Articles

Other

Automatic-only driving licence: what code 78 restricts and how to remove it under EU rules

What can you drive on an automatic-only licence, where does code 78 apply and how do you remove it? Current rules and the EU change due from 2029.

October 29, 2026

Automatic-only driving licence: what code 78 restricts and how to remove it under EU rules

Key takeaways

Code 78 on a driving licence restricts category B to cars without a clutch pedal. You may drive a conventional automatic, a dual-clutch gearbox, a CVT or an electric car, but not a manual.
The restriction applies throughout the EU and to any car that is not your own: a family car, a company car, a courtesy car from the garage or a hire car.
Today the standard way to get rid of code 78 is to pass a practical driving test in a car with a manual gearbox.
The new Directive (EU) 2025/2205 allows code 78 to be removed from category B after training or a test in a manual car. EU countries must transpose it by 26 November 2028 and apply it from 26 November 2029; until then, the current rules apply.
If you drive your own automatic or electric car, code 78 will not get in your way day to day. Removing it pays off if you drive company, family or borrowed cars with a manual gearbox.

An automatic-only driving licence is not a separate licence category. It is an ordinary category B entitlement, restricted according to the gearbox of the car you took your practical test in. If you own an automatic, the restriction will not hold you back at all. The problem comes when you need to drive another car: the family manual, a courtesy car from the garage or a company vehicle. European rules are also changing, and in a few years removing the restriction will be easier than it is today. Whether an automatic is worth it in the first place is covered in our article automatic or manual.

What an automatic-only licence means and where to find code 78

Harmonised code 78 means a restriction to vehicles with automatic transmission. "Harmonised" means the code has the same meaning on every European driving licence.

The code is entered in field 12 next to the category or subcategory it applies to. If you have it next to category B, you may only drive cars in that category with an automatic gearbox. It is a restriction on your entitlement, not a note you can overlook when you borrow another car.

For category B, the restriction is recorded when you pass the practical test in an automatic. Driving experience changes nothing. Even after years of accident-free driving, you will not become entitled to drive a manual just because time has passed.

Which cars you can drive with code 78

What matters is whether the car has a clutch pedal that the driver operates when pulling away, stopping and changing gear. Neither the gearbox's trade name nor the type of drive decides it.

Type of category B car	With code 78	Why
Conventional automatic with a torque converter	Yes	The car has no clutch pedal
Dual-clutch gearbox	Yes	The gearbox operates the clutches, not the driver with a pedal
Continuously variable transmission (CVT)	Yes	The car has no clutch pedal
Electric car without a clutch pedal	Yes	It meets the definition of a car without a clutch pedal
Manual gearbox with a clutch pedal	No	You need an entitlement without the automatic restriction

A hybrid is assessed like any other car, by its gearbox. Electric drive does not extend your entitlement: an electric car must still belong to a category you hold on your licence.

In practice, when choosing a used car, look at the gearbox in the listing, not the model. The fourth-generation Škoda Octavia and the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf are sold both with a manual and with a DSG dual-clutch gearbox. How the different designs compare is summarised in our overview of types of automatic transmission. The hybrid Toyota Corolla has no clutch pedal at all.

Does code 78 apply abroad and in a borrowed car?

Yes. EU countries mutually recognise each other's driving licences, so the code 78 restriction stays valid in any other Member State. Crossing a border does not make code 78 disappear.

Nor does it matter who owns the car or why you are driving. Permission from a relative, an employer or a car hire desk is no substitute for a driving entitlement.

Situation	What it means
A relative lends you a manual car	You may not drive it with code 78, not even for a short trip
Your employer gives you a manual company car	For a work journey you need an unrestricted entitlement
A hire company in another EU country gives you a manual	You need an automatic; the booking or the handover of keys changes nothing
The garage only has a manual courtesy car	You cannot use it as the driver

When booking a hire car or a courtesy car, always state explicitly that you need an automatic. Hire companies often guarantee only a car category, not a specific model, and the car you get may differ from the one in the photo.

