Driving licence exchange 2026 — deadline 19 January 2027

At a glance

Fee

€26.50

Next deadline

19.01.2027

Processing time

3–14 weeks

Method

In person

New validity

15 years

Deadline missed

€10

Exchange deadlines under Annex 8e FeV

Paper driving licences (issued up to 31 December 1998) — deadline by year of birth

Year of birth of the holder	Exchange deadline	Status on 30 August 2026
before 1953	19.01.2033	still open
1953 to 1958	19.07.2022	expired
1959 to 1964	19.01.2023	expired
1965 to 1970	19.01.2024	expired
from 1971	19.01.2025	expired

Card driving licences (issued 1 January 1999 to 18 January 2013) — deadline by year of issue

Year of issue (field 4a)	Exchange deadline	Status on 30 August 2026
1999 to 2001	19.01.2026	expired
2002 to 2004	19.01.2027	next deadline
2005 to 2007	19.01.2028	still open
2008	19.01.2029	still open
2009	19.01.2030	still open
2010	19.01.2031	still open
2011	19.01.2032	still open
2012 to 18 January 2013	19.01.2033	still open

How to find your date of issue. On the EU card driving licence, the date of issue is on the front in field 4a. The dates in column 10 on the back, by contrast, concern the point from which you have held the respective class — they are irrelevant to the exchange deadline. Anyone who confuses the two fields often places themselves in a much later deadline group than actually applies.
Special rule for people born before 1953. Anyone born before 1953 only has to exchange their driving licence by 19 January 2033 — regardless of whether it is a paper or a card driving licence and in which year it was issued. These age groups are therefore the only group for which the staggering by year of issue plays no role.
Has your deadline already passed? Then your document has been invalid since the deadline passed, but your driving licence entitlement continues unchanged. Apply for the exchange without further delay: you pay the same fee as applicants who meet the deadline, and no surcharge or review is provided for. Until the new document is handed over, the only risk is the Verwarnungsgeld of €10 at a roadside check.
19 January 2033 is the final cut-off. By this date at the latest, all driving licences issued before 19 January 2013 must have been exchanged; after that, only the time-limited EU card driving licence with an expiry date in field 4b will exist in Germany.

Required documents

Original of your current driving licence — you must present the document to be exchanged: the grey or pink paper driving licence or the old card driving licence. Copies, scans or photos on a phone are not accepted, because the original is confiscated or invalidated under § 25 Abs. 5 FeV when the new driving licence is handed over. If your driving licence has been lost or stolen, the correct route is not the exchange, but the issue of a replacement driving licence.
Valid identity card or passport — the authority must establish your identity beyond doubt; a valid identity card (Personalausweis) is sufficient for this, or alternatively a passport, and for foreign nationals also the registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) or residence title. An expired identity document is refused and the appointment lapses. If the identity card first needs to be renewed, the identity card costs €46.00 from the age of 24 and €27.60 for younger applicants, since 7 February 2026.
Biometrically compliant photograph — the new card driving licence requires a current passport photo that meets the biometric requirements (frontal view, neutral facial expression, evenly lit light background). It must generally be no older than six months, so that it reflects your current appearance. The obligation to use a digital photograph, in force since 1 May 2025, expressly applies to the identity card and passport — so check with your driving licence authority before the appointment whether it accepts a paper photo for the driving licence or also requires digital submission. There is no officially set price; around €8 to €20 is usual, depending on the provider.
Karteikartenabschrift (index card transcript — a copy of your driving licence record) from the issuing authority — this is only needed if your driving licence was not issued by the authority at which you are applying for the exchange, in other words practically always after a move to another city or another district (Landkreis). It documents which classes were granted to you, and when, and forms the basis for carrying them over into the new document. Request it several weeks in advance from the previous authority; there is no nationwide uniform fee, and the locally set amounts range from free of charge to around €15.
Application form of the competent authority — most driving licence authorities make their own application form available for download on their administrative portal, while others have the application completed at the counter or entirely online. Bringing it filled in shortens the appointment noticeably. Check in particular the spelling of your name, date of birth and place of birth — this information is carried over unchanged.
Additional evidence for classes C and D — anyone holding a driving licence of classes C, C1, CE, C1E, D, D1, DE or D1E is not simply exchanging a document: these entitlements are themselves limited to a maximum of five years under § 23 Abs. 1 Satz 2 FeV and must be extended. The driving licence authority requires additional evidence for this; ask the competent body exactly what is needed before applying. Allow considerably more lead time for this than for a plain exchange of class B.
Power of attorney for representation — whether an authorised person may submit the application on your behalf is a decision for the competent driving licence authority; many allow this, but then require a written power of attorney, the authorised person's identity document and a copy of your own identity document. If any of these documents is missing, the representation is refused and the appointment lapses.

