Fines for breaking cycling rules.

Riding a bicycle in Denmark is just as common as driving a car, the only difference being that you need a driving license for the latter. However, not needing to take classes or passing a test for riding a bike does not mean that there are no rules for biking and that you can’t get fined for breaking those rules.

We think that it might be useful to know what you are actually allowed to do and what not while riding a bike. It seems as certain punishable activities are labelled as “myths” by cyclists here in Denmark. Probably number one myth is that if you ride a bicycle while drunk and you are also a driving license owner, your license will be detained. FALSE! Nobody will ask for your driving license if you are caught cycling drunk, however, the police will fine you with the amount of 1500 Dkk. This is one of the highest fines you can receive for wreckless behaviour while cycling and it is considered to be the most dangerous activity as well. You are not only putting yourself in danger but also all the other traffic participants.

The other activities which might cost you a pretty penny are the following:

You receive a fine of 700 Dkk for:

• cycling without proper lights during dark hours
• cycling with faulty breaks
• ride your bike on the pedestrian side or places marked as footpaths
• ride your bike on a  bicycle lane in the opposite direction than the one indicated by signs
• cycling without your hands on the handlebars
• you don’t signal when stopping or changing direction
• you don’t respect signs and markings
• cycle while holding onto another vehicle
• two people are riding on the same (non-tandem) bike – *Each person receives a fine 

You receive a fine of 1000 Dkk for:

• riding your bike over a red light
• riding your bike in the opposite direction of the car traffic
• using your mobile phone (handheld) while cycling

If you have any other questions about cycling rules in Denmark or if you are unsure if a situation you have been in was legal or not, feel free to tell us about it in the comments and we will get back with an answer.