Driving licence withdrawal in Switzerland: warning, duration & cascade

Quick answer: when do you lose your licence in Switzerland?

In Switzerland, a licence withdrawal is on the table as soon as an offence can no longer be settled with a fixed fine (Art. 16 para. 2 SVG). The road traffic office of your canton of residence then decides whether you get a warning or have to hand in your driving licence. What counts is how serious the offence is and what happened in previous years:

• Minor offence: a warning if you had no withdrawal and no other measure in the past two years. Otherwise at least 1 month's withdrawal (Art. 16a SVG).
• Moderately serious offence: at least 1 month (Art. 16b SVG).
• Serious offence: at least 3 months (Art. 16c SVG); for extreme speeding (“Raser” offence) at least 2 years.

Anyone who has lost their licence before quickly moves up the so-called cascade system to much longer minimum periods. It is core knowledge for the theory test, because it shows why “only a little too fast” can become expensive.

Two procedures: the fine and the administrative measure

Many people are surprised that a letter from the road traffic office arrives after the fine has been paid. For more serious offences, Switzerland runs two separate procedures:

• The criminal procedure where the offence happened: fine, monetary penalty or custodial sentence.
• The administrative procedure in your canton of residence: warning, licence withdrawal, traffic instruction, a fitness-to-drive assessment or a new driving test.

Legally, the administrative measure is not a punishment; it is meant to improve road safety. Pure fixed fines never lead to an administrative measure. Where the fixed-fine limit lies for speeding is explained in Speeding in Switzerland.

Minor, moderately serious or serious: how offences are classified

Minor offence (Art. 16a SVG): you break a traffic rule but only create a slight danger and are only slightly at fault. It is also minor if you drive drunk below the qualified level (0.5 to 0.79 per mille) without any other offence, or break the zero-alcohol rule, for example with a probationary licence. In particularly minor cases, no measure is taken at all.

Moderately serious offence (Art. 16b SVG), for example:

• You create a danger for others by breaking a rule, or accept that risk.
• You drive drunk (from 0.5 per mille) and also commit a minor offence.
• You drive a motor vehicle without a licence for that category.
• You take a motor vehicle for a joyride.

Serious offence (Art. 16c SVG), for example:

• gross violation of traffic rules creating a serious danger for others,
• driving with a qualified alcohol level: 0.8 per mille blood alcohol or 0.4 mg/l breath alcohol or more,
• driving under the influence of drugs or medication, or otherwise unfit to drive,
• refusing a blood or breath test,
• leaving the scene of an accident in which someone was injured or killed,
• driving while your licence is withdrawn.

Read more about alcohol limits in Drink-driving limit Switzerland. Distraction can also go beyond a fixed fine depending on the danger, see Phone at the wheel in Switzerland.

Speeding example: when is the licence gone?

For speeding, authorities and courts classify cases by fixed thresholds. In built-up areas, practice is: 16 to 20 km/h too fast is minor (usually a warning), 21 to 24 km/h moderately serious (at least 1 month), 25 km/h or more serious (at least 3 months). Outside built-up areas and on motorways the thresholds are higher. You will find the full table in Speeding in Switzerland.

Extreme speeding (“Raser” offence): exceeding the limit by at least 40 km/h (at 30), 50 km/h (at 50), 60 km/h (at 80) or 80 km/h (above 80) is a particularly gross violation (Art. 90 para. 4 SVG). The licence is then withdrawn for at least two years (Art. 16c para. 2 let. a^bis SVG). If the sentence is under one year, this minimum may be reduced by up to twelve months.

The cascade system: repeat offences get expensive

The more history you have, the longer the minimum withdrawal. Earlier withdrawals are counted within fixed periods:

• After a moderately serious offence (Art. 16b para. 2 SVG): at least 1 month; at least 4 months if you lost your licence once for a moderately serious or serious offence; at least 9 months after two such withdrawals and at least 15 months after two withdrawals for serious offences, each within the past two years.
• After a serious offence (Art. 16c para. 2 SVG): at least 3 months; at least 6 months if you lost your licence once for a moderately serious offence in the past five years; at least 12 months after one serious or two moderately serious withdrawals within five years.
• Indefinitely, at least 2 years: after three withdrawals for at least moderately serious offences within ten years; after a serious offence, two earlier withdrawals for serious offences are enough. This is waived if you drove for at least five years after the last withdrawal without any measure.
• Permanently: if another moderately serious or serious offence follows within five years of such an indefinite withdrawal.

A warning counts too: commit another minor offence within two years and your licence is gone for at least a month. According to the canton of Aargau, the warning stays visible in the register of measures for at least five years.

The minimum is a floor. How long the withdrawal actually lasts depends on the individual case: danger caused, degree of fault, your record as a driver and whether you need the car for work. As a rule, the minimum may not be undercut (Art. 16 para. 3 SVG).

