Amended Driving Licence Act includes night driving ban for young drivers to improve traffic safety for young people

The Government proposed on 13 May 2026 that the amendments to the Driving Licence Act be adopted. For the most part, the Act will enter into force on 29 May 2026. The aim of the amendments is to improve traffic safety for young people in particular.

The amendments will clarify and partly tighten the conditions under which a 17-year-old may obtain a passenger car driving licence through an exemption procedure. At the same time, driving a vehicle requiring a passenger car licence would be prohibited for 17‑year‑old drivers at night. Changes will also be made to the training requirements for those obtaining a passenger car licence. 

“With the amendments to the Driving Licence Act, we protect young drivers and increase their readiness to drive safely.  Every young person must have the right to safer journeys to school, work and leisure activities,” says Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne. 

Clarifications to the exemptions for 17‑year‑olds and a night‑time driving ban

To receive an age-based exemption, a young person will need to travel at least four times per week, for example to attend a leisure activity or school. The one-way distance, for example to a leisure activity, will need to be at least seven kilometres on foot if public transport is unavailable,  or at least 90 minutes by public transport. A parent or other person who has custody of the young person needs to confirm the information.

A student can prove the need to travel with a certificate of attendance from the education provider, and a working young person with an employment contract of at least two months. For leisure activities, the need will be demonstrated with a certificate from a sports federation for competitive training or from an education provider for attending basic education in the arts. An exemption will not be granted if the young person is, or has been, disqualified or temporarily disqualified from driving. 

All 17‑year‑olds will be prohibited from driving vehicles requiring a passenger car driving licence at night between 00.00 and 5.00. As a rule, breaching the ban will result in a fine and a driving disqualification.

To enable monitoring, a 17-year-old driver will need to display a special underage driver sign on their vehicle as of 1 October 2026. Failure to display the sign can result in a EUR 100 traffic penalty fee. Failure to carry the exemption decision while driving can result in a EUR 40 traffic penalty fee.

Changes to training requirements

The mandatory risk recognition training for those obtaining a passenger car licence will be extended by four hours. In future, up to half of the driving component of the risk recognition training, i.e. two and a half hours, can be completed using a simulator.

Mandatory training for new drivers who have been disqualified from driving will be expanded to cover moped, light quadricycle and tractor categories, in addition to motorcycle and passenger car categories. The requirement will also apply to drivers temporarily disqualified by the police in the same licence categories. A candidate who commits fraud in the theory test can be prohibited from taking the test again for six months.

The current requirement to return an expired driving licence to the Transport and Communications Agency Traficom will be removed. In future, licence holders can destroy their expired licence themselves, saving costs.

What’s next?

The President of the Republic is to approve the bill on 22 May 2026. The Act will enter into force on 29 May 2026. The amendments concerning the underage driver sign and the risk recognition training will enter into force on 1 October 2026.

In December 2025, the Ministry launched a second, broader and longer-term legislative project to implement the new EU Driving Licence Directive nationally. The aim of the Driving Licence Directive is to modernise driving licence regulation and improve traffic safety. The project will introduce comprehensive amendments to the Driving Licence Act, including the introduction of a digital driving licence and new rules on the driving rights of novice drivers.

Inquiries:

Requests for interviews with Minister Ranne:
Markus Liesegang, Special Adviser, tel. +358 295 342 042, [email protected]

Amendments to the Driving Licence Act:
Monika Mutanen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 342 204, [email protected] (away 13–15 May 2026)

Saara Louko, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 342 048, [email protected]