Motorcycle couriering looks like a quick way into work for many people who own, or are thinking of buying, a motorcycle. But since 2025, couriering has been a legally defined activity with its own documents, rules and costs. In this guide we go through, in order, what you need to know before starting: which licence, which documents, which motorcycle, which gear and how to keep your bike going under heavy use. We do not get into earnings figures; working conditions vary greatly by employer and platform.
1. Licence: a B licence is not enough
Couriering is commercial use. The arrangement that lets B licence holders ride a 125 cc motorcycle with a certificate is valid only for personal use and only within Turkey; couriering is not covered. To work as a courier you need a motorcycle licence:
- A1: Motorcycles up to 125 cc and 11 kW; minimum age 16.
- A2: Motorcycles up to 35 kW; minimum age 18.
The process and fees are in the licence guide. The penalty for riding without a licence is 40,000 TL; working with a licence that does not match the class is also a risk.
2. SRC-Courier and the Courier Activity Certificate
The amendment made to the Road Transport Regulation on 15 May 2025 defined courier activity and made the SRC-Courier professional competence certificate compulsory; a one-year transition period was given for it. On 15 May 2026, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that the deadline for the SRC-Courier Professional Competence Certificate and the Courier Activity Certificate would be extended to 1 January 2027. At the time of the announcement, work was continuing on publishing the regulation in the Official Gazette.
- Age: With the amendment made to the Professional Competence Training Regulation in January 2026, the SRC-Courier certificate was defined in the legislation; SRC certificates are not issued for the first time after the age of 66.
- Authorisation certificate fees: The Ministry announced that a 95 per cent discount had been applied to authorisation certificate fees to speed up registrations.
- Figures: According to Ministry data, at the date of the announcement 103,493 authorisation certificates had been issued for courier activities and 106,077 vehicles had been registered to these certificates; 91,777 of the vehicles were motorcycles and 5,710 were mopeds.
Details of training, examination and application are still being updated. Follow the announcements of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure to find out which body to apply to for the certificate, with what training and when; also ask the business you will work for what it requires regarding the documents.
3. Choosing a motorcycle
For a courier motorcycle the priority is not power; it is low consumption, durability, readily available spare parts and a service network. We compared model recommendations for courier use and the annual effect of fuel differences in detail in the best motorcycle for couriers guide. In brief:
- For heavy stop-start city riding, a low-consumption 125 cc scooter or geared 125s,
- For ring roads and long delivery distances, 150–250 cc with an A2 licence,
- Brands with a wide dealer and service network and easily available parts.
You can filter models that suit your own use with the motorcycle finder and work out annual costs with the cost calculator.
4. Delivery box and registration document
The rear delivery box, a courier's most basic piece of equipment, is a registration document matter because it is fixed to the motorcycle. Under the law, a modification made to a vehicle in accordance with the regulations must be entered on the registration certificate within thirty days; if it is not, there is a 1,000 TL fine and the vehicle is barred from traffic until it is recorded. We explained the process in the bag and registration document guide.
5. Insurance
A motorcycle cannot go on the road without compulsory traffic insurance, and an uninsured vehicle is not accepted for inspection either. When taking out the policy, tell your insurer you will use the motorcycle for couriering and check that the type of use is written correctly on the policy. Prices are in the traffic insurance guide and kasko options in the insurance and kasko guide.
6. Gear: you are on the road all day
The legal minimum: a fastened helmet, protective goggles with a helmet that has no visor, gloves and a reflective vest at night. Details are in the compulsory gear guide. For someone who will ride for hours a day, more than that is essential:
- Helmet: A full-face or modular helmet that reduces wind noise, with anti-fog. See modular helmets.
- Rain: A waterproof rain suit and spare gloves. See rain suits.
- Winter: Thermal layers and winter gloves; details in the winter gear guide.
- Phone: A locking holder with vibration damping, and USB charging. The risks of using a phone on a motorcycle are in the phone holder guide.
- Protection: A jacket and trousers with protectors, and boots that wrap the ankle; in heavy city traffic the risk of a low-speed fall is with you every day.
7. Traffic rules: where are most fines issued?
- Phone while riding: The penalty for using a phone while on the move is 5,000 TL; 10,000 TL on a repeat within a year, 20,000 TL on the third and a 30-day licence confiscation. Check addresses and orders while stationary.
- Lanes: Dangerous lane changing is 10,000 TL; changing several lanes in succession is 90,000 TL and a 60-day licence confiscation. The hard shoulder is 20,000 TL. Details are in the lane rules guide.
- Pavement and pedestrian areas: Riding a motorcycle in a pedestrian area is prohibited; the penalty is 5,000 TL.
- Speed and red lights: Current amounts are in the traffic fines guide.
8. Maintenance under heavy use
For courier use, covering hundreds of kilometres a day, the maintenance schedule fills up much faster. For example, the Turkish owner's manual for Honda's CB125F (SC74 type) recommends changing the engine oil after the first 1,000 km and then every 2,000 km, and checking and lubricating the chain every 500 km. For a courier riding 150 km a day, that means an oil change about every two weeks and chain care every three or four days.
- Check the tyre pressure once a week; low pressure wears both the tyre and the fuel.
- Check the brake pads often; they wear quickly in stop-start traffic. See the brake pad guide.
- Look at the air filter and chain after dusty and rainy days.
The full maintenance schedule is in the maintenance guide.
Conclusion
To become a courier you first need an A1 or A2 licence; the authority to ride a 125 cc on a B licence does not cover couriering. The announced final date for the SRC-Courier and the Courier Activity Certificate is 1 January 2027; follow the details in the Ministry's announcements. Have the delivery box entered on the registration document, declare the type of use correctly on your insurance, buy gear suitable for all-day riding and shorten maintenance intervals to suit heavy use.
Frequently asked questions
Which licence is needed to become a courier?
A motorcycle licence: A1 for up to 125 cc (age 16), A2 for larger motorcycles (age 18). The 125 cc authority obtained through a B licence is valid only for personal use.
Is the SRC-Courier certificate compulsory?
It became compulsory with the amendment to the Road Transport Regulation. In May 2026 the Ministry announced that the deadline for the SRC-Courier and Courier Activity Certificate would be extended to 1 January 2027.
Must a courier motorcycle's rear box be entered on the registration document?
For a delivery box fixed to the motorcycle, the practice is to have the note "Delivery Box Present" entered on the registration certificate. Under the law, if a modification in accordance with the regulations is not entered on the registration document within thirty days, there is a 1,000 TL fine and the vehicle is barred from traffic.
Can a 50 cc be used for couriering?
In the Ministry data, some of the vehicles registered for couriering are mopeds. However, 50 cc mopeds cannot enter motorways and are limited to 45 km/h on intercity roads; if your delivery distances are long, they fall short.