Apply for 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 have a driver card applies to:

• Motor vehicles with a maximum permissible mass of more than 3.5 t including trailers;
• motor vehicles with a maximum permissible mass of 2.8 to 3.5 t 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 result from § 1 para. 2 and § 18 of the Driving Personnel Ordinance as well as Art 3 of Regulation (EC) No. 561/2006.

You are applying for a driver card for the first time if you are not yet in possession of a valid driver card.

You can apply for the issue of your driver card with the required documents and information on site

• at your local driver licensing authority in the county or city where you have your main residence for at least 185 days per year.
• As part of the application process, you must provide all required information and submit documents.
• The responsible authority will check your information for completeness and correctness.
• After successful verification, the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) will issue the personalized driver card.
• You can collect the personalized driver card
  • collect it directly from the competent authority in person or
  • have it sent to you directly (after authentication and payment) by the KBA.

Notice:

If serious violations (including both criminal offenses and misdemeanors) are found during the initial issuance, the driver card may be refused and the application rejected.

If necessary, administrative offense or fine proceedings will then be initiated.

Contact the responsible driver licensing authority in the county or city of your primary residence (for at least 185 days per year).

You are entitled to apply for the first issue of a driver card if you are

• are resident in the Federal Republic of Germany and
• hold a German EU-card driver's license with one of the following classes: B, BE, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE.

Driving licenses 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.

• Address and proof of residence such as identity card (or residence permit or EU citizen card) as well as proof of birth and surname, first name, date and place of birth, mother tongue
• current biometric photograph
• An current EU driving license or a comparable driving license for applicants from another EU/EEA country in the corresponding driving license class, which entitles the holder to drive vehicles for which the driving and rest periods in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 561/2006 must be observed.

The creation of a driver card is subject to a fee.

When a driver card is issued for the first time, no deadline must be met.

Processing Time: 1 Monat

Opposition

Forms available: Yes
Written form required: Yes
Informal application possible: No
Personal appearance required: Yes

The driver card issued to you personally may only be used by you. The driver card is always your property, even if your employer has paid for the driver card.

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

In the event of damage, malfunction, loss or theft of the driver card, you must apply to the relevant authorities for replacement of the card within seven calendar days at the latest. The theft of the driver card must be reported to the police.

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

Thuringian Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Women and Family Affairs

20.04.2023

Driving Licensing Authority

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