Getting started

Before you can start to practice driving, you must apply for a learner's permit (körkortstillstånd). The learner's permit is issued by Transportstyrelsen and is valid for five years.

You must be 16 years old to practice driving with a private car. If you are going to practice driving a car with a coupled trailer or with a light truck, you must be at least 17 years and 6 months old.

You must have turned 16 and have a valid learner's permit to practice driving a private car

If you are going to practice driving privately, you must first undergo an introductory course (introduktionsutbildning). If your instructor, that is, the person you are going to practice with, has not already completed the introductory course in the last five years, he or she must also do so.

An instructor must be at least 24 years old and must have a driver's licence for the vehicle you are going to practice driving with. Consequently, a person who only has a B class licence cannot be an instructor for a person who is going to practice driving with, for example, a motorcycle or heavy truck.

The instructor must have had a driver's licence for at least five of the previous ten years. Their licence must not have been revoked for more than three months in the last three years. The instructor must also not have had alcohol interlock conditions on their licence within the past three years.

All private practice driving must be done with an approved instructor

To obtain a B class driver's licence, you must meet the following requirements:

1. You have a valid learner's permit.
2. You are a permanent resident of Sweden, or have studied here for at least six months.
3. You are at least 18 years old.
4. You have taken the risk course and both parts are valid.
5. You have passed the driving tests (theory and practical).
6. You do not have a driver's licence issued by another member state of the EEA (The EU and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein). Such a licence, on the other hand, may be replaced by a Swedish one.

B class driver's licence

When you first obtain a driver's licence you begin a two-year probationary period. If your licence is revoked during this period, you will have to pass both driving tests (theory and practical) once again before a new licence can be issued. This probationary period does not apply for AM (moped) class licences.

You are not judged differently during the probationary period, but if you are found guilty of a traffic violation that leads to your licence being revoked during this period, you lose it altogether.

All new drivers in Sweden have a two-year probationary period

You must renew your B class driver's licence every ten years. Transportstyelsen automatically sends a licence renewal application form to your registered address when your licence is about to expire.

You should always have your licence with you when driving. If you are going to drive abroad, you must also bring Part 1 (the blue part) of both the car and any trailer's registration certificate.

The B class licence gives you the right to drive:

• Private cars* (with light trailer)
• Light trucks** (with light trailer)
• Mopeds class 1 and 2
• Tractors class A and B
• Motorised equipment class 1 and 2
• Off-road motor vehicles
• Three*** and four-wheeled motorcycles

* A private car is a vehicle with a maximum of nine seats (one seat for the driver and eight for passengers) and a total weight of no more than 3,500 kg.

** A light truck (sometimes called light goods vehicle or light lorry) is a truck with a total weight of no more than 3,500 kg, which is primarily intended for freight transport and cannot be considered a private car or bus.

*** To drive a three-wheeled motorcycle over 15 kW, you must be at least 21 years old.

If you have a licence limited to automatic transmissions you may not drive cars with a manual transmission. If you have a standard B class driver's licence, you may, on the other hand, drive cars with either manual or automatic transmissions.

Some people choose to get a driver's licence limited to automatic transmissions. Remember that such a licence does not entitle you to drive cars with manual transmissions

Revoked driver's licence

If you drive too fast or commit another traffic violation you risk a fine, as well as a revoked driver's licence. Anyone whose licence is revoked due to drunk driving, aggravated reckless driving, untrustworthiness in sobriety or any serious criminal offence in general must always apply for a new learner's permit.

Anyone whose licence is revoked is not allowed to drive during the disqualification period, which is the period during which the licence is revoked.

A driver whose licence has been revoked for less than 12 months can apply for a new licence about one month before the disqualification period ends. On the other hand, those who have been disqualified for longer than 12 months must pass a new driving test (both theory and practical) before a new licence can be issued.

A driver whose licence is revoked during the probation period must also pass a new driving test.

If Transportstyrelsen revokes your driver's licence for longer than 12 months, or during your probation period, you lose your driver's licence

Traffic violations that can lead to a revoked driver's licence

• Ignoring a stop sign.
• Driving through a red light.
• Overtaking at a pedestrian crossing.
• Driving dangerously or recklessly.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• Driving more than 30 km/h* above the speed limit.
• Leaving the scene of an accident (which you have been involved in).
• Repeated traffic violations, at least three within a two-year period.

* On roads where a 30 km/h speed limit applies, you risk a revoked driver's licence if you drive more than 20 km/h above the limit.

Alcohol-related unreliability and serious criminal offences, such as aggravated assault and drug-related offences, can also lead to your driver's licence being revoked.