European legislation on driving conditions and licences is based on directive 91/439, which defines driving licences for different categories of vehicles, from two wheels. This directive defines a B1 permit for heavy four-wheel vehicles, but does not define any particular conditions for light four-wheel vehicles. Each European country is therefore free to allow licence-free driving or not.
FRENCH LEGISLATION VALID ON FRENCH TERRITORY
2ND NOVEMBER 2014:
THE AM LICENCE HAS A MOPED OPTION AND A LIGHT QUADRICYCLE OPTION..
The AM licence consists of:
For the theory part:
the 1st-level or 2nd-level school road safety certificate (ASSR1 or ASSR 2) or the road safety certificate (ASR) obtained in an adult training centre.
For the practical part:
a seven-hour training course (without exam) on a moped or light quadricycle including:
- Practical training without traffic: equipment, role of equipment, essential maintenance checks and safety checks, handling the vehicle without being in traffic (two hours);
- Practical training in traffic (four hours);
- Awareness to specific driving-related risks:
behaviour to adopt, speed and its consequences (one hour);
The practical training part may be performed on the light quadricycle provided by the customer, if it is covered by insurance for the seven hours of training.
Equivalence:
- Holders of a road safety certificate with moped option issued before 19th January
2013 or of an AM licence with moped option may drive a light quadricycle ,
- Holders of an AM licence with light quadricycle option can only drive a light quadricycle. No access to a moped.
- Holders of any valid driving licence can drive a light quadricycle.