If you’ve got your learner’s licence sorted, working out how to get your restricted motorcycle licence is the next hurdle. You’ve got two pathways to choose from, a set of rules that catch out even confident riders, and a test that fails people for reasons they might not expect.
Here’s exactly what’s involved, based on current NZTA requirements and CBTA course standards.
Quick Answer
- Two pathways exist: sit the standard 60-minute practical test through a licensing agent, or pass a CBTA 6R assessment with an approved provider. Both lead to the same restricted licence.
- Minimum age is 16½: and via CBTA, there’s no minimum time you must hold your learner licence first; the standard practical test route requires six months as a learner.
- Cost ranges: from $54.20 (NZTA fee only, if you sit the standard test) to $200–$450 for CBTA training and assessment with a provider.
- Restricted riders: can’t carry a passenger, can’t ride between 10pm and 5am, and must stick to a LAMS-approved bike. Breach any condition and you risk 35 demerit points and a $100 fine.
- Immediate failure errors: (crossing a centreline, needing the assessor to intervene, or losing control) end the assessment on the spot, regardless of how well the rest of the ride went.
Two Ways to Get Your Restricted Motorcycle Licence in NZ
Every learner rider working out how to get a restricted motorcycle licence has the same two options on the table, and they lead to an identical outcome: a class 6 restricted licence and the freedom to ride solo without an L-plate.
Standard Practical Test
The standard practical test is booked through a driver licensing agent such as AA. You need to have held your learner licence for at least six months and be at least 16½ years old. The test itself runs around 60 minutes and is assessed by an NZTA testing officer.
CBTA Training
CBTA training is a competency-based training and assessment. Instead of a standard test, an NZTA-approved assessor scores your riding against a set of real-world competencies over a longer, more varied ride. Under the CBTA route, there’s no minimum period you need to have held your learner licence, so if you’re already a confident rider, you can move straight to your restricted motorcycle licence without waiting out the six months.
Both routes cost the same $54.20 NZTA application fee. What differs is the training and assessment fee charged by whoever takes you through it. CBTA usually costs more than the standard test, because you’re paying for coaching, feedback and a much higher pass rate on the day.
The Motorcycle Restricted Licence Test: CBTA vs Standard
The motorcycle restricted licence test, administered through a licensing agent, is a fixed, one-shot practical assessment on a course or road route set by the agent. You bring your own LAMS-approved bike, ride for about an hour, and either pass or don’t.
CBTA works differently. During a CBTA 6R assessment, an approved instructor rides behind or alongside you over a real road route covering urban and open-road riding, roughly 40 kilometres, depending on the provider. Throughout the ride, your performance is scored against seven riding tasks: moving in, straight riding, riding a curve, riding through an intersection, overtaking, turning back and moving out. Within each task, the assessor is also watching for looking, scanning and mirror use, head checks, positioning, speed management, progression, smoothness and following distance.
This is the part that catches riders out. CBTA isn’t a pass/fail moment on a handful of manoeuvres; it’s a rolling assessment of everything you do for the length of the ride, which means bad habits you’ve never noticed on your daily commute get picked up fast.
Restricted Motorcycle Licence Rules in NZ
Passing the assessment is only step one. The restricted motorcycle licence rules you ride under afterwards are strict, and they apply from the moment your temporary licence is issued:
- No pillion passengers. Solo riding only, on any restricted licence.
- No riding between 10pm and 5am. This condition doesn’t lift until you hold a full licence.
- LAMS-approved motorcycles only. Up to 660cc, provided the bike meets the power-to-weight ratio limit.
- No towing. You can’t tow a trailer or another vehicle.
- Carry your licence at all times while riding.
The good news is you can drop your L-plate the moment you’re issued a restricted licence, and you’re free to ride solo through the day and evening without restriction. Break any of the restricted motorcycle licence NZ rules above, and you’re looking at 35 demerit points and a $100 fine.
What Catches People Out on the Day
Most riders who fail their CBTA assessment or practical test do so because of the details. NZTA’s immediate failure categories include losing control of the bike, needing the assessor to intervene to prevent a collision, being unable to carry out an instructed task, and crossing into oncoming lanes or over a solid centreline. Any one of these ends the assessment immediately, no matter how clean the rest of the ride was.
Beyond outright failures, the small, repeated errors are what push a borderline result into a fail: not checking mirrors before changing position, running wide through corners, hesitating at intersections, or riding noticeably under the speed limit in a way that disrupts traffic flow.
How to Prepare Before You Book
Given how much of a CBTA assessment comes down to habits you don’t know you’ve got, riding solo into it is a gamble. There are two sensible ways to prepare before sitting the motorcycle restricted licence test:
- Ride Forever Bronze is an ACC-subsidised, full-day group course built specifically around the competencies assessed at restricted level, with feedback from a certified instructor rather than a one-shot pass or fail.
- One-on-one coaching gives you the same feedback in a tighter, tailored session, which suits riders who’ve already got some road experience and want an instructor to iron out specific habits before assessment day.
Either way, going in cold is the riskiest option. Most experienced instructors will tell you the same thing: a rider who’s had feedback from someone else’s eyes almost always outperforms a rider who’s only ever assessed their own riding.
Once you’ve sat and passed, and want to know what the whole pathway costs from learner to full, our motorbike license price breakdown covers every stage. And if you haven’t sat your motorbike learners test yet, that’s the place to start.
Ready to Get Your Restricted Motorcycle Licence?
Ornsby Motorcycle Training runs Ride Forever Bronze courses, one-on-one coaching and CBTA 6R assessments across Christchurch, Rangiora, Wanaka and the wider Canterbury, Otago and Southland regions, backed by a team with over 100 years of combined riding experience.
Whether you want structured training first or you’re ready to sit your assessment, we’ll map the fastest, safest route to your restricted licence. Call (03) 980 8933 to check dates and book your next step.
FAQs
Do I have to wait six months on my learner licence before getting my restricted licence?
Only if you sit the standard practical test. Via the CBTA 6R route, there’s no minimum holding period. You can apply for your restricted licence as soon as you’re 16½ and can pass the assessment.
Can I ride a bigger bike once I’ve got my restricted licence?
No. You’re still restricted to a LAMS-approved motorcycle, up to 660cc, until you pass your full licence assessment or test. The engine restriction doesn’t lift with your restricted licence.
What happens if I fail my CBTA restricted assessment?
You’ll get feedback from the assessor on what went wrong, and you can book further training before re-attempting. There’s no limit on how many times you can retry, but each provider re-assessment is charged separately.
How long do I have to hold a restricted licence before going for my full licence?
At least 12 months if you’re sitting the standard practical test, though you can sit the CBTA 6F assessment after just 9 months to be ready the moment you’re eligible.