Code 78 — Automatic Only License Explained
What is code 78 on your driving license, what restrictions it brings, how to remove it for ~4,000 CZK, and the penalties for violating it.
One inconspicuous code in the corner of your driving license can cost you tens of thousands of crowns and a year without driving. Code 78 says one thing: you may only drive automatics. Sit behind the wheel of a car with a clutch pedal, and in the eyes of the law you're in the same position as someone driving with no license at all.
And code 78 is getting more attention every year. Driving schools report that demand for automatic training keeps growing. At some schools, a fifth of students now choose automatic over manual. And modern cars? The Škoda Superb and Kodiaq haven't been available with a manual since 2024. So the question isn't whether code 78 is a stigma — it's whether you even need to worry about it anymore.
This article explains what exactly code 78 means, what penalties you face for violating it, how to remove it for a few thousand crowns, and who benefits most from choosing automatic.
Quick summary:
- Code 78 means you may only drive vehicles without a clutch pedal — valid across the entire EU
- Driving a manual with code 78 carries a fine of CZK 25,000–50,000, 4 penalty points, and a driving ban of 1–2 years
- Removal costs around CZK 4,000 — a supplementary practical driving test on a manual, no theory
- Interest in automatic training at driving schools is rising — but 95% of training vehicles still have a manual transmission
What Exactly Code 78 Means
Code 78 is one of the so-called EU harmonised codes — you'll find it on the back of your driving license in column 12, next to the category the restriction applies to. It's defined by Czech decree No. 31/2001 Coll. (Annex 5) and originates from EU Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licenses. That means every EU country recognises it — it's not a Czech peculiarity.
The definition is surprisingly simple. An automatic transmission vehicle is, by law, any vehicle that has no clutch pedal. For motorcycles (categories A1, A2, and A), the clutch pedal is replaced by a manually operated clutch lever — if the bike has no clutch lever, it counts as "automatic" under the law.
This leads to an important point: it doesn't matter how the transmission technically works. A conventional automatic, CVT, dual-clutch DSG, sequential paddle shifting — all of these comply with code 78 as long as the car has no clutch pedal. Conversely, if a vehicle had a robotised manual gearbox but still a physical clutch pedal, you couldn't drive it with code 78.
And when does code 78 get recorded? Automatically. If you complete your training at a driving school in an automatic vehicle and pass the practical test in that vehicle, the examiner notes it on the license application. The authority then restricts your license for that category to automatic vehicles. It's not your choice — it's a consequence of what you took the test in.
Code 78 is recorded separately for each category
Code 78 is tied to a specific license category, not the entire license. You can have category B with code 78 (automatic) and category C without restriction (manual). Each category has its own entry in column 12.
Theory Is the Same — Only the Practical Test Differs
Many people think that an automatic driving school is the "easier version" of a license. It's not. The final written theory tests are absolutely identical regardless of whether you trained on a manual or automatic. You need to know traffic rules, signs, regulations — and yes, even questions about the clutch and gear shifting, because those appear on the tests.
The only difference is the practical test. With an automatic, you don't need to operate a clutch pedal or shift gears manually — and that's a significant relief for people who struggle with exactly this part of training. Hill starts without rolling back, smooth shifting in traffic, proper downshifting before turns — all of that disappears with an automatic. You focus purely on traffic, orientation, and smooth driving.
An automatic course is roughly CZK 1,000 more expensive than a manual one. Why? Driving schools have fewer automatic vehicles and operating costs are slightly higher. Not every school even offers automatic training — on Kvalty.cz you can filter for driving schools with automatic vehicles in your area.