What a withdrawal means in practice

• All categories: if your licence is withdrawn for one category, you lose it for all categories and special category F (Art. 33 para. 1 VZV). The authority may also withdraw categories G and M (moped).
• Driving for work: a special permit for professional journeys is only possible in narrow cases, among other things only after a minor offence (Art. 33 para. 5 VZV).
• Driving despite a withdrawal is itself a serious offence. A new withdrawal replaces the remaining one, and under criminal law you face up to three years' custody or a monetary penalty (Art. 16c para. 3 and Art. 95 SVG).
• Additional measures: depending on the case, the authority orders traffic instruction, a fitness-to-drive assessment or a new theory and/or practical test.

Licence withdrawal during the probationary period

With a probationary licence, the consequences are tougher (Art. 15a SVG):

• After a withdrawal for a moderately serious or serious offence, the probationary period is extended by one year.
• If you commit a second moderately serious or serious offence during the probationary period, the licence expires. A new learner's permit is available at the earliest one year after the offence and only with a positive traffic-psychology assessment. Then you take the tests again.

Everything about the probationary period and the further training courses is in Probationary licence Switzerland. What happens with the learner's permit is explained in Learner's permit Switzerland.

Security withdrawal: when fitness to drive is at stake

Besides the time-limited warning withdrawal, there is the security withdrawal for an indefinite period (Art. 16d SVG). It affects people who are no longer fit to drive: because of insufficient physical or mental capacity, an addiction, or because their behaviour no longer gives reason to expect they will follow the rules. Repeat extreme speeders can lose their licence permanently.

Getting your licence back: earlier, conditionally or not at all

• Up to three months earlier: with a recognised follow-up course, a time-limited withdrawal can end earlier, but never before the minimum period (Art. 17 para. 1 SVG).
• Withdrawals of one year or more: conditional return with requirements once the minimum period and two thirds of the withdrawal have passed (Art. 17 para. 2 SVG).
• Indefinite withdrawal: only after the waiting period has expired and you prove that the problem has been resolved (Art. 17 para. 3 SVG).

And abroad?

If another country imposes a driving ban on you and the offence would be moderately serious or serious in Switzerland, Switzerland also withdraws your licence (Art. 16c^bis SVG). The duration takes the foreign ban into account and may be below the Swiss minimum. Conversely, people living abroad who commit a serious offence in Switzerland receive a driving ban for Switzerland.

Typical test traps about licence withdrawal

• “I paid the fine, so it's all over”: Wrong. The administrative procedure in your canton of residence runs independently.
• “A warning has no consequences”: Wrong. Another minor offence within two years costs you the licence for at least a month.
• “At 0.6 per mille you only get a fine”: Not quite. From 0.5 per mille it is at least a minor offence; from 0.8 per mille a serious one with at least three months' withdrawal.
• “With a good reason the withdrawal can be shorter than the minimum”: Wrong. As a rule, the minimum withdrawal may not be undercut.
• “The withdrawal only applies to cars”: Wrong. Withdrawal for one category covers all categories.
• “A quick drive to the shops during a withdrawal is no big deal”: Wrong. That is a serious offence and a criminal misdemeanour.

Pass safely instead of risking your licence

The rules behind most withdrawals, speed, alcohol, right of way and distance, are exactly what the theory test asks about. How many questions to expect is explained in How many questions are in the theory test?. For an overview of all key rules, see Swiss traffic rules.

Knowledge sticks fastest when you answer real exam questions. Start with the free demo or read how to learn for the theory test online. If you want all questions with explanations, unlock access on the pricing page.

FAQ

How long is a licence withdrawal in Switzerland?
At least 1 month for a moderately serious and at least 3 months for a serious offence. With previous withdrawals the minimum rises to 4, 6, 9, 12 or 15 months, and to at least 2 years for extreme speeding.

What is the difference between a warning and a withdrawal?
A warning is a kind of yellow card after a first minor offence. You keep your licence, but another minor offence within two years leads to a withdrawal.

Who decides on the withdrawal?
The road traffic office (administrative authority) of your canton of residence, regardless of the canton where the offence happened.

At what blood alcohol level do you lose your licence?
From 0.8 per mille (0.4 mg/l breath alcohol) it is a serious offence: at least 3 months' withdrawal. Between 0.5 and 0.79 per mille, without previous measures and without another offence, it is usually a warning.

Can I ride a moped during a withdrawal?
Only if the authority has not also withdrawn category M. This is stated in the decision. All other categories and category F are withdrawn automatically.

What happens if my licence is withdrawn during the probationary period?
The probationary period is extended by one year. A second moderately serious or serious offence makes the probationary licence expire.

Sources

• Road Traffic Act (SVG, SR 741.01): Art. 15a, 16, 16a, 16b, 16c, 16c^bis, 16d, 17, 90 and 95
• Traffic Licensing Ordinance (VZV, SR 741.51): Art. 33 and 35a
• Federal Assembly Ordinance on alcohol limits in road traffic (SR 741.13): Art. 1 and 2
• Canton of Zurich road traffic office: licence withdrawal; types of administrative measures
• Canton of Aargau road traffic office: administrative measures in general; FAQ on warnings

Note: Not legal advice; the applicable legislation, cantonal practice and the individual case are decisive.

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