What this code means
On a Stoneridge SE5000, code 050 is displayed as "Card error 50" and means the card inserted in slot 1 (the driver's slot) cannot be read. If the same fault occurs in slot 2, the co-driver slot, it's shown as code 068 — "card error 68" is the identical fault, just on the other slot.
A VDO DTCO 4.1 reports the same situation under the generic message "1 card error xx": an error occurred while processing the inserted tachograph card, so the card is rejected and ejected. The manual's instruction is to clean the contacts and reinsert the card.
Card error 50/68 means the card is physically rejected and pushed back out. Card fault 41 is different: it's a communication error where the card stays inserted, but data may not be recorded correctly in the meantime. If your card is still in the slot, you're looking at fault 41, not 50.
What to do now
- Acknowledge the message on the tachograph display.
- Clean the card's gold contacts with a dry, lint-free cloth, and check the card slot for dust or a foreign object.
- Reinsert the card the right way round.
- If the card is rejected again, the card itself is most likely damaged. Under Article 29 of Regulation (EU) 165/2014, apply to your card-issuing authority for a replacement within 7 calendar days. Under Article 29(5), you may keep driving without the card for up to 15 calendar days, provided you make the printouts required by Article 35 at the start and end of each working day and write on it your name, your driver card or driving licence number, and your signature.
If the same fault keeps recurring across several vehicles, tachograph analysis software shows it for the entire fleet in one place.
Your tachograph logs this fault — TAGRA reads it
TAGRA doesn't repair a rejected card — only cleaning the contacts or a replacement card fixes that. But once you insert a working card again, TAGRA shows whether the last session was recorded correctly, and it documents any gap in your data with the printouts or manual entries you made while driving without a card — exactly what you need at a roadside check, and for your fleet's records.
Stop looking up codes by hand — try TAGRA TRUCKER free for 30 daysWhy it happens
Card error 50 (or 68 on slot 2) has several possible causes:
- Dirty or scratched contacts on the card — the most common cause, and the easiest to fix.
- A damaged chip inside the card, from wear, heat or physical damage.
- A card of the wrong type, or an invalid or expired card.
- A faulty card reader mechanism in the tachograph itself — if cleaning and a different, known-good card don't fix it, this is more likely, and points toward an internal device fault rather than a card problem.
Cleaning the contacts resolves the majority of cases. If a different card is also rejected in the same slot, the fault is in the tachograph, not the card.
Can you keep driving?
Yes, but only in no-card mode. If cleaning and reinserting the card doesn't clear the fault, you may continue driving without a card for a maximum of 15 calendar days under Article 29(5) of Regulation (EU) 165/2014, by making the printouts required by Article 35 at the start and end of each working day and completing it with your name, your driver card or driving licence number, and your signature.
Under Article 29, you must also apply to your card-issuing authority for a replacement card within 7 calendar days of the card becoming unusable. At a roadside check, you need to be able to show both the day's printouts and proof that you've already applied for the replacement card.
Also displayed as
Drivers across Europe see the same fault under different on-screen wording. These are the real search terms used for code 50:
- Card error 68 — Stoneridge, co-driver slot
- Kartenfehler 50 — German
- Karta uszkodzona 50 — Polish
- Eroare card 50 — Romanian
- Kártyahiba 50 — Hungarian
- Karte kann nicht gelesen werden — VDO, German
Related codes
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between card error 50 and card error 68?
They're the same fault on a Stoneridge SE5000 — the card can't be read and is rejected. Code 050 is shown when it happens in slot 1, the driver's slot. Code 068 is the identical fault in slot 2, the co-driver's slot.
Can I keep driving with card error 50?
Yes, but only in no-card mode: under Article 29(5) of Regulation (EU) 165/2014 you may drive without the card for up to 15 calendar days. Article 35 requires a printout at the start and end of each working day, completed with your name, your card or licence number, and your signature. You must apply for a replacement card within 7 calendar days under Article 29.
What's the difference between card error 50 and card fault 41?
Card error 50 is a read failure — the tachograph rejects and physically ejects the card. Card fault 41 is a communication error where the card stays inserted, but data may not be recorded correctly while the fault is present. If your card is still in the slot, it's fault 41, not error 50.
What does a VDO DTCO 4.1 show for card error 50?
A VDO DTCO 4.1 doesn't use the Stoneridge "Card error 50" wording — it shows the generic message "1 card error xx": an error occurred while processing the inserted card, so the card is rejected and ejected. The manual's instruction is to clean the contacts and reinsert the card. See also ejection not possible (code 34).