Step by step

1

Determine the document type and your personal deadline

First look at which document you are holding. The grey or pink paper driving licence was issued up to 31 December 1998; for it, the deadline is based on your year of birth. The card driving licence in credit-card format was issued from 1 January 1999; here, the year of issue counts, which is shown in field 4a on the front. Use the two tables in the exchange deadlines section to place yourself in a group. Anyone born before 1953 has time until 19 January 2033 in any case. Driving licences issued from 19 January 2013 onwards are not affected by the compulsory exchange — they already carry their own expiry date in field 4b.

2

Check whether the deadline has already passed

As of August 2026, five of the deadlines are already in the past: all four paper driving licence deadlines (19 July 2022, 19 January 2023, 19 January 2024 and 19 January 2025) and the first card driving licence deadline on 19 January 2026 for the years of issue 1999 to 2001. If you fall into one of these groups, your document is already invalid — act immediately. The next open deadline is 19 January 2027 for the years of issue 2002 to 2004; because production takes several weeks, those affected in this group should submit the application by autumn 2026 at the latest.

3

Identify the competent driving licence authority and book an appointment

The only competent body is the driving licence authority at your ordinary place of residence — depending on the local authority, it is called the Führerscheinstelle, Straßenverkehrsamt (road traffic office) or Fahrerlaubnisbehörde. Your place of work plays no role. In many cities and districts, the Bürgeramt (citizens’ office) or Bürgerbüro also accepts the application and forwards it internally. A growing number of local authorities also offer the compulsory exchange as an online procedure; Cologne even states a shorter processing time for this route than for an application at the counter. Appointments in large cities are regularly booked out several weeks in advance — book early, therefore.

4

Gather your documents and obtain a photograph

Have the old driving licence in the original, a valid identity card or passport and a biometrically compliant photograph ready. If your driving licence was issued by another authority — for example because you have moved since obtaining it — request the Karteikartenabschrift from there in good time; depending on the local authority, its issue takes several days to weeks and is the most common cause of delay. Fill in your authority's application form in advance.

5

Submit the application and pay the fee

The application is usually made in person; your signature is taken for the new document at that time. The fee is normally €26.50 – €25.50 for converting a driving entitlement under the old law to the card licence under number 202.5 of the GebOSt fee schedule (§ 6 Abs. 6 Satz 2 FeV), plus €1.00 under number 126.2. On request, the Bundesdruckerei will send it directly to your address for €6.50, so you do not need to collect it. Which means of payment are accepted – cash, girocard or credit card – is for each authority to decide; ask about this before your appointment to avoid a second trip.

6

Receive the new driving licence and hand in the old one

Production by the Bundesdruckerei and subsequent processing take around three to fourteen weeks, depending on the authority; Cologne states around ten weeks for the regular application and six to eight weeks for the online application, Munich up to fourteen weeks. On collection, the old driving licence is confiscated or invalidated under § 25 Abs. 5 FeV — the invalidated licence is returned as a keepsake only on express request and is not an obligation of the authority. Check the new document at the counter to make sure all classes, codes and issue dates have been carried over correctly.

Fees & costs

Service	Amount
Conversion to the card licence (Nr. 202.5 GebOSt)	€25.50
Surcharge under No. 126.2 GebOSt	€1.00
Total fee, normal case	€26.50
Direct despatch by the Bundesdruckerei (optional)	€6.50
Biometrically compliant photograph	no official rate, usually approx. €8–€20
Karteikartenabschrift from the previous authority	set locally: free of charge to approx. €15
Verwarnungsgeld for an expired document	€10.00

Why €26.50 and not €25.30? The fee is made up of two items in the fee schedule of the Fee Schedule for Measures in Road Traffic: €25.50 under number 202.5 for converting a driving entitlement under the old law to the card licence, and €1.00 under number 126.2. The once-common figure of €25.30 is outdated – though it still appears in some municipal information sheets, for example in Cologne. Berlin already quotes €26.50. The fee is therefore not uniform across Germany; ask your authority for the exact amount before your appointment.
Direct despatch instead of collection. For a surcharge of €6.50, the Bundesdruckerei sends the finished driving licence directly to your address; this saves a second visit to the authority. In this case, the old driving licence is already confiscated when the application is submitted — check beforehand whether you will be left without a valid document in the meantime.
Accelerated production. Some authorities offer accelerated production. Whether this route is available in your local authority and what surcharge is charged for it is set by the competent driving licence authority — there is no nationwide uniform express fee for the driving licence.

