Fahrerkarte Erneuerung

§4 Para. 3 FPersV

The use of digital recording equipment is mandatory for certain motor vehicles first placed on the market on or after May 1, 2006.

Drivers shall use driver cards for each day they drive from the time they take over the vehicle. Drivers shall adequately protect driver cards and shall not use soiled or damaged driver cards. The driver card replaces the previous speedometer disc and stores at least 28 days of driving and rest times. After that, the oldest data is overwritten. Each driver may only have one valid driver card. This is checked (nationally: central tachograph card register kept by the Federal Motor Transport Authority, internationally: TACHOnet (recommendation 2010/19/EU)). The information on driving and rest times stored on the driver card is intended to protect the driver as an employee on the one hand and all road users from accidents on the other.

An application to this effect must be submitted to the competent authority or body of the Member State in which the driver has his normal residence no later than fifteen working days before the expiry of the validity of his driver card.

• a valid card driver's license or proof of a valid driver's license issued by a member state of the European Union or another state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, which entitles to drive vehicles for which driving and rest periods must be observed (possibly a certified translation),
• his driver's card, the validity of which has not yet expired in full,
• an international driver's license, if applicable
• a proof of residence in Germany and address, such as an identity card or passport in connection with a confirmation of registration,
• if no residence in Germany has been established, a work permit-EU, visa, work and residence permit, if applicable,
• a photograph against a light background in the size 35 mm x 45 mm, showing the applicant without headgear in a frontal shot,
• in the case of a change of name, additional proof of birth name, surname, first name, date and place of birth.

In exceptional and duly justified cases, a driver who is not normally resident in a Member State or in a State which is a contracting party to the European Agreement concerning the Work of Crews of Vehicles engaged in International Road Transport (AETR) may be issued with a temporary and non-renewable driver card valid for a maximum period of 185 days, provided that this driver is in an employment relationship with an undertaking established in Germany.

The applicant must have a main residence in Germany or prove an employment relationship in Germany.

Only holders of a valid driver's license in the form of the EU card driver's license can obtain the driver card. If you do not yet have an EU card driver's license, you must apply for one at the same time as you apply for the driver card. At least one of the following driving license classes must be proven: B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D or DE.

Administrative fees are charged for official acts in processing applications for driver cards. The facts subject to fees and the amount of the fees are governed by the Ordinance on the Responsibilities and Costs of the Driving Personnel Act (Fahrpersonalgesetz-Zuständigkeits- und -Kostenlandesverordnung). This does not include costs due to expenses or fees of the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Motor Transport Authority). The amount of the fees and expenses can be obtained from the authority or office processing the application.

To apply for the driver card, a personal appearance at the authority is required, as a signature must also be provided. With his signature, the applicant confirms the accuracy of his information, the spelling of personal data and the content.

The application must be accompanied by the required documents and the driver card. Before the expiry of its validity, the competent authority shall issue a new card to the applicant.

Until he receives his new driver card, the driver must print out, at the beginning of his journey, the data on the vehicle he is driving and enter in the printout the data by which the driver can be identified (name, number of the previous driver card or driver's license), and affix his signature, and enter his driving times, times spent on other work and time spent on standby, and at the end of his journey, print out the data on the times recorded by the tachograph, record the times not recorded by the tachograph during which he has performed other work, been on standby or taken a rest break since the printout was made at the start of the journey, and enter on this document the data by which the driver can be identified (name, number of the previous driver card or driver's license) and affix his signature.

The driver may continue driving without a driver card for a period not exceeding 15 calendar days, or for a longer period if this is necessary for the return of the vehicle to its location, provided that the driver can prove that it was impossible to present or use the driver card during this period.

Upon receipt of the application and all required documents by the competent authority, the issuance of a new driver card will be arranged within eight working days.

The driver card is valid for five years. In case of loss or theft, the replacement of the card must be requested within seven calendar days. Upon receipt of an appropriate justified request, the driver licensing authorities shall arrange for the issuance of a replacement card.

The driver card may be reapplied for at the earliest one month before expiry, but no later than 5 working days before expiry.

The driver card will be sent by mail to a summonable address.

A driver card is a personalized record of driving and work data of drivers in commercial passenger and freight transport. The period of validity of the driver card may not exceed five years.

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the district councils and mayors of the independent and large cities are responsible for applying for a new driver card.

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the State Office for Health and Social Affairs, Division for Occupational Safety and Technical Safety - Trade Supervisory Office - is responsible for receiving and processing applications for the issuance of a company or workshop card.

Application forms for driver cards are printed out at the driver licensing office and signed there.