Regulation

Jockey Licences Explained

Reference entry · Updated 19 May 2026

British horseracing is regulated by the British Horseracing Authority. Every person who rides in a race held under BHA Rules of Racing — whether for prize money, for sport or simply for the sake of competing — does so under a riding licence or permit issued by that body. There are five live categories in regular use, and each one allows the holder to ride in a defined set of races. The categories overlap less than they appear to.

Amateur Category B permit

The starting amateur licence is the Amateur Rider's Category B permit. It is the most accessible category and is the licence most commonly held by riders who came up through the hunting field, point-to-pointing or pony club, rather than from a racing yard. A Category B holder may ride in point-to-point races and in selected races on a registered racecourse that are restricted to Category B amateurs — typically charity flat races on a summer evening card and the lower amateur jump races.

The Category B applicant must complete a residential assessment course at the National Horseracing College or at the British Racing School and must pass a riding-out test, a fitness benchmark and a rules-of-racing paper. The assessment is shorter than the foundation course used for apprentices and is geared towards riders who already have substantial hours in the saddle but need a structured introduction to the rules of racing and to the pace of a race-ride.

Amateur Category A permit

A rider who has completed enough rides under the Category B permit and who maintains a clean riding record may upgrade to a Category A permit. Category A widens the field substantially: holders can ride in any amateur race in Britain, in some open hunter chases against professional jockeys and in selected amateur internationals. Category A amateurs are the riders who appear in the longer hunter chases, in the Hunter Chase Final at Stratford and in equivalent fixtures across the season.

The upgrade from B to A is not automatic. The candidate must have ridden a minimum number of rides under the B permit (the threshold has moved slightly over the years; the present requirement is published in the BHA's annual schedule of fees and licensing) and must sit a further riding assessment at one of the two colleges.

The apprentice jockey licence (flat)

An apprentice jockey licence is the first professional licence for a rider on the flat. It is the licence held by a young jockey through the early seasons of a flat career, and it carries a weight allowance designed to compensate for the inexperience of the rider.

• 7lb claim until the apprentice has ridden 20 winners
• 5lb claim until the apprentice has ridden 50 winners
• 3lb claim until the apprentice has ridden 95 winners
• From 96 winners onwards, the apprentice loses the claim and is treated for handicapping purposes as a full professional

The licence is held by the rider but the apprentice is contracted to a licensed trainer who acts as the sponsor. The trainer is required to provide accommodation, riding-out work and a structured development programme. In practice, that means an apprentice rides out for the yard each morning, takes any race rides the trainer offers and is gradually allowed to take outside rides for other licensed yards once a base of experience is in place.

The conditional jockey licence (jumps)

Under National Hunt rules, the equivalent of the apprentice is the conditional jockey. The structure is similar: a sliding weight allowance attached to the licence, a sponsoring trainer, a clear off-ramp once the rider has reached a defined number of winners.

• 7lb claim until the conditional has ridden 20 winners
• 5lb claim until the conditional has ridden 40 winners
• 3lb claim until the conditional has ridden 75 winners
• At 76 winners the conditional is upgraded to a full professional licence

Conditional jockeys may continue to ride in selected conditional-only races even after they have lost the claim, but they are otherwise treated as full professionals in handicaps. The weight allowance under jumps rules has a stronger practical effect than on the flat because jump races are run over longer distances at higher cumulative loads — 7lb off a horse's back for three miles is a real advantage at any pace.

The full professional jockey licence

Once the apprentice or conditional has ridden the required number of winners, the licence is upgraded to a full professional jockey licence. The professional licence carries no weight allowance: the rider competes at the weight given by the handicapper or by the conditions of the race. Professional jockeys are not contracted to a single yard — they may ride for any licensed trainer, and the senior names on the flat and over jumps typically ride for dozens of trainers across a season.

A full professional licence is renewed annually. Renewal requires that the holder pass a recurring fitness benchmark, hold valid medical clearance, and be free from outstanding disciplinary findings under the rules of racing. A medical book is held by the rider and reviewed each season by the BHA's chief medical adviser.

Comparative summary

What changes if a rider holds an Irish or French licence

Riders holding a primary licence issued by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) or by France Galop may apply for a permit-to-ride in Britain on a per-meeting basis. The application is a paperwork exercise rather than a fresh assessment, but the rider remains regulated under the issuing authority's rules in matters of conduct, weighing and medical fitness. Reciprocal arrangements are set out in the BHA's licensing schedule and are updated annually.

Related entries: How to Become a Jockey · Retraining of Racehorses · Weatherbys & UK Racing Records