How do I get my motorcycle licence in the Northern Territory?

Yes, regardless of the capacity, top-speed capability or transmission of the registered motorcycle you wish to ride on public roads in the Northern Territory, you will need to obtain a motorcycle licence to do so legally. Like most states and territories, the NT uses a graduated licensing system that you’ll need to work through to obtain your unrestricted motorcycle licence. 

If you haven’t already held a licence to operate another type of vehicle on the road in the Northern Territory, the first thing you need to do is to register as a customer of the Motor Vehicle Registry (known as the MVR). You need to be 16 years old before you can enroll.

To obtain your learner’s permit, you must complete the pre-learners riding course as part of the Northern Territory’s Motorcyclist Education Training and Licensing (METAL) program. The Pre-Learner riding course is designed to give you the knowledge, skills and road safety information required to pass the practical assessment.

As well as the practical evaluation, the pre-learner stage comprises a theory component too, with you required to sit and pass a knowledge assessment before being issued with your learner’s permit. The knowledge test consists of 30 questions, randomly selected from a question bank of over 300 questions.

The last steps are passing an eyesight test and paying the licence fee. Then, assuming you’re medically fit to ride – there’s no test for this bit as such, but you are obliged to notify the authority of any medical conditions you have – you will be issued with your learner’s permit.

Not all applicants will pass both components of the pre-learners assessment on their first attempt. Course outcomes are valid for 12 months from the date of course completion. If you do not attend an MVR office to obtain your licence within 12 months, you will need to complete the course again.

No motorcycle riding experience is needed to take part in the Pre-Learner riding course. It has been designed to cater for people with no riding experience.

Yes. Once you have been issued your class R learner licence from MVR, you can commence riding. While it’s not mandated, the office suggests that riding with another experienced motorcyclist or having lessons with a trained motorcycle riding instructor would be a useful way for new riders to get on-road riding practice.

Once you have held your learner’s permit for a minimum of six months, you’ll progress to your unrestricted licence in one of two ways depending on your current circumstances.

If you already hold an unconditional licence of another class, such as an unrestricted or ‘full’ car licence, you need to complete and pass a pre-provisional assessment before being issued a with a restricted-class R licence. You then must hold that licence for a minimum of 12 months before you can apply for an unrestricted licence.

If a motorcycle licence is the first licence you’ve held in the Northern Territory and you are under 25 years of age, you need to complete and pass the same pre-provisional assessment before being issued with your Provisional-class R licence. Then instead of the required 12-month wait period, you’ll need to hold your Ps for a minimum of 24 months before applying for your unrestricted licence.

If you are over 25 and have never held another full NT licence, your wait time drops back to 12 months. Once your required time has passed, you then need to apply for an unrestricted licence either in person or over the phone at the MVR. 

Given you need to be 16 before you can apply for your learner’s permit, hold that licence for six months before applying for your Ps (which you’ll need to hold for two years if you haven’t already been through another licensing system), you will need to be at least 18-and-a-half years old to obtain an unrestricted motorcycle licence.

You can study for the Rider Knowledge Test (RKT) in two ways. The first is by reading the Road User’s Handbook issued by the MVR. Despite being a general road-users guide, the MVR warns not to skip sections you might think aren’t relevant to motorcycle riders – you’ll be a road user, too. The second book to familiarise yourself with is the Motorcycle Rider’s Handbook. Once you’ve studied both handbooks, you can complete practice road-rule knowledge tests online by visiting the Motor Vehicle Registry website.

Given you’ll need to pay a fee each time you sit the RKT, it’s a good idea to study well beforehand. If you do not pass the RKT, you can try again as many times as you need to in order to pass it, but you’re not allowed to sit the test more than once per day. Each time you sit the test you’ll be presented with a different set of questions.

The practical riding assessment happens with an approved provider, who will each have their own expectations in terms of what you need to bring. Some providers will provide you with riding gear and a LAMS-approved motorcycle to complete your test on, while other providers will require you to bring all of your own gear as well as your LAMS-approved motorcycle. 

According to the MVR, you must wear suitable protective clothing when attending either a pre-learner or pre-provisional riding course. You will not be allowed to take part in the course if your attire and equipment is deemed unsuitable. This includes enclosed footwear, ankle-length jeans or sturdy pants, gloves, a riding jacket (or a heavy-duty long-sleeved shirt as a minimum), as well as eye protection.

The price of courses will depend on the provider you choose to go with and over how many days.

Generally speaking, a one-day pre-learner course will cost between $380 and $440, it’ll cost you $20 to sit the theory test and another $27 for your two-year licence to be issued.

The Restricted and Provisional Licence Courses are priced around the same $380-$440 bracket, while your licence fee increases to $55 (two years, under 25 years of age) or $36 (one year, over 25). Your unrestricted licence fee ranges from $36 for a one-year licence through to $190 for a 10-year licence.

Prices do change, however, so refer to the MVR website for the latest up-to-date fee information.

If you hold a car licence, the status of your motorcycle licence will be represented on the same physical licence card. The two licences are independent but are bound by the same demerit points. If you lose your car licence, you’ll also lose your motorcycle licence and vice-versa.

Yes. All riders (and drivers) start with zero demerit points. If you commit a traffic offence, demerit points can be added to your driving record. The number of demerit points you get depends on the type of offence. The full list of fines and demerit points for common traffic offences can be found on the MVR website.

In some states of Australia, yes, but not in the Northern Territory. You must hold a riders licence to legally operate any registered two-wheeled motorcycle vehicle in the Northern Territory, regardless of its capacity, top-speed capability, or transmission.