How to get a Chinese Motorcycle License

[ZMC888]

Your home license is in fact an Australian provisional? That means you are restricted under the LAMS scheme? In my view an Australian car license and provisional motorcycle license have given you far more training than any Chinese motorcycle license ever could.

I still find it remarkable the level of importance that the Chinese govt put on their driving license's worthiness. It's so corrupt that you can buy one for a few thousand and pass any portion for a few hundred. In fact if I was in the government of another country I'd make Indians, Chinese and people from a few other countries that have corrupt license systems and poor standards do a 'certificate of competence test' before they are even allowed to drive on the road at all.

.......consists of filling out a form, reading a couple of letters off a distance chart, giving your height and ensuring you're not colourblind .

Colorblind? I never understood this....if it is OK to drive in Europe with colorblindness why is it suddenly not OK in China? What does China know from its 'indcredibly high standards' [sarc] of driving that the rest of the world hasn't figured out? Not that anyone colorblind would ever be prevented from getting a license as I'm sure it's a 10-100 RMB 'look the other way' payment. It just undermines the importance of having good distance vision.

[bigdamo]

Your home license is in fact an Australian provisional? That means you are restricted under the LAMS scheme? In my view an Australian car license and provisional motorcycle license have given you far more training than any Chinese motorcycle license ever could.

I still find it remarkable the level of importance that the Chinese govt put on their driving license's worthiness. It's so corrupt that you can buy one for a few thousand and pass any portion for a few hundred. In fact if I was in the government of another country I'd make Indians, Chinese and people from a few other countries that have corrupt license systems and poor standards do a 'certificate of competence test' before they are even allowed to drive on the road at all.

Colorblind? I never understood this....if it is OK to drive in Europe with colorblindness why is it suddenly not OK in China? What does China know from its 'indcredibly high standards' [sarc] of driving that the rest of the world hasn't figured out? Not that anyone colorblind would ever be prevented from getting a license as I'm sure it's a 10-100 RMB 'look the other way' payment. It just undermines the importance of having good distance vision.

This is China

[foxy88]

This is China

Very true damo, and the unfortunate follow-on is that the powers that be can do what they want in regards to issuing foreigners with licences, regardless of whether sensible or just.

ZMC888 is on the money, as an Australian you'd probably also know that they don't hand out Provisional licences like candy anymore- you're required to do 120 hrs over a period of around 2 years with a fully licensed driver next to you the whole time before you can even sit for the various tests required for a P-plate.

On the flip side, while it changes from state to state, according to australia.gov.au as a general rule foreigners can immediately begin driving in Australia as long as they have either an English translation or IDL as well as their country's licence. I'd agree that a tightening of the regulations might be in order..

when i went through the process for my moto they wouldnt give me a lic until i bought a motorcycle..but the motorcyle dealers wouldnt sell me a motorcycle without a lic....for the purpose of your question...i talked to many traffic police until one would allow me to take the test without buying one..go figure!

then when i bought one with a chinese lic...i couldnt register it in my name because im a foreigner...a car yes..moto no! again go figure!

so check with where you live in kunming if you can register with your address or if you have to live a part of the city that will allow registering... i visited a traffic police in kumning about that and there answer made me feel i needed to sneak away with my moto before they saw it!

im new to Kunming so if you have any input ...thanks......take many practice tests before you sit for the computer exam...good luck

Sounds odd killerkat, so in the end you didn't manage to get your scooter registered? I'm aware of the fact that you're required to register at an address outside the 2nd ring road, which I'll have to sort out when the time comes, but the fact that you're a foreigner really shouldn't have anything to do with being able to register or not? Btw if you have any questions on any aspect of KMG drop me a PM and I'll tell you what I know..

So I got a call back from the Vehicle Management Office yesterday, they seem to have dropped the whole issue they had with my licence being 'provisional', but now we're back to the initial issue of the licence not explicitly stating that it is valid for motorcycle use.. So I've been offered the option of getting a cage licence, going through with the full Chinese motorbike test, or trying to have the C1E licence issued elsewhere. As I see it it's a slight improvement on the previous situ, but I couldn't take the call for too long so promised to call back, and of course the office is unreachable on any of their various numbers. Going to bite the bullet and make the trek back out there now, I think there's a chance I may be able to argue my way through, possibly by greasing a palm along the way, will report back after the incident.

