Restricted to Full Motorcycle Licence in NZ: What to Know

Your restricted licence gives you freedom to ride on your own. The full licence takes away the last conditions: no more night curfew, no passenger ban and no LAMS limit. Getting there takes time on your restricted, plus either a CBTA assessment or a practical test. Here is how it works now, and what to work on before you go for it.

As always, licence rules can change. Check the NZTA full motorcycle licence page for the current details before you book.

How long do you need to be on your restricted?

There are two routes, and they have different timings.

• CBTA route: you can sit the full licence CBTA assessment once you have held your restricted licence for at least 9 months. You can then get your full licence after at least 12 months on your restricted, as long as you are 17 and a half or older.
• Practical test route: you need to be at least 18 and to have held your restricted licence for at least 18 months, then pass the full licence practical riding test.

So the CBTA route can get you to a full licence sooner. The bigger difference is that CBTA is an assessment of how you actually ride on real roads, with an NZTA approved assessor, rather than a short test.

What changes with a full licence

On a restricted licence you cannot carry passengers, you cannot ride between 10pm and 5am, and you can only ride a LAMS approved motorcycle. Once you have your full licence, those conditions no longer apply.

That is a lot of extra freedom at once. Many riders move to a more powerful bike and start carrying a pillion within months. Both change how the bike brakes, corners and accelerates, so give yourself time to adjust.

What the full assessment looks for

The full assessment asks whether you have grown out of learner and restricted habits. It is less about whether you can control the bike and more about whether you read the road well, make good decisions early, and ride smoothly at open road speeds.

Habits we often see in restricted riders:

• Looking only a few cars ahead instead of well down the road.
• Following too closely on the motorway and in moving traffic.
• Choosing the same lane position everywhere, instead of one that helps you see and be seen.
• Braking late and hard into corners, then rushing the exit.
• Lazy head checks, because months of riding without a problem make them feel unnecessary.

None of these will feel wrong to you, which is exactly why they are hard to spot on your own.

How to get ready

• Ride regularly, in all kinds of conditions. Months on a restricted licence count for much more if you actually use them.
• Ride open roads, not just your commute. Bends, higher speed zones and changing road surfaces build the judgement the full assessment looks for.
• Get honest feedback. An instructor following you for an hour will usually find two or three habits you did not know about.
• Look at a Ride Forever course. ACC subsidises these courses, and the Silver level is aimed at restricted riders working toward a full licence. See the Ride Forever website for current courses and eligibility.

What about the 2027 licence changes?

The government has announced changes to the licensing system, with most starting on 25 January 2027. Removing the full licence test was announced for car licences, and NZTA has said motorcycle riders will no longer need an eyesight check for a restricted or full licence.

Until then the current process applies. If your timing falls around early 2027, check the NZTA page on the licence changes for how it affects riders. For the full picture of all three stages, see our guide to NZ motorcycle licence stages.

Your full licence, with us

We run CBTA assessments for the full licence and one to one coaching beforehand. If you are not sure whether you are ready, a coaching session will tell you, and we will say so honestly before you pay for an assessment. See our courses or book a session.