Administrative services A-Z

You can obtain the necessary forms directly from the driving licence authority responsible for your place of residence (district or independent city). An application is also possible directly through the driving school. As a rule, the necessary forms are provided here. Applications must be submitted in writing.

Anyone who wants to drive a motor vehicle on public roads in the Federal Republic of Germany usually needs a driver's license or a test certificate. Driving licences are issued for a particular category and can be limited in certain cases. Proof of the issuance is provided by the issued driving licence or the test certificate, which must be carried when driving motor vehicles and handed over to competent persons for examination on request.

The driving licence can be issued for the respective category if the applicant

•has his or her normal place of residence in Germany,

•has reached the minimum age required for the class applied for (§ 10 FeV)

•is suitable for driving motor vehicles,

•has been trained to drive motor vehicles in accordance with the Driving Instructors Act and the legal provisions based on it,

•can provide first aid in the care of road accident victims,

•does not hold a driving licence of the category applied for issued in a Member State of the European Union or in another State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, and

•is in possession of a different driving licence class for certain driving licence classes (for example, category B is required as previous possession for category C) and

•has demonstrated the ability to drive motor vehicles in a theoretical and practical examination.

Exceptions:

When obtaining a category L driving licence, only a theoretical test is required. In the case of the extension of category B to category BE, category C1 to category C1E, category D to category DE and category D1 to category D1E, only one practical examination is required. In the case of the extension of category A1 to category A2 or category A2 to category A, only one practical test is required in each case, provided that the applicant has held a category A1 or A2 driving licence for at least two years.

Hints:

If a person participates in accompanied driving from the age of 17 in accordance with § 48a FeV, he or she may drive class B motor vehicles in Germany from the age of 17 if he or she carries an examination certificate for "accompanied driving from the age of 17" and an official photo ID and is accompanied by at least one named person.

General:

•Written application stating the training driving school (name and address of the driving school)

•if applicable, with information on the previous possession of a domestic and foreign driving licence of the driving licence category applied for or a corresponding driving licence

•if applicable, with the submission of a declaration that the applicant or the applicant renounces an existing driving licence by issuing the category applied for

•Proof of name, address, nationality, place and date of birth

•biometric photo (frontal shot in accordance with the provisions of the Passport Ordinance)

in the case of an application for a licence for categories AM, A1, A2, A, B, BE, T and L, additionally:

•Proof of participation in training in emergency life-saving measures

•Eye test certificate from an optician or ophthalmological certificate/expert opinion that is not older than two years at the time of application

in the case of an application for a driving licence for categories C, C1, CE, C1E additionally:

•Certificate of medical examination of vision or, if applicable, an ophthalmological certificate in accordance with Annex 6 to the Driving Licence Ordinance, which are not older than 2 years at the time of application

•Certificate of a general medical examination in accordance with Annex 5 to the Driving Licence Ordinance, which is not older than 1 year at the time of application

in the case of an application for a driving licence for categories D, D1, DE, D1E, additionally:

•Certificate of good conduct document type "O". On this, the purpose "Issuance of the driving licence for passenger transport" should be indicated and sent directly to the driving licence authority.

•Certificate of medical examination of vision or, if applicable, an ophthalmological certificate in accordance with Annex 6 to the Driving Licence Ordinance, which are not older than 2 years at the time of application

•Certificate of a general medical examination in accordance with Annex 5 to the Driving Licence Ordinance, which is not older than 1 year at the time of application

•Occupational health report or expert opinion from an officially recognised assessment body for fitness to drive in accordance with Annex 5 to the Driving Licence Ordinance, which are not older than 1 year at the time of application

The documents can be obtained from:

•You can obtain an application for a driving licence from the driving licence authority and the driving schools.

•Proof of name, address, nationality, place and date of birth is sufficient to provide an identity card or passport with a current registration certificate. If there is no doubt about reaching the minimum age and if it is possible to compare the identity with population registers, documents under immigration law may suffice.

•Persons applying for a driving licence may receive a certificate of their participation in instruction in life-saving emergency measures from the following bodies: Public administration bodies, such as in particular the Bundeswehr, the police or the federal police, or the officially recognised bodies in accordance with § 68 FeV.

•You can obtain the eye test certificate from an ophthalmologist's practice or optician. •You can apply for the certificate of good conduct at the municipal, official or city administration responsible for the main residence (formerly: residents' registration office).

•The certificate of a general medical examination can be issued to you by any doctor's office.

•The certificate of medical examination of vision may be issued by the following doctors:

• with the field designation "Occupational Medicine",
• with the additional designation "Occupational Medicine",
• at an officially recognised assessment centre for fitness to drive,
• at the health department or another public administration.

•Applicants for a driving licence for passenger transport must prove whether they meet the special requirements with regard to resilience, orientation performance, concentration performance, attention performance and responsiveness with the company or occupational health report or the report of an officially recognised assessment body for fitness to drive.

The fees are calculated according to the effort. They are based on the Schedule of Fees for Road Traffic Measures (RFees). You can also obtain more detailed information about the amount of the fee from the driving licence authority responsible for you.

The application for a driving licence must be submitted in writing to the driving licence authority and can be submitted at the earliest six months before reaching the minimum age prescribed for the respective driving licence category. As a rule, personal appearance is required by the driving licence authority because a signature must be made by hand in the space provided for this purpose on the order form that is sent to Bundesdruckerei GmbH for the production of the card driving licence.

The driving licence authority checks whether applicants for a driving licence meet the necessary physical and mental requirements. In this respect, it is advisable to submit the application at the beginning of the driving school training, as a certain amount of time is needed for the aptitude test.

Only when the suitability has been determined will the driving licence authority commission the Technical Testing Centre for Motor Vehicle Traffic to take the theoretical and practical test. As a rule, the technical inspection body will return the test order to the driving licence authority if:

•the theoretical examination has not been passed within twelve months of receipt of the test order,

•fails to pass the practical exam within twelve months of passing the theory test, or

•in cases where a theoretical test is not required, the practical test has not been passed within twelve months of receipt of the test order.

The issuing of the driving licence and the associated issuance of the driving licence usually takes place after passing the theoretical test (for category L) or the practical test.

The applicant may take the theoretical examination at the earliest three months before reaching the minimum age and must not have completed his or her training more than two years ago. The practical exam must be taken within twelve months of passing the theoretical exam. The period between the completion of the practical test or, if no practical test is required (in the case of category L), between the completion of the theoretical test and the issue of the driving licence or test certificate, may not exceed two years.

Driving licences for categories AM, A1, A2, A, B, BE, L and T are issued for an indefinite period. Driving licences for categories C, CE, C1, C1E, D, D1, DE and D1E are issued for five years each if appropriate proof of aptitude is available.

You must apply for the driver's license in person at the driver's license office of the district, the large city belonging to the district or the independent city in whose district you have your main residence.

In any case, you must appear in person to apply for the driver's license, as your signature is required to produce the driver's license at Bundesdruckerei.

In addition to the driving licence authority, the driving schools will be happy to help you apply for a driving licence.

• §21 and § 25 paragraph 2 of the Driving Licence Ordinance (FeV)

A distinction is made between the terms of driver's license and driver's license as follows: The driver's license is your authorization to drive a vehicle of a respective class. The driver's license is the corresponding document, i.e. proof that you have the respective driver's license.

Further information can be found on the website of your local driving licence authority.  

Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning Brandenburg