Aktuální ceny kurzů skupiny B napříč kraji — kurz na automat bývá přibližně o 1 000 Kč dražší
| statsTable.columns.location | statsTable.columns.avgPrice | statsTable.columns.minPrice | statsTable.columns.maxPrice | statsTable.columns.schoolCount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| region Prague | 29,975 Kč | 12,990 Kč | 64,500 Kč | 111 |
| South Bohemian Region | 29,111 Kč | 15,000 Kč | 59,000 Kč | 70 |
| Central Bohemian Region | 26,617 Kč | 15,000 Kč | 55,000 Kč | 159 |
| Ústí nad Labem Region | 26,324 Kč | 15,000 Kč | 44,500 Kč | 73 |
| Pardubice Region | 26,238 Kč | 15,000 Kč | 50,000 Kč | 50 |
| Vysočina Region | 25,998 Kč | 15,100 Kč | 57,000 Kč | 53 |
| Hradec Králové Region | 25,813 Kč | 16,000 Kč | 50,000 Kč | 58 |
| Olomouc Region | 25,242 Kč | – | 58,000 Kč | 65 |
| South Moravian Region | 25,086 Kč | 15,000 Kč | 40,000 Kč | 117 |
| Karlovy Vary Region | 25,071 Kč | 17,800 Kč | 38,000 Kč | 17 |
| Plzeň Region | 25,018 Kč | 15,000 Kč | 39,000 Kč | 48 |
| Zlín Region | 24,985 Kč | 15,200 Kč | 38,900 Kč | 76 |
| Liberec Region | 24,169 Kč | 16,500 Kč | 36,999 Kč | 49 |
| Moravian-Silesian Region | 21,924 Kč | 15,000 Kč | 39,500 Kč | 120 |
Total 1066 schools
What Happens If You Violate Code 78
This is the part many drivers underestimate. Driving a manual with code 78 on your license isn't a minor offence — the law classifies it as driving a vehicle you're not authorised to drive. It falls under Section 125c(1)(e)(1) of Act No. 361/2000 Coll. — the same category as sitting behind the wheel with no license at all.
The penalties match the severity. For a first offence, you face a fine of CZK 25,000 to 50,000 in administrative proceedings, 4 penalty points, and a driving ban of 12 to 24 months. For a repeated offence, the fine rises to CZK 25,000–75,000 and the ban extends to 18–36 months. It cannot be resolved on the spot with a ticket — it always goes to administrative proceedings.
The police will spot it immediately
Police officers have real-time access to the central driver register — they can see your restrictions instantly. A quick look at the vehicle interior confirms the presence of a clutch pedal. Violating code 78 is easy to detect and virtually impossible to defend.
Now put that in context. Violating code 78 costs you at least CZK 25,000, your license for a year, and 4 penalty points (out of 12 total — reach 12 and you lose your license entirely). Meanwhile, removing code 78 costs around CZK 4,000 and takes a few weeks. The ratio is absurd — and yet it happens. Most often when someone borrows a car from a friend or family member without thinking about whether it's a manual.
How to Remove Code 78
Good news: code 78 isn't a permanent sentence. Removing it is relatively straightforward and affordable. The process works as a supplementary exam — it's essentially a form of license extension, even though technically you're not upgrading to a higher category but removing a restriction within your existing one.
The procedure is simple. You sign up at a driving school and arrange supplementary training on a manual vehicle. The law (Section 42 of Act No. 247/2000 Coll.) does not specify a minimum number of hours — how many lessons you need depends entirely on your skill level. Some people manage with one two-hour lesson, others need five. Your driving instructor will tell you when you're ready.
Then you take the practical driving test on a manual. No theory — you've already passed that. The test follows the same format as a standard practical exam: driving in traffic, prescribed manoeuvres. You get three attempts in total — one regular and two retakes, all within 12 months of the first attempt.
If you don't pass, nothing happens. Your automatic license stays unchanged — you lose nothing. You simply try again, or decide that automatic is enough for you.
After passing, you apply at the municipal authority (ORP — municipal office with extended powers) for a new driving license without code 78. The administrative fee is CZK 700 for expedited processing. From 2026, you can submit the application online via the Transport Portal.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Supplementary training (1 lesson = 2 hours) + admin | ~CZK 3,300 |
| Each additional lesson | ~CZK 1,300 |
| Admin fee for a new driving license | CZK 700 |
| Total (typical) | ~CZK 4,000 |
Who Should Choose Automatic
The decision between automatic and manual isn't just a technical question — it's a decision about how you'll drive for the next twenty years. And for some people, automatic is clearly the better choice.
If operating the clutch and shifting gears stresses you so much that you can't focus on traffic, automatic lets you concentrate on what truly matters — safety. It's not uncommon for students who repeatedly fail the practical test on a manual to pass on an automatic on their first try. An automatic simply removes one layer of complexity and lets you drive.
Automatic also makes sense for people with lower limb disabilities (who don't require hand controls), for foreigners who moved to Czechia and have only ever driven automatics, or for those who simply know their family only has automatics and they'll never drive a manual.
