Am I allowed to get a driving licence at 17 in Denmark?
Yes — you can get a car licence from 17, and you can start driving school as early as 16 years and 9 months. As a 17-year-old with a licence you may drive alone between 5am and 8pm, but you must have an accompanying driver in the passenger seat from 8pm to 5am until you turn 18. The accompanying driver must be at least 24 and have held a car licence for at least 5 years. The widespread misunderstanding is that you can practise with your parents: all practice before the test must be with an approved driving instructor, because there is no private-practice scheme for cars in Denmark. The parents must consent, and for the first 3 years the alcohol limit is 0.2 — effectively zero, accompanied or not.
📋 The rules
- A car licence from 17
- Start driving school at 16 years and 9 months
- A 17-year-old drives alone 5am–8pm, accompanied 8pm–5am
- Accompanying driver: at least 24 and a 5-year licence
- Practice only with an approved driving instructor
🔓 Exceptions
- Driving alone by day needs no accompanying driver
- The parents must consent, as you are under 18
- For the first 3 years with a licence the alcohol limit is 0.2
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Driving without an accompanying driver between 8pm and 5am as a 17-year-old costs a fine of 3,000 kr the first time, and the duty applies however short the trip is. Practice without an approved driving instructor is driving without a licence — a loop of an empty car park with your father in the passenger seat is not a grey area but an offence. The consent requirement means your parents must sign while you are under 18. And for the first 3 years the alcohol limit is 0.2, effectively zero; it applies even with an accompanying driver beside you.
📎 Official sources
- Borger.dk · Licence at 17 →
- Road Safety Agency · Licence at 17 →
- Safe Traffic · Accompanying driver at 17 →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I get a licence at 17?
Yes. You can get a car licence from 17 and start driving school as early as 16 years and 9 months. Your parents must consent while you are under 18, and you need an accompanying driver in the evening.
Must I have an accompanying driver?
As a 17-year-old you drive alone between 5am and 8pm but must have an accompanying driver in the passenger seat from 8pm to 5am. The requirement ends when you turn 18, and driving without one costs 3,000 kr.
What requirements apply to the accompanying driver?
They must be at least 24 and have held a car licence for at least 5 years without disqualification. They must sit in the passenger seat, not just be somewhere in the car, between 8pm and 5am.
Can I practise with my parents?
No. All practice before the test must be with an approved driving instructor, because there is no private-practice scheme for cars in Denmark. If you practise anyway, it is driving without a licence.
What is the penalty for driving without an accompanying driver?
A fine of 3,000 kr the first time for driving alone between 8pm and 5am as a 17-year-old. For the first 3 years the alcohol limit is also 0.2, effectively zero, and it applies with an accompanying driver too.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I get licence at 17 denmark”
- “learner driving school 16 9”
- “accompanying driver 17 24”
- “licence 17 8pm 5am”
- “private practice car denmark”
- “driving instructor practice”