That old Volvo crawling along a country road with a triangle on the back isn’t broken down. It’s an A-traktor, legally a tractor, probably driven by a 15-year-old. Here’s what it is, the rules it lives by, and how to get past one without breaking yours.
When you need this
You’re driving through rural Sweden and come up behind a boxy car doing 30 km/h. Or you’re staying near a village and wonder why teenagers seem to drive at 15. Maybe your family is moving here and your teenager’s friends are getting one, or you’ve seen “EPA” in a news story after a crash.
What an A-traktor is
An A-traktor is a car, usually a passenger car, rebuilt so that Swedish law classes it as a tractor. The rules sit in an old Vägverket regulation, VVFS 2003:19, which Transportstyrelsen (the Swedish Transport Agency) still amends. The core requirements:
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Built for 30 km/h at most | The limit must be very hard to change |
| No goods or passenger space | Seats for one or two passengers beside the driver only; rear seat blocked or removed, boot sealed |
| Towbar | It must be able to pull a trailer |
| LGF-skylt at the back | The triangular slow-moving-vehicle sign |
| Closed series-built car as the base | A convertible cannot qualify |
The traditional base was an old Volvo 240 or 740 with an extra gearbox. Since a rule change on 15 July 2020 the speed can be limited electronically, and the market exploded: the Prosecution Authority notes that Porsche Cayennes and Teslas are now registered as A-traktors. At the start of 2025 just over 65,000 were registered, in traffic or laid up.
From EPA to A-traktor
The EPA-traktor came first. After the Second World War, Sweden was short of farm machinery, so old cars were rebuilt as tractors. The name came from EPA, a department-store chain known for cheap goods. Once proper tractors became affordable, the EPAs drifted onto the roads as young people’s cars.
In 1975 the government tried to ban them and managed only to stop new registrations. The A-traktor took over under newer technical rules. A handful of EPAs are still in traffic, but Swedes call almost any A-traktor an “epa”.
The rules an A-traktor lives by
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Top speed | 30 km/h on any road, whatever the speed sign says |
| Seatbelts | Driver and all passengers; children under 135 cm in a child restraint |
| Passengers | Only on a passenger seat, one per seat (since 31 August 2023) |
| Winter tyres | Required 1 December–31 March in winter road conditions |
| Inspection | Registration inspection after conversion, then periodic inspections |
| Drink-driving | Judged exactly as with a car |
Tampering is the big legal trap. If the speed limiter has been changed, or the rear-seat block or boot seal removed, the vehicle is no longer an A-traktor in law. It becomes a car again, and a driver with only an AM licence is guilty of olovlig körning, driving without a licence. Transportstyrelsen lists fines, a waiting period before a full licence and a revoked learner permit. Parents registered as owners can be held responsible too.
Who may drive one
The Driving Licence Act asks only for “a driving licence or a tractor licence” for this kind of tractor. Any licence counts, including the AM moped licence, which can be taken at 15. A tractor licence (traktorkort) needs the driver to be 16, or 15 for special reasons.
| Vehicle | Max speed | Licence | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-traktor | 30 km/h | Any licence or tractor licence | 15 (AM) |
| Class I moped, incl. moped car (mopedbil) | 45 km/h | AM | 15 |
| Class II moped | Built for 25 km/h | Moped certificate (förarbevis) or any licence | 15 |
New AM licences issued since 1 June 2024 have a one-year probation. A Swedish licence is issued only to someone permanently resident here or studying here for at least six months, so this is not a tourist activity. A visiting teenager over 15 may ride their own moped from home only if it meets their home country’s rules and may be ridden there without any licence.
Driving behind one: how to overtake
At 80 km/h you close on a 30 km/h vehicle at 50 km/h, about 14 metres every second. Most rural roads are two-lane, so the question is when you may pass.
- Spot the triangle early and brake gently in good time.
- Hang back. Keep a gap that would stop you hitting it and lets others overtake you too.
- Expect it on the shoulder. Vehicles built for 40 km/h or less must keep right and use the shoulder (vägren) where it is wide enough.
- Wait for a long, clear stretch with no oncoming traffic and room to get back in.
- Respect solid lines. No wheel may cross one; the exceptions cover obstacles, junction space, driveways and a broken line on your side. Treat a solid line behind an A-traktor as binding.
- Not before junctions. Overtaking just before or in an intersection is banned in most cases.
- Give it room as you pass, then return right without cutting in.
The law also works in your favor: on a narrow or winding road, a slow driver must slow down and pull aside when possible to let traffic pass. You may not force it, but you can give them the chance.