But there are downsides. In many European countries — especially in southern and eastern Europe — rental agencies mostly stock manuals. An automatic rental tends to be more expensive and sometimes simply isn't available. Some employers only have manuals in their company fleet. And if you want to borrow a car from a friend, there's a good chance it'll be a manual — especially in Czechia, where manual transmissions still dominate.
Made the wrong choice? No problem.
If you find that code 78 is limiting you, you can remove it for ~CZK 4,000 in a few weeks. No risk of losing your license, no theory. And conversely — if you get your license on a manual, you can drive both. The decision is more flexible than it seems.
Code 78 and Motorcycles
Code 78 is discussed mainly in the context of category B — cars. But it applies to motorcycles too, albeit in a slightly different way.
For motorcycle categories A1, A2, and A, the law doesn't evaluate a clutch pedal (motorcycles don't have one) but a manually operated clutch lever. If you train and take the test on a motorcycle without a clutch lever — typically a scooter or a bike with an automatic or semi-automatic transmission — you receive code 78 for that motorcycle category. That means you may then only ride machines without a clutch lever.
In practice, this doesn't concern most motorcyclists because the vast majority of training takes place on conventional motorcycles with manual transmissions. But if you're thinking about a bike purely for city commuting on a scooter, automatic is a sensible choice — you're not planning to take a clutch-equipped highway bike anyway.
Trends and the Future — Will Code 78 Disappear?
Interest in automatic training in Czechia is growing. According to data from driving schools, around 20% of students at some schools now choose automatic — and six years ago, such candidates "could be counted on the fingers of one hand," says Jiří Aujezdský from a driving school in Třebíč. Young people aged 17–18 in particular say they only have automatics at home and will never drive a manual.
The market backs them up. Carmakers are gradually abandoning manual transmissions — the Škoda Superb and Kodiaq have been automatic-only since 2024/2025. The share of manual Superbs dropped from 22% in 2018 to zero. Modern automatics also work better with safety systems: adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and autonomous emergency braking all perform best with an automatic.
And then there are electric cars. Every EV is inherently "automatic" — it has no transmission in the traditional sense, let alone a clutch pedal. The EU aims to end the sale of new combustion cars by 2035. If that plan holds, within ten years the majority of new cars on the market will be "automatic" by default.
In 2021, there was even talk of an EU legislative proposal that would eliminate the automatic/manual distinction — automatic graduates would be allowed to drive manuals too. But this proposal did not make it into the final Directive 2025/2205. Code 78 remains in force unchanged, with a transposition deadline of four years (by 2029).
Still, the trend is clear. Automatics are gradually displacing manuals from showrooms and driving schools alike — even though 95% of training vehicles still have a manual transmission today. Code 78 may one day become irrelevant. But until then, the law takes it seriously — and so should you.
Summary
- Code 78 restricts driving to vehicles without a clutch pedal — valid across the EU, automatically recorded after passing the test on an automatic
- Violation is treated as driving without authorisation: fine of CZK 25,000–50,000, 4 points, driving ban of 1–2 years
- Removal is simple: supplementary training + practical test on a manual, around CZK 4,000 total
- Automatic is ideal for those whose struggle with the clutch and gears gets in the way of safe driving
- Downsides of code 78: limitations at rental agencies, with employers, and when borrowing cars from friends
- The automatic trend is growing — but the law hasn't abolished code 78 yet, and penalties are steep
Key Terms
| Term | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Code 78 | Harmonised EU code on the driving license — restricts driving to vehicles without a clutch pedal (Czech decree No. 31/2001 Coll.) |
| Harmonised code | Codes 01–99 valid across the EU, defined by Directive 2006/126/EC — unlike national codes valid only in a given country |
| Column 12 | The field on the back of the driving license where restrictions and conditions for a specific category are recorded |
| Automatic transmission (legal definition) | A vehicle without a clutch pedal — includes conventional automatics, CVT, DSG, sequential shifting without a clutch pedal |
| Supplementary exam | Practical driving test on a manual that removes code 78 — no theory, no mandatory training hours |
| Section 125c(1)(e) | Provision of Act No. 361/2000 Coll. — driving a vehicle without the appropriate authorisation, which includes violating code 78 |
| Directive 2025/2205 | New EU directive on driving licenses — code 78 remains unchanged |
| Code 79 | A different harmonisation code — restricts the A1 equivalence from a B license to automatic and to Czechia only (unrelated to code 78) |