[foxy88]

Licence.jpg

It's amazing what a polite but persistent and forceful attitude can get you.. Took around 3 hrs of non-stop argument, asking to speak to a higher authority, being told to come back again another day, wait for a phone call, the whole works, but I stuck at it and eventually was left sitting waiting for a good 45 minutes while back-room consultations took place, then taken up to the private upstairs offices so I could chill while continuing to wait.. A few minutes later the door popped open again and I was told to go straight back down to the initial counter, where I was asked to write and sign a stat dec validating my Aus licence. After this it rolled like clockwork, going from one desk to another to pay for the test, get receipts, switch them for other receipts, sit the test (which I was well prepared for from using the 'Drive in China' app, although there are differences between the two which you need to watch out for), and before long I was walking out the door with my fresh warm licence.

Learnt a bit from the whole process- never say never for one, but also that the licence process, at least in Kunming, should be a cakewalk, an hour's work, as long as you have a full motorbike licence from your own country. As I have a provisional, non-motorbike licence, which expires in a few months, things were more complicated. Worked out just fine though

[gjackson4431]

I had a pretty similar experience in Zhuji actually. I only had an expired car license from the US but I was able to convince the translator that it included motorcycles. The woman looked at that license picture thing but luckily I come from a backwater state and when i got my license they were still using the old laminated piece of paper so they couldn't find a picture of it. I "helpfully" directed her to some pictures and a passage that read something like, "holders of a class C license can operate all class C vehicles, with appropriate...." scroll up to the description of what a class C vehicle is and done.

Despite that, they eventually rejected me because it was expired and the test was only in Chinese. But after 5 months of polite persistence, coming in every other week and offering a new solution or when i ran out of new ideas starting from the beginning of my idea list, I met one young woman there with some english and she (apparently) convinced the bosses, who all knew me and sighed every time i came in wearing my motorcycle jacket and boots, to let me bring a translator. I would also have to take the practical driving test, which i did a couple days ago, and the translator had to be a "professional." I tried to hire one but none would come out to this remote town so the lady helped me out again. The translator ended up being her police officer husband and google translate and after the first 20 questions or so he got tired of typing and just finished it for me :D

I still have one more test to do before I get the license and there still is the problem of the time left on my visa but I think at this point they're just trying to get me out of their hair as quickly as they can. From what I can understand if you go the full driving school route there are four tests that you need to take.

1) Computer test of 50 questions that includes traffic signs, basic road skills and safty questions.
2) Road test: I drove a moped without a clutch or handle bar breaks on a simulated road. Remember to look both ways when crossing the cross walk and look in your mirror when using the turn signal and watch out for stray dogs.
3) Road skills test: This is where you drive up a ramp stop half way and go again (i didn't have a clutch so im not sure what the challenge was supposed to be), drive over a little metal platform, and go around some cones.
4) 2nd Computer test: I haven't done this yet but Im assuming its the more complicated questions like accident prevention, weather conditions, laws and regulations etc. Its another 50 questions.

I used www.chinese-driving-test.com/ to study. The questions were accurate as far as i could tell. There is a very specific order that you have to do all the parts of the road tests so just run around the test ground with someone and let them show you what to do first.

Next week i should take that final test so wish me luck! I might not need it though :D

[foxy88]

Good luck with that, what day's your test?!

It's a shame they made you wait 5 months, from what I could figure you should be able to rock up and (at least) sign up for the full motorcycle test at once, that's if you're unable to exchange your home licence for a Chinese one. I had a look at www.chinese-driving-test.com/, seemed very similar to the phone app, just not as portable..

China really is a whole heap of little kingdoms somehow patch-worked together, everywhere you go has different rules, written and unspoken, so it seems like it can often be luck of the draw depending on where you happen to be.

[Meiguo-007]

Thanks for all of the information. I have read through this thread backwards and forwards and it contains a wealth of information, unfortunately the thread is getting unwieldy. I want to maybe start fresh with the following scenarios specific to Beijing since "your results may vary" depending on where you live, what clerk happens to be at the desk of any particular government agency or driving school that day or whether or not someone kicked their dog or crapped in their corn-flakes that morning.

I currently have my C1E by transferring in from a US motorcycle DL endorsement with the single computer examination as many of you have. The fun I am having on my bike has created a real jealously amongst my co-worker Expats from the States and I want to help them with good info to help them and in turn, give me some more riding friends.

Please help with the following scenario and what sequence of events needs to happen:

U.S. Expat, possesses valid U.S. automobile drivers license only and has 1 year renewable visa as the President of a SINO-US joint venture. Wants to obtain a China DL to allow 2 wheel motorcycle riding, preferable at the Laoshan driving school.

