Rules for exchanging driving licences
By 2033, everyone in the EU should have a driving licence to the same standard. To achieve this, driving licences must be exchanged. The aim of the EU requirement is to achieve improved protection against forgery of driving licences and to record all driving licences in a database (Central Driving Licence Register at the Federal Motor Transport Authority).
This affects citizens who acquired their driving licence up to and including 31 December 1998 and therefore still hold a paper driving licence, as well as citizens who already hold a card driving licence that was issued before 19 January 2013.
Card driving licences that are already time-limited (field 4b on the front of the driving licence, issued from 19 January 2013) remain unaffected by this regulation.
The exchange will take place in staggered periods in order to avoid a rush on the driving licence authorities and long waiting times. The deadlines are shown in the table below:
Driving licences issued up to and including 31 December 1998:
| Year of birth of the licence holder driving licence holder | Date by which the driving licence must be exchanged |
|---|---|
| Before 1953 | 19 January 2033 |
| 1953 to 1958 | 19 January 2022 |
| 1959 to 1964 | 19 January 2023 |
| 1965 to 1970 | 19 January 2024 |
| 1971 or later | 19 January 2025 |
Driving licences issued from 1 January 1999:
| Year of issue | Date by which the driving licence must be exchanged |
|---|---|
| 1999 to 2001 | 19 January 2026 |
| 2002 to 2004 | 19 January 2027 |
| 2005 to 2007 | 19 January 2028 |
| 2008 | 19 January 2029 |
| 2009 | 19 January 2030 |
| 2010 | 19 January 2031 |
| 2011 | 19 January 2032 |
| 2012 until 18 January 2013 | 19 January 2033 |
The driving licence is exchanged on application. The driving licence authority of the current place of residence is responsible. The following documents are required:
- valid identity card or passport
- old driving licence
- Biometric photo (can be taken at the Citizens' Registration Office)
- extract from the register of the issuing authority (if the driving licence was not issued in Chemnitz)
The cost is 24 euros plus 3 euros (if necessary for a photo).
Note: After the deadline, the driving licence loses its validity, but the permission to drive (driving licence) remains valid.
With the publication of the "13th Ordinance amending the Driving Licence Ordinance and other road traffic regulations" in the Federal Law Gazette on 18 March 2019, the EU requirement for the exchange of previously unlimited driving licences was made binding by the German legislator.