Got a transit fine in Denmark?
Get an honest assessment of your case and a finished complaint letter, based on the Danish travel rules and on what the appeals board for bus, train and metro actually rules in favour of. If your case can't be won, we'll tell you.
For buses, trains, the metro and light rail anywhere in Denmark. In Danish the fine is called a kontrolafgift.
How it works
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Tell us what happened
Company, date and what went wrong. It takes about 3 minutes, and you can write in English.
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Get an honest assessment
We compare your case with more than 200 decisions from the Danish appeals board for bus, train and metro, and tell you whether it's worth complaining.
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Send the complaint yourself
You get a finished complaint letter in Danish, with an English translation so you know what it says. You paste it into the company's complaint form. We don't contact the company for you.
What works and what doesn't
Cases that can be won
- You had a valid ticket or card but couldn't show it, for example because your phone died. In these cases the fine has been cancelled or reduced to DKK 125.
- The card reader or the app failed, and the company can't document that the equipment worked.
- The company's own information doesn't add up, for example about where and when you got on.
Cases that almost never win
- Checking in a few seconds after the bus or train left.
- Bad signal, or an app that froze.
- Illness, being in a hurry, or not knowing the rules.
- A receipt or screenshot sent afterwards.
Based on 216 decisions on transit fines from the appeals board, Ankenævnet for Bus, Tog og Metro, August 2025 to September 2026.
Questions
Is it worth complaining?
Often, if your case is good. At DSB's Customer Ambassador (Kundeambassadør), 45% of complaints were upheld in full or in part in the first half of 2025 (all types of complaints). Once a case goes all the way to the appeals board, passengers win far less often, so your first complaint to the company matters most.
I don't speak Danish. Can I still use it?
Yes. You describe your case in English, and you get the complaint letter in Danish, the language the transport companies and the appeals board work in. You also get an English translation, so you know exactly what you're sending.
Is this legal advice?
No. We're not lawyers. We help you put your own complaint into words, based on the shared Danish travel rules and public decisions from the appeals board.
Which companies do you cover?
The companies behind the shared nationwide travel rules: DSB and the S-train, the Metro, Movia, Midttrafik, FynBus, Sydtrafik, Nordjyllands Trafikselskab, BAT, Lokaltog and the light rail lines. The rules are much the same across the companies, so Afgiftsklage works the same way whoever fined you. We have separate guides for the three biggest: DSB and the S-train, the Metro and Movia.
How quickly do I need to complain?
The payment deadline on a fine is usually 14 days. Complain as soon as you can, ideally before the deadline.
Do I have to pay while I complain?
A complaint doesn't automatically stop the payment deadline. So in your complaint, ask for the deadline to be extended (in Danish: henstand) until the company has replied. DSB, for example, says you can ask for this. While your case is with the appeals board, it isn't sent for debt collection.
What happens if I don't pay?
After the 14 days you get a reminder and later another one, with reminder fees added on top. If you still don't pay, the case is sent to the Danish Debt Collection Agency (Gældsstyrelsen), which can, among other things, take the amount from your salary. If you have a good reason to complain, complain and ask for an extension instead of just not paying.
What if my complaint is rejected?
Then you can take it to the appeals board, Ankenævnet for Bus, Tog og Metro. It costs up to DKK 160, which you get back if you win. We'll tell you whether that makes sense in your case.
Can you help if I rode without a ticket on purpose?
No. We only help with honest complaints. We never write anything that isn't true.
Complain with the arguments that work
It takes a few minutes, and you'll know right away whether your case is worth complaining about.