Driving a motorcycle

03/12/22

I know from when I got my own Brazilian Driver's License that being licensed to drive a car in Brazil does NOT automatically license a driver for a motorcycle.  Whether a foreign license for motorcycles will let a person drive one in Brazil for a while, I don't know.

Kurterino wrote:

There's this article here  (https://www.expat.com/en/guide/south-am … razil.html) that says :
‘  Important: You are not authorised to drive a motorcycle in Brazil if you do not have a Brazilian driver's licence.'
Is this true even if you have a driving license (foreign) for motorcycles?
And are you allowed to drive motorcycles if you get a Brazilian driver's license for cars, or do you need to take two tests, for cars and motorcycles?

This true. DETRAN will take your application and ask for proof of the class of your old DL. Motorcycles, trucks, and cars are very different. Many have issues verifying the class from where came matching DTRANS classes.  The motorcycle is different than other classes and separate from a car or truck.
I had an issue with my class driving a truck and they asked many questions, I finally said I had no intention of driving a truck in Brazil.
You may drive with an international (BR) DL under a tourist visa for 90 days, but if or when you become a PR you must get a Brasil DL within X amount days. (I can't remember the days.

The applicant may be required to take medical and psychological exams; this is decided by DETRAN on a case-by-case basis (for example, if the original foreign driving license is close to expiring).

Now after driving all these years in Brasil, I wonder how many passed the exams! 

Texanbrazil wrote:

Now after driving all these years in Brasil, I wonder how many passed the exams! 

Lol…but to be honest, around here (Bahia, near Salvador) I haven't seen anything particularly dangerous, or especially bad drivers.

I have a motorcycle license from the states; now.  We got pulled over once and wouldn't let him continue riding the bike because he didn't have a license.  They were however going to allow me to take it.  I had my motorcyle course card that showing that I had passed but my license did not have the endorsement yet on it.  They did some checking and had I they were going to let me ride it.

Texanbrazil wrote:

Kurterino wrote:

There's this article here  (https://www.expat.com/en/guide/south-am … razil.html) that says :
‘  Important: You are not authorised to drive a motorcycle in Brazil if you do not have a Brazilian driver's licence.'
Is this true even if you have a driving license (foreign) for motorcycles?
And are you allowed to drive motorcycles if you get a Brazilian driver's license for cars, or do you need to take two tests, for cars and motorcycles?

This true. DETRAN will take your application and ask for proof of the class of your old DL. Motorcycles, trucks, and cars are very different. Many have issues verifying the class from where came matching DTRANS classes.  The motorcycle is different than other classes and separate from a car or truck.
I had an issue with my class driving a truck and they asked many questions, I finally said I had no intention of driving a truck in Brazil.
You may drive with an international (BR) DL under a tourist visa for 90 days, but if or when you become a PR you must get a Brasil DL within X amount days. (I can't remember the days.

The applicant may be required to take medical and psychological exams; this is decided by DETRAN on a case-by-case basis (for example, if the original foreign driving license is close to expiring).

Now after driving all these years in Brasil, I wonder how many passed the exams! 

___

My Brazilian wife told me she took a private driver's course, but for a price, she never had to take a test to get her license in Brazil.  Too funny!

Kurterino wrote:

Texanbrazil wrote:

Now after driving all these years in Brasil, I wonder how many passed the exams! 

Lol…but to be honest, around here (Bahia, near Salvador) I haven't seen anything particularly dangerous, or especially bad drivers.

___
Come down to Sau Paulo and have some fun driving!  LOL

Something that I see a lot are motorcycle drivers, often with a passenger, driving dangerously, and other than a helmet, they're usually in beach attire (t-shirt, shorts sandals). Most of them don't drive particularly fast, but faster than the cars, and they pass these cars dangerously close. If it's particularly tight, they might honk before squeezing in between two cars at 100kph… Other than that, most cars drive ok, from what I've seen.

rraypo wrote:

___
Come down to Sau Paulo and have some fun driving!  LOL

I'm not sure if I understand…did you get issued a BR driver's license based on your license from your country? Or did you have to take the test, including the 20 mandatory hours of driving school?

Texanbrazil wrote:

This true. DETRAN will take your application and ask for proof of the class of your old DL. Motorcycles, trucks, and cars are very different. Many have issues verifying the class from where came matching DTRANS classes.  The motorcycle is different than other classes and separate from a car or truck.
I had an issue with my class driving a truck and they asked many questions, I finally said I had no intention of driving a truck in Brazil.
You may drive with an international (BR) DL under a tourist visa for 90 days, but if or when you become a PR you must get a Brasil DL within X amount days. (I can't remember the days.

The applicant may be required to take medical and psychological exams; this is decided by DETRAN on a case-by-case basis (for example, if the original foreign driving license is close to expiring).

Now after driving all these years in Brasil, I wonder how many passed the exams! 

Kurterino,

In my case, in the conversion of my Wisconsin license for car car & motorcycle I had to choose one or the other.

I had to take the amazing "psicotécnico" test, do an eye exam and maintain a boatload of patience (4 years) to get past the local bureaucracy - in fact, I gave up here and went to the state capital where the Detran headquarters resolved final issues (they did so grudgingly as there is some kind of antipathy between my city and the capital).

Obviously, I had to start with auto. Then it was off to driver's school for my required hours followed by my "road test." School was actually kind of useful because I had long traveled by larger street motorcycles except for the occasional overpowered off-road bike. Suddenly I was on a 125cc Honda trying to negotiate very tightly placed cones followed by endless tight figure-eights. It was a good tune-up of skills at extremely slow speeds.

MattB

Kurterino wrote:

Something that I see a lot are motorcycle drivers, often with a passenger, driving dangerously, and other than a helmet, they're usually in beach attire (t-shirt, shorts sandals). Most of them don't drive particularly fast, but faster than the cars, and they pass these cars dangerously close. If it's particularly tight, they might honk before squeezing in between two cars at 100kph… Other than that, most cars drive ok, from what I've seen.

rraypo wrote:

___
Come down to Sau Paulo and have some fun driving!  LOL

After 3 side mirrors were damaged by the idiots swinging in between cars, get the urge to open my door as they approach! Over $R200 per mirror (because the cyclists have no insurance)

Kurterino wrote:

I'm not sure if I understand…did you get issued a BR driver's license based on your license from your country? Or did you have to take the test, including the 20 mandatory hours of driving school?

Texanbrazil wrote:

This true. DETRAN will take your application and ask for proof of the class of your old DL. Motorcycles, trucks, and cars are very different. Many have issues verifying the class from where came matching DTRANS classes.  The motorcycle is different than other classes and separate from a car or truck.
I had an issue with my class driving a truck and they asked many questions, I finally said I had no intention of driving a truck in Brazil.
You may drive with an international (BR) DL under a tourist visa for 90 days, but if or when you become a PR you must get a Brasil DL within X amount days. (I can't remember the days.

The applicant may be required to take medical and psychological exams; this is decided by DETRAN on a case-by-case basis (for example, if the original foreign driving license is close to expiring).

Now after driving all these years in Brasil, I wonder how many passed the exams! 

I only received DL based on my "class" of license. (Auto only. They would not include the truck or motorcycle).
I did not have to take a driving course or eye exam ( I had just received a new script for new glasses that DETRAN accepted.) Now I had an issue at the clinic. The lady (nurse crachet) said I did not speak Portuguese well enough to drive!    So I returned to DETRAN and spoke with a PRF agent, he called the clinic and advise her that was not the case. Of course, that did not sit well when I returned to take the psych test! She remained in the room with a stopwatch