (automatic) vehicles only.

The conventional Heavy Motorcycle AT vehicle license only allowed you to ride AT vehicles up to 650cc. However, with the amendment to the Road Traffic Act that came into effect on December 1, 2019, the emissions limit has been abolished.

By obtaining both licenses, you will be able to drive a motorcycle of 400cc or less, which falls under mopeds and medium-sized motorcycles.

Is it difficult to obtain Heavy Motorcycle license? Pass rate in recent years

The National Police Agency publishes statistical information regarding driver's license acquisition. The recent passing rates for Heavy Motorcycle licenses published as of January 2023 are as follows.

*Created from National Police Agency “Driver License Statistics”

Looking at the pass rate, we can see that the pass rate for Heavy Motorcycle licenses for MT vehicles is approximately 90%, and for AT vehicles only, it is approximately 70%, although this varies depending on the year. Heavy Motorcycle licenses are often given the impression of being difficult, but looking at the actual pass rate, most people pass.

However, over 90% of successful applicants are graduates of designated driving schools. For example, looking at the Metropolitan Police Department's statistics for 2022, 113,303 people took the exam in one year, and 97,580 passed, of which 88,815 were graduates of designated driving schools, accounting for 91% of the total.

Judging from the pass rate and its breakdown, it is likely that you will be able to obtain the pass faster if you attend a driving school. If you want to obtain your license in the shortest possible time, we recommend that you consider Driving Camp.

Conditions for obtaining Heavy Motorcycle license

The conditions required for acquisition are as follows.

*Created from the Metropolitan Police Department's "Motorcycle License Examination (for those taking the test directly at the test center)"

If you have any concerns about your hearing, eyesight, or motor ability under the conditions, you need to consult the driver's license examination center. You can aim to obtain a license after taking support measures according to your situation. Consultations require time, so advance registration is required. The driver's license examination center is only open on weekdays, so please contact us early.

Also, although the above are conditions for obtaining a license, some driving schools may set their own height restrictions. This is because large bikes are heavy and high, depending on the model, and it is difficult for people of all heights to support the bike. If you are concerned, please check with the driving school you are thinking of enrolling.

[How to obtain Heavy Motorcycle license part 1] Attend a driving school

We will explain the process from attending a driving school to obtaining Heavy Motorcycle license.

Process to obtain

If you wish to attend school, you will aim to obtain a license through the following steps.

1. enroll in a driving school
2. take an aptitude test
3. Receive Driving Lessons and academic training
4. pass Final Driving Test
5. Take an aptitude test at a driver's license examination center
6. Take the written exam depending on the license you obtained.
7. License issued after passing

The above process is for people who have no experience in obtaining the license required to drive a motorcycle or car. People who are getting their driver's license for the first time will be tested to see if they have the correct knowledge of traffic rules and etiquette in a written exam.

Those who already have a regular driver's license or Regular Motorcycle license are eligible for exemption from the written exam. .

Acquisition period

If you do not have a Regular Motorcycle license, even if everything goes well, it will take at least 13 days and at most 3 months.

When obtaining a license for the first time, 26 hours of academic training and 36 hours of Driving Lessons are required. Each period is 50 minutes, but because the number of training periods that can be taken per day is determined by law as ``2 periods for the first stage and 3 periods for the second stage,'' it is not possible to complete it in a short period of time.

If your lessons are not going well or you have limited days that you can attend from home, the number of days may be extended. If you choose to commute to school, consider the possibility that the acquisition period may be longer, as the driving school may be crowded and you may not be able to make a reservation.

Acquisition cost

It varies depending on the driving school you go to, but if you don't have a driver's license or only have a moped license, the cost will be around 240,000 to 300,000 yen.

If you have Regular Motorcycle license (MT), you can get one for around 100,000 to 150,000 yen since there is no academic training. For those with a regular driver's license, most of the academic training is exempted, but most of Driving Lessons is required, so the cost will be around 150,000 yen.

