Who has the right to train cyclists?
Preparation for the test begins gradually at home and in nursery school. Training takes place at school from grade 3 onwards, i.e. for children aged 9–10. Children aged at least 9 years and 6 months are admitted to the test on an exceptional basis.
Cyclist training is provided by general education schools, vocational education institutions, hobby schools, driving schools (trainers licensed to train power-driven vehicle drivers), and organisations whose statutory activities include cyclist training. Schools are not obliged to organise cyclist training. However, organising training is strongly recommended, as it helps to achieve the competencies required in the first stage of basic school and has a direct impact on the awareness and traffic behaviour of young road users.
In individual cases, a parent may also prepare a cyclist for the test.
Parents may use the teaching materials of the Transport Administration. In this case, they must contact the Transport Administration for the theory and riding tests. Upon agreement with the school, a child who has received parental guidance may also take the tests at a general education school.
Where do the cyclist training courses take place?
Cyclist training courses are usually organised in schools for pupils of grades 3 or 4 (less frequently for pupils of grades 5 or 6). Parents should inquire about cyclist training and tests from the school, preferably at the beginning of the school year.
At school, training is provided as part of the timetable (including integration) or as part of a hobby group, or as a separate training course after school, including a paid service from a driving school. Theory lessons generally begin at the start of the academic year or in the second semester and continue until the end of the academic year. The duration of commissioned training courses (see contacts below) is shorter and more intensive, ranging from 1.5 to 3 months. Riding lessons take place depending on the weather, mainly in spring. The training will end with a test. Tests in schools take place between April and June.
Parents can prepare their children for the test at any time. We recommend using the educational materials of the Transport Administration.
Contact details for driving schools and hobby schools offering cyclist training and tests.
Who is authorised to organise cyclist’s tests and where do the tests take place?
The right to organise cyclist’s tests is held by general education schools, hobby schools, driving schools, the Police and Border Guard Board, and the Transport Administration. In general, cyclists undergo training and take tests at their school (the school itself provides training and tests, or the school organises paid training and test services at a driving school or hobby school). Paid training groups are rarely formed in cities, with the exception of the Tartu City Cycling School, which has been operating for years with the support of the city.
The Transport Administration conducts small-scale theory and riding tests during the summer months (June to August) only in Tallinn and Pärnu. The tests of the Transport Administration are intended for students who have completed theory and riding lessons under the guidance of a parent. You can book a time for the theory test in the booking system. The parent must submit an application and consent form to the Transport Administration for their child to obtain the right to ride a bicycle and have a licence issued for them.
The scope and form of cyclist training
Cyclist training takes the form of theory lessons and riding lessons. The minimum recommended number of theory lessons is 12 and the number of riding lessons is 6. The lesson lasts 45 minutes.
Due to their age and limited experience, children often require significantly more theory lessons. Understanding and remembering traffic rules, learning the meanings of traffic signs and road markings, and making connections takes significantly longer for children. Riding lessons help to connect the theory lessons with everyday road use. Children generally participate in riding lessons on their own bicycles (including their own helmets), which are suitable for their height and in good technical condition. If necessary, the trainer will provide a bicycle. During the riding lessons, the children will learn how to control their vehicle and follow the traffic rules (position on the road, direction indicators, choice of speed, right of way, consideration for other road users, etc.). They also play cycling games that develop
Cyclist’s test and issuance of a cyclist’s licence
The cyclist’s test consists of a theory test and a riding test.
In the theory test, the child must answer 15 test questions, with only one correct answer for each question. The theory test is completed on paper and takes 30 minutes. To pass the test, the child must answer at least 13 questions correctly. Only children who have successfully passed the theory test are allowed to take the riding test.
Topics for the questions of the theory test.
The riding test consists of two stages.
- In stage I, cycling skills are tested in an area closed to traffic. The cyclist must complete the exercises ‘Slalom’, ‘Corridor’ (circling around an obstacle while braking), and ‘Eight’.
