Administrative services A-Z

Forms available: Yes

Written form required: Yes

Informal application possible: No

Personal appearance required: No

State of Brandenburg:

Forms available: Yes
Written form required: Yes
Informal application possible: No
Personal appearance required: Depending on the responsible driving licence authority

The driver card is used to record driving and rest times in the commercial transport of goods and passengers.

If you are a driver of trucks or buses and your driver card has been stolen, you can apply for a replacement card from the office responsible for you.

The replacement driver card is valid until the same date as the stolen original card - if it would have been valid for more than 6 months. Therefore, the validity period does not start all over again.

From the time you lose your driver card, you may continue to drive without a valid driver card for a maximum of 15 days.

As long as you are not in possession of your driver card, you must record the driving and rest times manually. You must make printouts of these from the digital tachograph and carry them with you.

Your employer is not obliged to reimburse you for the cost of the driver card.

The driver card is used to monitor driving times and rest periods in the commercial transport of goods and passengers. The obligation to use a driver card applies to:

• motor vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of more than 3.5 tonnes, including trailers;
• motor vehicles with a maximum authorised mass of 2.8 to 3.5 tonnes, including trailers, provided that a digital tachograph is installed;
• as well as for motor vehicles designed to carry more than nine persons, including the driver.

Exemptions (e.g. for farms or postal services) are explained in § 1 paragraph 2 and § 18 of the Driving Personnel Ordinance and Article 3 of EU Regulation 561/2014.

You apply for a replacement of a driver card due to theft or loss.

The application for a replacement of your driver card should be sent to the competent authorities or bodies under state law (e.g. driving licence authority, Dekra, TÜV).

The issuance is subject to a fee.

You must either identify yourself via the online authentication of the user account or introduce yourself personally on site.

The expiry date of the driver card to be replaced shall be the expiry date of the previous lost/stolen driver card if the remaining validity period is more than 185 days.

The beginning of the validity is the date of personalization (production) by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). In the case of replacement issuance, the application must be submitted within 7 calendar days.

After application and verification, the card will be issued within 8 working days. During this time, the journey may be continued for a maximum of 15 days without a valid driver card. For the period during which the driver is not in possession of a driver card, printouts must be made from the digital tachograph and carried professionally.

In addition to the usual documents, a written declaration must be attached in the event of loss, a theft report in the event of theft and the faulty card in the event of malfunction or damage. The office processing the application may require an affidavit in lieu of an oath.

• You have your residence in the Federal Republic of Germany.
• You hold a valid driver's license with one of the following classes: B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE.
• Your valid driving license must correspond to one of the aforementioned classes if it was issued in an EEA member state.

You are eligible to apply for the initial issuance of a driver card if you:

• are resident in the Federal Republic of Germany and
• have a German EU card driving licence with one of the following classes: B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE

Driving licences issued in a member state of the European Union (EU) or another state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) must correspond to one of the aforementioned classes.

• Application for replacement driver card
• Proof of identity
• valid domestic driver's license or driver's license of a state of the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), respectively
  • entitles the holder to drive vehicles for which regulations on driving and rest times must be observed
• Proof of residence in Germany and address
• proof of birth and surname, first name, day and place of birth
• Photograph against a light background in the size 35 mm x 45 mm, showing the applicant without headgear in a frontal shot (biometric passport photo)
• proof of a theft report
• the issuing authority may also require the holder of the driver card to provide an affidavit stating that and for what reasons he or she is unable to return the driver card

- Identity card with eID function (or residence permit or EU citizen card)

- Up-to-date, digital biometric photograph

- A digital copy of your signature

- A digital copy of your current EU card driving licence or a comparable driving licence for applicants from another EU/EEA country

- If necessary, confirmation from the police for the theft report

Cost:

Cost (variable): from 30 to 45

Description of the costs:

State of Brandenburg:

Admin fee from 29.00 EUR to 63.00 EUR

Depending on the federal state, you can submit the application for the replacement of your driver card with the necessary documents and information online or on site.

• At your local driving licence authority
• or another competent body (e.g. TÜV, DEKRA).
• In order to identify yourself online and check your documents, you must have the option of online authentication using a user account and digital upload of the required documents.
• You can pay for the application online via a payment service provider.
• The creation of a driver card is subject to a fee.
• As part of the application, you must provide all the required information and submit or upload documents.
• The competent authority will check your information for completeness and correctness.
• After successful testing, the KBA (Federal Motor Transport Authority) creates the personalized driver card.
• You can use the personalized driver card
  • pick them up directly from the competent authority in person or
  • can be sent directly (after online authentication, online payment) by the KBA.

Hint:

If serious infringements (including both criminal offences and administrative offences) are found during the replacement, the issue of the driver card may be refused and the application may be rejected.

If necessary, an administrative offence or fine procedure will then be initiated.

Deadline type:

Duration (at fixed time): 7

Local competent driving license authority

§4 Abs.4 S. 3 FPersV

• § Section 4(4)(2) and (5) of the Ordinance on the Implementation of the Driving Personnel Act (Driving Personnel Ordinance - FPersV)
• Article 29 and Article 35 II Regulation (EU) No 165/2014
• §4 Abs.4 S. 3 FPersV

There are no clues or specifics.

In Germany, employers are not obliged to reimburse their employees for the costs of the driver card. The Federal Labor Court has ruled that employees are not entitled to reimbursement of costs.

Existing application wizards/fillable PDFs:

• Information on social regulations in road traffic - tachograph cards - on the website of the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM)
• Answers to frequently asked questions about the driver card on the website of the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM)
• TÜV Hessen
• DEKRA
• Berlin
• Federal Motor Transport Authority

Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV)

Hessian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport and Housing (HMWEVW)