Because most drivers are teenagers using A-traktors as everyday transport, expect them near schools, village centers and petrol stations, including evenings and weekends. On unlit roads in the dark season, scan for the triangle: no rule requires it to be lit.
Safety and the ongoing debate
In 2025 Transportstyrelsen counted 379 injury accidents involving an A-traktor, with four people killed; three in four of the injured were under 18. The risk per vehicle has fallen, but tampering is widespread. In a survey cited by the Prosecution Authority, about 40 percent of young respondents could drive their A-traktor faster than 30 km/h.
The government’s answer was the 31 August 2023 package of seatbelts, one passenger per seat and the 30 km/h traffic rule, followed by winter tyres that December. Transportstyrelsen is working on stricter technical rules for speed limiters and the LGF sign, with no date set. In 2025 parliament rejected a motion to require illuminated LGF signs.
Mistakes to avoid
- Calling every A-traktor an “EPA”. The EPA was the older type, closed to new registration in 1975.
- Mixing up traktor a and A-traktor. Traktor a is any tractor built for up to 40 km/h; an A-traktor is a rebuilt car capped at 30.
- Assuming the speed sign applies to it. Its limit is always 30.
- Confusing it with a moped car. A moped car is a class I moped allowed 45 km/h.
- Following too closely, then darting out. Keep a gap that lets you overtake safely.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| A-traktor speed | 30 km/h, always |
| Minimum driver age | 15 with an AM licence; 16 with a tractor licence |
| Registered A-traktors | Just over 65,000 at the start of 2025, incl. laid-up vehicles |
| Injury accidents 2025 | 379, four killed |
| Periodic inspection | First within 48 months of the original car’s first use, then every 24 months |
| Winter tyres | 1 December–31 March in winter road conditions |
| Cost of overtaking or following one | 0 kr |
| Purchase prices, vehicle tax, fines, inspection fees | Not published here; they vary or change by decision |
FAQ
What is an A-traktor?
An A-traktor is a car, usually an ordinary passenger car, rebuilt so that Swedish law classes it as a tractor. It must be built for no more than 30 km/h, may seat only one or two passengers beside the driver, needs a towbar and carries a triangular slow-vehicle sign at the back. Teenagers drive them from 15 with an AM moped licence.
What is the difference between an EPA and an A-traktor?
The EPA was the original: old cars turned into farm tractors in the post-war years, named after a cheap department-store chain. New EPA registrations ended in 1975 and the A-traktor replaced it under newer technical rules. Swedes still say “EPA” for both, but almost every one on the road today is an A-traktor.
How fast can an A-traktor go?
30 km/h. It must be built so that it cannot go faster on a level road, and the traffic rules cap it at 30 km/h whatever the signed limit. Tampering with the limiter is common, but a tampered vehicle stops being an A-traktor in law and the driver can be convicted of driving without a licence.
How old do you have to be to drive an A-traktor?
Fifteen. The law accepts any driving licence or a tractor licence, and the AM moped licence can be taken at 15. A tractor licence needs the driver to be 16, or 15 for special reasons. AM licences issued since 1 June 2024 come with one year of probation.
Can I overtake an A-traktor across a solid line?
No. Swedish law forbids crossing a solid line with any wheel, and its exceptions cover obstacles, junction space, driveways and a broken line on your side, not slow vehicles as such. Wait for a broken line and a long clear view. The A-traktor driver must slow down and pull aside when possible to help you pass.
What does the orange triangle on the back mean?
It is the LGF sign, short for långsamtgående fordon, slow-moving vehicle. Every A-traktor must carry it at the back when driven on a road, and you also see it on farm tractors and other slow vehicles. Treat it as a warning that the vehicle ahead may be doing 30 km/h or less.
Are A-traktors dangerous?
They are involved in several hundred injury accidents a year. In 2025 Transportstyrelsen counted 379 injury accidents and four deaths, with three in four of the injured under 18, though the risk per vehicle fell. Seatbelts, one passenger per seat and winter tyres became mandatory in 2023 to improve safety.
Related guides
- Driving in Sweden: the everyday road rules for the roads you share with A-traktors
- Swedish road signs and markings: solid lines, 2+1 roads and the slow-vehicle warning sign
- Swedish speed limits: limits for cars, trailers and mopeds
- E-scooters and city bikes: where bicycle-class vehicles end and mopeds begin
- The drink-driving limit: the rule that covers A-traktors and mopeds too
Facts verified 2026-10-06. Sources: Sveriges Riksdag (Trafikförordningen, Körkortslagen, Lag om vägtrafikdefinitioner, Vägmärkesförordningen), Transportstyrelsen, Åklagarmyndigheten, Regeringen — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.