Am I allowed to drive a little too fast in Denmark?
No — speeding is illegal, and the penalty rises quickly. The limits are generally 50 km/h in town, 80 km/h on country roads and 130 km/h on the motorway. The fine starts at 1,200 kr and rises with the percentage over the limit — there is no free margin. Drive more than 30% too fast and you get a clip on your licence, and the clips add up: three clips in three years means a conditional loss. Over 60% too fast or at 160 km/h you lose the licence directly. Then there is reckless driving — more than 100% over the limit and over 100 km/h, or at least 200 km/h: an unconditional loss for at least 3 years, and the car can be confiscated, even if you borrowed it from someone else.
📋 The rules
- Limits: 50 town, 80 country, 130 motorway
- The fine starts at 1,200 kr
- Over 30% too fast: a clip on the licence
- Three clips in three years: conditional loss
- Reckless driving: the car can be confiscated
🔓 Exceptions
- Over 60% too fast or at 160 km/h means a loss directly
- Reckless driving needs more than 100% over and over 100 km/h, or at least 200 km/h
- The car can be confiscated even if you borrowed it
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The fine starts at 1,200 kr and rises with the percentage over the limit and with the road type. Over 30% too fast also costs a clip on the licence, and the clips add up: three clips within three years trigger a conditional loss. Over 60% too fast or at 160 km/h you lose the licence directly, without needing three clips first. Reckless driving — more than 100% over the limit and over 100 km/h, or at least 200 km/h — brings an unconditional loss for at least 3 years and confiscation of the car. That hits the owner too, because a borrowed car can be confiscated.
📎 Official sources
- Borger.dk · Road Traffic Act and speed limits →
- Safe Traffic · Licence clips →
- FDM · Reckless driving →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I drive a little too fast?
No. There is no free margin where a little too fast is free — the fine starts at 1,200 kr. Drive more than 30% over the limit and it also costs a clip, and three clips in three years cost the licence itself.
When do I get a clip?
You get a clip when you drive more than 30% too fast. The clips add up across cases, and three clips within three years trigger a conditional loss of licence, even if each case on its own was small.
When do I lose my licence?
Over 60% too fast or at 160 km/h you lose it directly, without needing three clips first. For reckless driving the loss is unconditional and lasts at least 3 years, and the car can be confiscated on top.
What is reckless driving?
Reckless driving is more than 100% over the limit and at the same time over 100 km/h, or at least 200 km/h. It means an unconditional loss for at least 3 years, and the car can be confiscated — even a borrowed one.
How high is the fine?
It starts at 1,200 kr and rises with the percentage over the limit and with the road type, so the same speed can cost differently from road to road. The fine is only one part: over 30% too fast adds a clip.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I speed denmark”
- “speeding fine 1200 kr”
- “licence clip 30 percent”
- “three clips loss”
- “reckless driving car confiscated”
- “speed limits denmark”