German licence exchange: work out your deadline

Enter the type of licence and the year: the calculator gives the deadline from the Driving Licence Regulation and tells you whether it has passed.

Every German driving licence issued before 19 January 2013 has to be exchanged for a time-limited EU card licence. The deadline is set by Annex 8e of the Driving Licence Regulation (Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, FeV): for paper licences it depends on the holder’s year of birth, for card licences on the year of issue shown in field 4a. Holders born before 1953 have until 19 January 2033 in any case. All paper licences of younger holders have been due since 19 January 2025. Next in line are cards issued in 2002 to 2004, with a deadline of 19 January 2027. The exchange costs €26.50: €25.50 for the licensing office and €1.00 for the central licence register. Driving with the old document after the deadline does not cancel your entitlement to drive, but it can cost a €10 caution fine. There is no test when you exchange.

Your licence

Paper licences were issued until 31 December 1998. Only your year of birth counts for them.

Deadline passed on

19 January 2024

1,008 days ago: the old licence is no longer a valid document, your driving entitlement remains.

Annex 8e row (year of birth)1965–1970
Fee: GebOSt no. 202.5 + KBA no. 126.2€26.50
On-the-spot fine if stopped€10
New card valid until about23 October 2041

Some offices add a postal delivery charge if you choose home delivery.

How the amount is calculated

Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources

The timetable for card licences

Card licences were issued without an end date between 1 January 1999 and 18 January 2013. What counts is the year of issue in field 4a, not the year of birth. Exception: holders born before 1953 exchange by 19 January 2033, whatever their card.

Card licences, FeV Annex 8e; as of 23 October 2026
Year the card was issuedExchange byStatus today
1999 to 200119 January 2026passed
2002 to 200419 January 2027open
2005 to 200719 January 2028open
200819 January 2029open
200919 January 2030open
201019 January 2031open
201119 January 2032open
2012 to 18 January 201319 January 2033open

The timetable for paper licences

For the grey and pink paper licences issued up to the end of 1998, the holder’s year of birth counts. Apart from holders born before 1953, every deadline has passed.

Paper licences up to 31 December 1998, FeV Annex 8e
Year of birth (paper licence)Exchange by
before 195319 January 2033
1953 to 195819 July 2022
1959 to 196419 January 2023
1965 to 197019 January 2024
1971 or later19 January 2025

Where to exchange is shown by the search on the home page: for every town it names the licensing office. Some offices also accept the application online; you then collect the new licence or receive it by post. More on deadlines, fines and exceptions under exchange deadline.

Frequently asked questions

Do I lose my right to drive if I miss the exchange deadline?

No. On the deadline only the document becomes invalid, not your entitlement. You may keep driving, but at a check you cannot show a valid licence, which the fine catalogue punishes with a €10 caution fine. You can still exchange later, for the same fee.

What documents do I need for the exchange?

An ID card or passport, a recent biometric photo and the old licence. If it was not issued by the office where you now live, many licensing offices ask for an index-card copy (Karteikartenabschrift) from the issuing office confirming your classes. It may cost a small fee; ask beforehand, because requesting it often takes weeks.

Is there a test or eye test when exchanging a German licence?

No. The exchange only replaces the document: no test, no eye test, no medical. The exception is classes that are time-limited anyway, such as lorry and bus classes, which keep their usual checks on renewal. Your classes are converted to today’s EU classes, and acquired rights are kept.

How long is the new German licence valid?

15 years. Card licences issued since 19 January 2013 are time-limited; the expiry date is in field 4b. After that only the document is renewed, without a test, much like an ID card. The entitlement to drive itself has no end date unless it is withdrawn. Note the date: driving on an expired document risks the same caution fine as a missed exchange.

Next steps

Exchange deadlines

Every Annex 8e deadline at a glance, the next wave and what applies after the date.

International driving permit

Who gets one, what it costs, which documents and model, and when it does not help.

Road traffic office

What the office does, what it is called in your state, and registration versus licence office.

Getting an appointment

Booking, walking in, power of attorney, registration agencies and how busy each office is.

Sources

Written by

Publisher of an independent fee and deadline calculator for German vehicle registration and driving licence exchange, district by district

Updated on · Editorial policy · Contact

Fees 2026, office data of