Danish driving instructors say they were misled about a new driving license code, code 148, which the Danish Road Traffic Authority now states is valid only in Denmark. Instructors say hundreds of learners may hold licenses that do not permit manual driving abroad.
Avisen Danmark, citing Ritzau, reports that learner drivers in Denmark can take their driving test and most of their lessons in an automatic car. They can still obtain a license covering both manual and automatic cars domestically. Whether that license works the same way abroad is unclear.
The arrangement stems from a trial scheme that took effect on 1 July 2024. It was introduced as part of an agreement between then transport minister Thomas Danielsen (V) and the driving instructors’ association. Learners who use the scheme receive a license printed with code 148.
Under the scheme, students need only seven lessons in a manual car. The remaining instruction takes place in an automatic vehicle. In Denmark, 24 mandatory lessons of 45 minutes each are required for a category B license.
Allan Sørensen, chairman of Danske Kørelæreres Landsforbund, told Dagbladet Ringsted that Færdselsstyrelsen previously assured instructors the new licenses would also apply abroad. He said at a meeting the authority described this as as good as certain. According to Sørensen, instructors have in good faith sent hundreds of students out with licenses they may not be able to use abroad as promised.
What the authority now says
According to Færdselsstyrelsen, code 148 is a national Danish code that applies only in Denmark. The authority states that the code is not recognized in other EU countries and that foreign authorities will typically not know its meaning. It also says it cannot state with certainty how code 148 will be interpreted or enforced outside Denmark.
The agency’s guidance further notes that holders may only be permitted to drive automatic cars abroad. Drivers who want unambiguous international manual rights can instead take the practical test in a manual car. That produces a license without any gear-related code.
As reported by Dagbladet Ringsted, whose story was republished by Ekstra Bladet, most newer Danish licenses issued under the scheme cannot be used for manual driving outside Denmark. The paper writes that a new wording appeared on the authority’s website stating the code applies nationally only.
It is not clear from the website whether that section is new or was recently updated. Ritzau has asked Færdselsstyrelsen for an answer on that point. Sørensen said instructors will meet the authority on 24 August to discuss the case.
Several driving school pages still tell students that code 148 carries no consequences abroad, because it is not EU restriction code 78. That contradicts the current official guidance on driving in Denmark.
