Driving licence at 17?

The minimum age requirement for a category B driving licence is normally 18. You can obtain a category B driving licence already at the age of 17 if you have an age exception permit issued by Traficom or if you are studying a professional driver training course.

Driving licence at 17

With an age exception permit issued by Traficom, a driving licence may already be obtained at the age of 17 if there are special reasons for this.

A driving licence obtained before reaching the usual minimum age for a category B licence (18 years) at the age of 17 only entitles you to drive for training and education purposes: the driving licence makes accessing places of study and workplace training easier and enables you to study a profession, such as a van driver, at work. However, you do not need to carry a training certificate when driving.

You can apply for a driving licence permit for category B at the earliest when you are 16. If you are in vocational driver training, you can take the category B theory test at the earliest when you are 17 years old. In this case, you must prove your student status with a training certificate issued by the educational institution when you take your first theory test. In addition to the certificate, you need the consent of your guardian. You cannot complete the driving examination until you are 17 years old.

Age exemption permit

With an age exception permit issued by Traficom, a driving licence may already be obtained at the age of 17 if there are special reasons for this.

Special reasons include:

long distances, the lack of public transport connections or other reasons related to transport that hinder travel to and from work, training taking place at the workplace and school or other similar necessary travel.
unforeseen family changes.
a need to travel in order to secure family income and for taking care of crucial tasks.

You can apply for a driving licence permit for category B at the earliest when you are 16. If you are granted an age exemption permit and have obtained a driving licence permit, you can take the category B theory test and then take the driving test as soon as you turn 17 years old. Even before you are granted an age exemption permit, you can complete all compulsory driving instruction (at a driving school or with an instruction permit) at the earliest when you are 16. The received driving instruction does not expire. It is also possible to apply for a driving licence permit in advance. This way, you can take the examination as soon as you have been issued an age exception permit.

However, it is recommended that the actual driving lessons are started only after the age exemption permit has been granted.

Applications for an age exemption permit are submitted via Traficom’s online service. Only adults (at least 18 years old) can log into the service, which means that the permit application must be submitted by the young person’s parent or guardian. By submitting the application, the parent or guardian gives their consent to the young person obtaining a driving licence under the age of 18 and confirms that all the information provided is correct, including that the journeys the young person needs to travel exceed reasonable travel times or distances. In the service, the guardian indicates whom the age exemption permit is applied for, and the service checks the young person’s personal identity code to ensure that the age requirement – 16 years, 8 months – has been met.

A 17-year-old with an age exemption permit can take the theory test at the earliest on their birthday and the driving test usually a few weeks after that.

Applying for an age exemption permit

Traficom’s application form must be used when applying for an age exemption permit.

The application form must include one of the following attachments, depending on the purpose of the exemption permit application:

a certificate of student status, if the exemption permit is sought for travel to and from an educational institution
a certificate from the employer, if the exemption permit is sought for work or training taking place at the workplace
proof of goal-oriented sports or other hobby activities (written by the club, coach, association, institute or other similar entity, for example), if the exemption permit is sought for travel to and from goal-oriented hobby activities
a medical certificate or other account prepared by a health care professional that indicates the applicant’s or a close relative’s health-related mobility restrictions, if the exemption permit is sought for essential travel or health-related reasons of the applicant or their relative
another certificate of the essential need for travel, if the exemption permit is applied for reasons other than those mentioned above

An age exemption permit may be applied for no earlier than 4 months before turning 17 years old. In accordance with the Driving Licence Act, the permit can be issued at the earliest three months before the age requirement is met.

The application and attachments are submitted to Traficom

by email kirjaamo@traficom.fi or
by mail PL 320, 00059 TRAFICOM

The permit is granted on the basis of an overall assessment.

Both a negative and a positive decision are subject to a fee charged in accordance with the decree on fees (EUR 110). The applicant will receive an invoice once the decision has been made.

(source: ajokortti-info.fi)

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