Three-wheeled motorbikes have their own licence class. Under Article 57 of the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety (No. 36/2024/QH15), the B1 class is issued for three-wheeled motorbikes — replacing the old A3 class that the 2024 law retired into the transitional rules.
What B1 covers
The class covers motorbikes with three wheels, whether the machine is a cargo trike, a passenger three-wheeler, or a motorcycle with a sidecar in the motorbike category. The minimum age is 18, the same as A1. What it does not do is extend two-wheeled coverage: B1 is a separate class, not an upgrade of A1, and a B1 holder riding a two-wheeled 110 cc scooter is riding outside their class — treated by the fine schedule as not meeting licence conditions for that machine.
Relationship to the old classes
Before 2025, three-wheelers sat in class A3. Article 89 keeps pre-2025 A3 licences valid, and a reissue maps the entitlement onto the new B1. The vehicle categories did not change; only the label did.
Who actually uses it
In Hanoi, B1 territory is the delivery and small-goods economy: the cargo trikes around Long Bien’s wholesale streets, and the three-wheeled machines used by market traders. For visitors, the class is mostly relevant to anyone considering a sidecar or trike rental — ask the operator which licence class their machine requires, because the answer determines whether an A1 covers it.
Points and validity
B1 follows the same system as the other motorbike classes: no expiry date, 12 points, and the same suspension and deduction mechanics. An unlicensed rider on a three-wheeler faces the same 2–4 million VND band (up to the 125 cc equivalent) as on a two-wheeler.
Information, not legal advice. Verified against Law 36/2024/QH15 on 2026-09-22.