Please help with the high points of the process, actual driving school info, how many exams, what type of exams, where the exams are administered, etc. I can provide the resources for the computer study questions with the iphone/Ipad app and how to prepare for that particular exam.

Thanks All

[egusty3]

Hi all,

I just wanted to share my experience getting a Chinese motorcycle license here in Changzhou (Jiangsu). I already have a USA class "CM" license (good for small vehicles "C" and motorcycles "M")

I initially just got my C1 license because I was naive enough to believe the Changzhou DMV when they told me that they didn't offer motorcycle licenses in Changzhou because motorcycles are banned in most parts of the city. Then I read this forum. And I thought to be more persistent.

So after several phone calls for several hours, I got my girlfriend (who is Chinese) to argue on my behalf. I got different answers sometimes even from the same bureau: 1) I could not get a license at all in Changzhou; 2) I could not get a license in other cities because my residence permit was in Changzhou; 3) I could get a Chinese D or E licence, but would have to forfeit my already-obtained C1 license (I couldn't have C1D or C1E); 4) I could take the written and practical exam (and pay several hundred RMB) to get a C1D or C1E.

Option 4 was the best hope after a day of calling. But I still wanted better (I wanted to just take the written test and get the license). So I went in person today and argued with the help of my girlfriend. Finally, they agreed to cancel my C1 license and let me take the 100-question written exam for C1D. I got a 91! Now am the happy owner of a C1D license. (BTW-- the written exam for C1D seemed to be from the exact same question bank as the C1 exam-- not a single question related specifically to motorcycles; what a silly system, but whatever).

The lesson: don't ever give up when the authorities are making you jump through hoops and do illogical stuff. Argue back (with logic). Ask for supervisors. Give them a reason to let you do what you're trying to do.

Now to buy a bike and figure out the whole license plate issue here in Changzhou....

Good luck.

[prince666]

Hi all,

I just wanted to share my experience getting a Chinese motorcycle license here in Changzhou (Jiangsu). I already have a USA class "CM" license (good for small vehicles "C" and motorcycles "M")

I initially just got my C1 license because I was naive enough to believe the Changzhou DMV when they told me that they didn't offer motorcycle licenses in Changzhou because motorcycles are banned in most parts of the city. Then I read this forum. And I thought to be more persistent.

So after several phone calls for several hours, I got my girlfriend (who is Chinese) to argue on my behalf. I got different answers sometimes even from the same bureau: 1) I could not get a license at all in Changzhou; 2) I could not get a license in other cities because my residence permit was in Changzhou; 3) I could get a Chinese D or E licence, but would have to forfeit my already-obtained C1 license (I couldn't have C1D or C1E); 4) I could take the written and practical exam (and pay several hundred RMB) to get a C1D or C1E.

Option 4 was the best hope after a day of calling. But I still wanted better (I wanted to just take the written test and get the license). So I went in person today and argued with the help of my girlfriend. Finally, they agreed to cancel my C1 license and let me take the 100-question written exam for C1D. I got a 91! Now am the happy owner of a C1D license. (BTW-- the written exam for C1D seemed to be from the exact same question bank as the C1 exam-- not a single question related specifically to motorcycles; what a silly system, but whatever).

The lesson: don't ever give up when the authorities are making you jump through hoops and do illogical stuff. Argue back (with logic). Ask for supervisors. Give them a reason to let you do what you're trying to do.

Now to buy a bike and figure out the whole license plate issue here in Changzhou....


Good luck.

C1/C1D/C1E have all the same question !!
So was it really needed for you to take
The test again!! But TIC
Well done now sort out a bike
And I got a better score on my test 90 !!
Just love the look on the office when I passed
With just 90 she must of said to her self
That was lucky heheh , no luck darling
90 a pass lol

[hinrich_fuchs]

Hello my friends,

I´m an german guy and like to do at the end of THIS month an motorcycle tour from GERMANY to CHINA (Shenzhen). And I still have a lot of problems with VISA documents, how to bring the machine over the boarders and HOW TO DRIVE the machine legally!!! I like to enter China from Kazastan ...

My question´s are:

- how to get the short time (travel) driving licenze (I already have the international licenze)?
- you know how to manage the crossing with motorcycle from Kazastan?
- problems if I like to sell my bike in Shenzhen and take a FLIGHT back to Germany?

Greetings
Hinrich