How code 78 is removed under the current rules

Under the current EU framework, the standard route to driving a manual is passing a practical test of skills and behaviour in a car with a manual gearbox. Practice drives on their own do not remove the code; what counts is the official procedure in the country that issues your licence.

The process has three steps:

Preparation on a manual. You need to master the clutch and changing gear in traffic. Your experience in an automatic will help with traffic situations, but you have to learn to operate a manual from scratch.
Practical test on a manual. It shows that you can drive this type of car too.
Official removal of the restriction. The test result is reflected in your entitlement and on your licence according to the procedure of the country concerned.

The procedure and fees depend on the country. Some countries already offer alternative routes that involve additional training, so check with the licensing authority in the country that issued your licence what applies to you. Lessons at a driving school are usually paid for separately.

What Directive (EU) 2025/2205 changes

The new driving licence directive opens a way to remove code 78 from category B after training or a test in a car with a manual gearbox. The specific training must last at least seven hours. Compared with the current EU framework, this adds the option of gaining a manual entitlement without taking another test. The code will then not be recorded, or will be removed, for categories A1, A2, A, B1, B and BE.

This does not mean you can do a few private drives and have the code crossed out. It will be training or a test under rules that each country transposes into its own law. The exact procedure will be set by national legislation.

When the new rules will apply

Date	What it means for drivers
25 November 2025	The directive entered into force; existing code 78 entries did not lapse
by 26 November 2028	Member States must adopt and publish national legislation
from 26 November 2029	National legislation is to start applying

The directive being in force does not mean you may already drive a manual. If you need an unrestricted entitlement today, you have to follow the current rules of your country. Even after 2029, code 78 will not disappear for all holders at once. Each driver will have to have it removed individually, through either training or a test.

When it is worth removing code 78

If you drive your own automatic and do not drive other people's cars, code 78 hardly restricts you. Electric cars and hybrids also usually have no clutch pedal, so the number of automatics on the used car market keeps growing. Removing the code makes sense where you do not choose the gearbox yourself: when the family shares cars, when you drive vehicles from a company fleet or when you often get a courtesy car.

If you need a manual right away, for example for work, there is no point waiting for 2029, and it is worth taking the test under the current rules. If you only miss a manual occasionally, you can wait until your country introduces the training route. Whether to learn in an automatic in the first place is covered in a separate article, learning to drive in an automatic.

What to watch out for

A short drive is no exception. The restriction applies even if you only move someone else's manual car to another spot on the road.
Do not practise illegally on public roads. With code 78, you may not drive a manual even for private practice. Being able to pull away in one does not mean you are allowed to drive it.
An automated manual counts as an automatic. You may drive a car with an automated manual gearbox and no clutch pedal. A conventional manual with a clutch pedal you may not.
News about the new directive does not change your licence. What counts is how and when your country transposes the rules.

Buying a used automatic through Carvago

With code 78, you can only choose from cars without a clutch pedal, so the local selection in a given class may be much narrower. Carvago has the widest selection of used cars: roughly a million cars from sellers in several European countries. That makes it easier to find an automatic in the class and specification you want.

Every car is inspected by a technician before sale as part of CarAudit™, which covers up to 270 checkpoints, diagnostics and a test drive. You know the result before you decide to buy. With a used automatic, the condition of the gearbox is one of the biggest financial questions. Carvago guarantees the condition of the car stated in the certificate and provides a free extended warranty with every car.

Once the purchase is approved, Carvago handles the paperwork under a power of attorney, including registering the car in your country and delivery. The car is brought right to your door and you can drive off as soon as you take it over.

FAQ

Can I change gear with paddles behind the steering wheel with code 78?

Yes. If the car has no clutch pedal, it counts as an automatic for the purposes of the restriction. Selecting gears manually with paddles or the gear selector does not turn it into a manual.

Does code 78 mean a medical restriction?

No. Code 78 only concerns the gearbox you took your test on. It says nothing about your health. Medical restrictions and vehicle adaptations have different codes on the licence.

Can I drive a category B car with a trailer with code 78?

The restriction applies to the category or subcategory next to which the code is entered. Whether you may drive a car and trailer combination depends on which categories you hold. The restriction on the towing car's gearbox, however, always applies.