Regardless of whether you have a license or not, you generally have to pay for your own transportation to get one. Please be sure to check the plans of the driving school you wish to attend, as some driving schools may offer subsidies for commuting.

[How to obtain a Heavy Motorcycle license part 2] Participate in Driving Camp

Driving Camp is a method of staying at the driving school's accommodation facility or a designated hotel and aiming to obtain a license.

Process to obtain

The basic flow is the same as when commuting to a driving school.

1. enroll in a driving school
2. take an aptitude test
3. Receive Driving Lessons and academic training according to schedule
4. pass Final Driving Test
5. Take an aptitude test at a driver's license examination center
6. Take a written exam (if you do not have another license)
7. License issued after passing

Acquisition period

If you do not have a license, or if you have a moped license or small special license, the earliest is around 16 days. If you have a Regular Motorcycle license (MT) or regular driver's license, you will need less training, so you can obtain it in a shorter period of time.

The number of days is shorter than commuting to school because lessons are carried out efficiently according to a pre-arranged schedule. Although you will need to follow a set schedule, you can aim to obtain the qualification in a shorter period of time than commuting to school.

Driving Camp is more convenient for people who want to concentrate on obtaining a license over a short period of time.

However, although the acquisition period itself is short, some driving schools may not accept enrollments during the winter. This is because it is difficult to ride a motorcycle in areas with heavy snowfall. Therefore, please consider the possibility that the period during which you can participate in the training camp and the reception period at the driving school do not match.

Acquisition cost

As with commuting to school, the cost ranges from 100,000 yen to around 300,000 yen depending on your license status.

If you have a Regular Motorcycle license (MT), it will cost around 100,000 yen to 150,000 yen. It costs 150,000 to 200,000 yen for a regular license, and 200,000 to 300,000 yen for a non-license or moped license.

Also, the price is higher when there are many people enrolling and when there are not. Prices vary depending on the driving school, so if there are multiple driving school options, it is a good idea to compare prices and plan contents.

[How to obtain Heavy Motorcycle license part 3] Take the one-shot test

The one-shot test is a way to obtain a driver's license without attending a driving school. If you apply for the test at a driver's license test center and there are no problems with the aptitude test, you can take the written test and skill test. After passing the exam, you can obtain your license by taking the prescribed course.

Process to obtain

The flow of the one-shot test is as follows.

1. Go to the driver's license examination center that has jurisdiction over the area where you have your residence card.
2. Apply for the exam and take the aptitude test
3. Book your exam
4. Take the written test and skill test on the reserved day (the written test may be waived depending on the license you hold)
5. Take Heavy Motorcycle course (if you do not have Regular Motorcycle license)
6. Take first aid training (if you do not have a regular license)
7. License issued after passing

The time and money required to obtain a license can be reduced compared to using a driving school. On the other hand, skill tests and courses are not exempt.

In addition, during the skill test, a police officer is present to check whether you have sufficient skills, so even people who are used to riding motorcycles may fail due to nervousness. Please keep in mind that the above process only applies if you proceed without failing the exam.

Acquisition period

Applications for exams, skill tests, and required courses are held only on weekdays. In addition to not being able to take the test on the day you apply for the test, whether or not you can take the necessary course depends on the availability of the driving license test center, so the period for obtaining the test may be longer.

Also, keep in mind that if you fail the test, you will have to reschedule the skill test. The more times you fail the exam, the longer it will take to obtain your license.

Acquisition cost

*Created based on the Metropolitan Police Department's "Motorcycle License Examination (for those taking the test directly at the test center)"

The cost is lower than methods using Driving Camp or commuting. However, as explained in the section on the acquisition period, if you fail the exam, you will have to take the exam again. As a result, you should consider the possibility that it would be cheaper to obtain Driving Camp or use a driving school to commute to school.

Please note that the above fees may differ depending on the region. For exact costs, please contact your local driver's license examination center or prefectural public safety commission.

