Driving schools now provide training for young moped riders - Communication

Secretaria Regional do Turismo, Mobilidade e Infraestruturas

From now on, driving schools in the Azores will provide training for young people aged between 14 and 16 to obtain an AM category driving licence.

Decree no. 14/2026 of February 12, which establishes the rules applicable to this training, has just been published in the Official Journal of the Region.

This scheme is defined under the Legal Qualification for Driving Regulation (RHLC), approved by Decree-Law no. 138/2012 of July 5, and the Legal Scheme for Driving Instruction, approved by Law no. 14/2014 of March 18, both in their current wording. It applies to the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

Training and instruction for AM category driving licences, provided by licensed driving schools in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, must be delivered by instructors who meet the requirements set out in Article 42(1) of Law no. 14/2014 of March 18.

Training programmes must have a minimum duration of 15 hours, distributed as follows: seven hours of theoretical training; eight hours of practical driving instruction.

The training must ensure mechanisms for the ongoing assessment of trainees throughout the course.

The Regional Sub-directorate for Land Transport is responsible for supervising the training and assessment carried out by driving schools and certified entities; organising and conducting AM category driving tests, consisting of a theoretical test and a practical test, under the supervision of examiners from this entity.

The vehicle used in the practical test by young people aged 14 to 16 may be a moped licensed by a driving school or a moped belonging to the trainee, provided that it is properly insured, in which case it is considered equivalent to a driving school vehicle for legal purposes.

The moped must meet the following requirements: two wheels; engine capacity not exceeding 50 cm³; maximum design speed between 25 km/h and 45 km/h; at least two speeds or a continuously variable transmission; two rear-view mirrors, one on each side.

Young people aged between 14 and 16 may obtain an AM category driving licence, subject to restriction 790, provided they present authorisation from a parent or guardian, in accordance with the model approved by the Regional Sub-directorate for Land Transport. They are also required to hold a medical certificate confirming their physical and mental fitness to drive, a school certificate proving attendance at least up to the 7th grade, with passing grades in the previous school year, and pass a driving test after attending a special training provided by an authorised entity in the Region.