Law loophole means basketball player Miikka Muurinen cannot be banned from driving

Miikka Muurinen drove 76 kilometers per hour on a Helsinki street with a 40-kph speed limit, presented police with an expired U.S. driving license and still cannot be banned from driving under Finnish law.

The 19-year-old basketball player received 28 day-fines totaling 812 euros, plus a 60-euro criminal-victim surcharge. Police said he drove on Mäkelänkatu on May 11 without the required driving entitlement. His U.S. license had expired in September 2025, and prosecutors concluded that he did not possess the necessary right to drive.

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This is indeed very unusual, but that is how it is regulated in Finland. If a person does not hold a driving entitlement, they cannot be banned from driving.

Emeritus professor of criminal and procedural law Matti Tolvanen said Finnish law does not permit a driving ban when the offense consists of driving without a valid entitlement. He called the situation unusual and said there would be no legal obstacle to Muurinen applying for and receiving a license immediately.

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In other words, in such a case there is no legal obstacle to applying for and receiving a driving license, even tomorrow.

A ban could have been imposed if Muurinen had also committed a serious offense, such as drunk driving or aggravated endangerment of traffic safety. Tolvanen said drivers without an entitlement can be banned in such cases, and the ban covers all motor vehicles. He added that a valid foreign license would have been returned after the ban in the same way as a Finnish license.

Muurinen has emerged as one of Finland’s most promising basketball players. He played for Partizan Belgrade last season before leaving in mid-February and will join the University of Arkansas for the coming season.

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A driver without a driving entitlement can be banned from driving only if they commit an offense such as drunk driving or aggravated endangerment of traffic safety.