What you need to take Heavy Motorcycle license exam

After successfully graduating from the driving school, you will take the test at a driver's license examination center. The required documents and fees will vary depending on whether you have already obtained a license, so be sure to check in advance.

When obtaining a license for the first time

• Copy of residence card showing permanent address (within 6 months from issue)
• If your residence card has been removed due to overseas assignments, etc., please submit a certificate of all family register details, a certificate of personal information in your family register, or a certificate of residence that shows your permanent address, a temporary return (stay) certificate, and the certifier's address. Copy of identification card that can confirm
• Identity verification documents (health insurance card, My Number card, student ID card, etc.)
• Application photo (1 photo taken from the front, no hat, full front, upper third half, no background, 3 cm high and 2.4 cm wide, taken within 6 months)
• Writing utensils (for academic exams)
• signature stamp
• Glasses/contact lenses (if vision correction is required)
• Graduation certificate (less than one year has passed since the date of issue)
• Examination fee: 1,750 yen
• Issuance fee: 2,050 yen

If you have graduated from a driving school, you will be exempt from taking the skill test. There is no need to pay for training or first aid training at the time of acquisition, so a total fee of 3,800 yen is required as of January 2023.

Additionally, if you pass the written test at a location other than the prefecture where the driver's license exam center is located, you will need a driver's license exam result certificate issued by the Public Safety Commission.

If you already have a license other than Heavy Motorcycle license

• driver's Driver's License
• Application photo (1 photo taken from the front, no hat, full front, upper third half, no background, 3 cm high and 2.4 cm wide, taken within 6 months)
• Graduation certificate (issued less than 1 year ago)
• signature stamp
• Glasses/contact lenses (if vision correction is required)
• Examination fee: 1,750 yen
• Issuance fee: 2,050 yen

If you already have a regular driver's license, you will be exempt from taking the written test. Therefore, you do not need any writing materials required for the written exam.

Questions you may have about obtaining Heavy Motorcycle license

Should I get "MT" or "AT"?

If you do not have a clear purpose to obtain Heavy Motorcycle license limited to AT, we recommend MT.

It costs tens of thousands of yen to cancel AT later, which results in a higher total acquisition cost. Since you will need to spend time going to a driving school to clear your AT certification, it is better to obtain an MT certification in terms of both acquisition cost and acquisition period.

What is the pass rate for Heavy Motorcycle license?

According to the driver's license statistics from the National Police Agency's Traffic Bureau Driver's License Division, in 2022 (Reiwa 3 edition), the pass rate for Heavy Motorcycle licenses (MT) is 86.1%, and for AT-only licenses is 67.6%. As for the one-shot exam, the exact pass rate is not known because the exact number of examinees is unclear.

Are there any subsidies for Heavy Motorcycle licenses?

Unfortunately, there are no subsidies for Heavy Motorcycle licenses.

However, looking at all driver's licenses, there are some that can receive subsidies. These include large-sized and medium-sized licenses required to drive large trucks and buses, as well as forklift driving skills training.

If you meet the conditions and apply to Hello Work, you can use the education and training benefit system where 20% of the license acquisition cost is paid up to 100,000 yen. If you use it, you can reduce the acquisition cost and aim to obtain a license.

Conditions for receiving benefits include being under the age of 65 and having been enrolled in employment insurance for at least three years from the start date of the course. However, even if you have not worked for a period of time, you can still use the insurance if you left your job within one year and were insured for a total of three years or more at your previous job.

This is a system that is worth keeping in mind if you are thinking of expanding your range of work in the future, or if you are on leave and want to qualify as a professional driver.

We recommend using a driving school to obtain Heavy Motorcycle license.

The acquisition period and cost for a Heavy Motorcycle license will vary depending on whether you have already obtained a license or not. The pass rate is 80% to 90% for MT and 60% to 70% for AT only, and many of those who pass are graduates of designated driving schools.

Going to a driving school is also a shortcut to driving a large motorcycle, which requires more knowledge and skill. Get your Heavy Motorcycle license in a way that suits you and enjoy riding your dream bike to the fullest.