- In stage II, cyclists are tested on their knowledge of traffic rules and their ability to apply them, as well as their consideration for other road users. The test is conducted on roads with low traffic or in a closed area with simulated traffic.
See the content of the riding test.
Conditions for admission to the cyclist’s test
The following children are permitted to take the cyclist’s test:
- children who have been prepared for the test by a parent or trainer;
- children who are at least 9 years and 6 months old;
- children whose legal representative has submitted an application for the licence.
The application must be submitted to the institution conducting the tests (school, driving school, hobby school, or the Transport Administration). Both tests (theory and riding) are conducted by the institution to which the parent submitted the application.
Watch the instructional video introducing the cyclist’s tests.
Applicants under the age of 10 who wish to obtain a cyclist’s licence will be granted the right to ride a bicycle and issued with a cyclist’s licence once they reach the minimum age, i.e. on their 10th birthday at the earliest.
Frequently asked questions
No, if the child never rides their bike on the road.
Children who ride their bikes on the road until the age of 16 only when accompanied by an adult or ride only in calm traffic areas, on pavements, and on bicycle and pedestrian tracks do not need a cyclist’s licence.
The traffic environment is rarely perfect, and children’s routes to school rarely consist solely of pavements or bicycle and pedestrian tracks; they need to complete part of the journey on the road alongside cars. Therefore, young cyclists must know the rules of the road and traffic control devices (e.g. traffic signs) to ride safely, be able to control their bikes very well, and take other road users into account.
All of this is taught in the training course that prepares cyclists for the test.
Driving schools and hobby schools conduct training courses and tests in general education schools as a paid service. The school forms a study group (or several) and the trainer conducts lessons and tests at the child’s school. Groups are not usually formed across cities.
You can find the contact details of service providers here.
Generally speaking, no. The cyclist’s test consists of a theory and riding test, and in accordance with the applicable regulations, the pupil takes them at the same institution.
Information about cyclist’s licences issued to children can be found in the online environment of the Transport Administration. You will need to log in with your child’s ID card; information about the child will not be displayed to the parent. If it is not possible to access the environment with the child’s ID card, the parent must submit a digitally signed information request to the general email address [email protected] of the Transport Administration or send an authenticated message to the Administration from their personal e-service mailbox (Home > My messages > Send new message; select ‘Driving licences and driving rights’ as the subject).
For children aged at least 9 years and 6 months who have been prepared for the test, the theory test can be booked in the booking system of the Transport Administration. Tests are organised only during the summer months, from June to August. The theory test and the riding test take place on different days.
Cyclist’s tests are only organised at the service offices of Pärnu and Tallinn.
It is not possible to book a time for a riding test in the booking system. Riding test times and booking information will be sent to the email address of a parent who registered for the theory test.
No. The right of a child aged 10–15 to ride a bicycle is verified by presenting either a cyclist’s licence or an identity document (ID card, passport, student card is also acceptable). The police will check whether the child has a licence from the traffic register.
If a child aged 10–15 always carries identification when riding a bicycle on roads, there is no need to replace a lost licence. The police can check the traffic register to ensure that the child has a licence to ride a bicycle. The relevant information must be entered in the traffic register by the institution that issued the licence. See the question ‘Where can I check the information on a cyclist’s licence issued to a child?’.
If you wish to replace a lost or destroyed licence, you must submit a free-form application to the institution that conducted the test and issued the licence (school, driving school, hobby school, or the Transport Administration). The new licence will be issued with the same details as those entered on the original licence (essentially a duplicate). Parents must provide a 3×4 cm colour photograph of their child for the paper licence. Signatures and a photograph are added to the licence.
Organising cyclist training and tests at school
General education schools can organise cyclist training and tests, either by conducting them themselves or by ordering a paid service from, for example, a hobby school or driving school.
Last updated: 27.11.2025