Important notes

All driving licences before 19 January 2013 are affected. Under § 24a Abs. 2 FeV, all driving licences issued before this cut-off date must be exchanged in accordance with Annex 8e and lose their validity afterwards — whether made of paper or plastic. Anyone who received their driving licence on or after 19 January 2013 is not affected: these documents already carry an expiry date in field 4b.
Your driving licence entitlement does not expire — only the document does. The compulsory exchange does not affect your entitlement to drive. The class B entitlement continues indefinitely; only the validity of the driving licence lapses, so you are not driving without an entitlement, but merely without a valid proof document. That is precisely why it remains a Verwarnungsgeld of €10, with neither points nor a driving ban at risk.
No test, no examination, no loss of classes. All classes and codes entered in the old driving licence are carried over into the new document — including entitlements held under old class designations such as the former class 3. No new theoretical or practical test takes place, nor a medical examination — as long as classes C or D are not involved.
Exception for classes C and D: only five years. Driving licence classes C, C1, CE, C1E, D, D1, DE and D1E are themselves limited to a maximum of five years under § 23 Abs. 1 Satz 2 FeV. There is therefore no 15-year document for them; anyone holding these classes must have the entitlement regularly extended, not merely exchange the card. Professional drivers should keep an eye on the extension date independently of the exchange deadlines.
The new document is valid for 15 years. Under § 24a Abs. 1 FeV, the EU card driving licence is valid for 15 years; the expiry date is shown in field 4b. Note this date down, as the authority does not provide an automatic reminder.
Travelling abroad with an expired document. Once the exchange deadline has passed, the driving licence is no longer a valid proof document outside Germany either. Which sanction applies there depends on the national law of the state concerned — you cannot rely on the German Verwarnungsgeld of €10 abroad. Car rental companies also check the validity date, so taking over the vehicle can fail. Anyone travelling outside the EU also needs the international driving permit — which requires a valid German document.
Allow for processing time. Between application and handover, there are around three to fourteen weeks, depending on the authority: Cologne states around ten weeks for the regular application and six to eight weeks for the online application, Munich up to fourteen weeks. Anyone wanting to meet the 19 January 2027 deadline should therefore not submit the application only in January, but several months beforehand.
The old driving licence is confiscated. § 25 Abs. 5 FeV provides that the previous driving licence is confiscated or invalidated when the new one is handed over. If you want to keep the old document for personal reasons, say so actively — many authorities then return it punched or stamped, but there is no entitlement to this.
Exchange and replacement are two different procedures. A lost or stolen driving licence is not exchanged, but newly issued as a replacement document. A driving entitlement obtained abroad, in turn, is not exchanged under Annex 8e, but converted — separate deadlines and requirements apply there.

Common mistakes

Using the wrong deadline table

Anyone who holds a card driving licence but goes by their year of birth will almost always end up with the wrong deadline. For paper driving licences (up to 31 December 1998), the year of birth counts; for card driving licences (from 1 January 1999), the year of issue counts. The consequence of this confusion: the document has long been invalid — at the next check, a Verwarnungsgeld of €10 becomes payable.

Confusing field 4a with column 10

The document's date of issue is shown in field 4a on the front. Column 10 on the back, by contrast, states the date from which the respective class was granted — this is often years earlier. Anyone who goes by column 10 places themselves in the wrong deadline group and thereby misses the actual deadline.

Acting only shortly before the deadline

Production takes around three to fourteen weeks, depending on the authority, plus the waiting time for an appointment. Anyone who submits the application only in January 2027 will in practice no longer meet the 19 January 2027 deadline, and will then be driving with an invalid document.

Applying at the wrong authority

The competent body is the driving licence authority at your ordinary place of residence — not the one at your place of work, and also not the one that originally issued the driving licence. An application at the wrong body is refused or forwarded; either way, you lose weeks.

Requesting the Karteikartenabschrift too late

If the driving licence was issued in another city, the new authority cannot finally process the application without the Karteikartenabschrift. Its issue takes several days to weeks, depending on the local authority. Anyone who only requests it on the day of the appointment extends the procedure by exactly that length of time.

The photograph does not meet the requirements

Selfies, holiday photos, pictures with glare on glasses, headwear or an uneven background are refused. The consequence of an unsuitable photograph: the application cannot be completed, you need a new appointment, and the processing time only starts running after that.

Assuming an expired driving licence still counts abroad

The mild German sanction of €10 is a national rule. Abroad, the consequences are governed by local law, and car rental companies check the validity date independently in any case. Anyone travelling with an expired document therefore risks not only a check, but also the refusal of the booked rental car.

Treating classes C and D like a normal exchange

Classes C, C1, CE, C1E, D, D1, DE and D1E are limited to a maximum of five years under § 23 Abs. 1 Satz 2 FeV. Anyone who thinks only of the compulsory exchange and misses the extension loses not merely the document's validity, but the entitlement to drive these classes — and anyone who then keeps driving is driving without a valid entitlement, which goes far beyond a mere document offence.

Waiting for a reminder from the authority

An automatic reminder letter from the driving licence authority is not provided for; responsibility for meeting the deadline lies solely with the holder. Anyone who waits for a letter misses the deadline — even if they had generally intended to carry out the exchange.

Frequently asked questions

When do I have to exchange my driving licence?

That depends on which document you hold. For paper driving licences issued up to 31 December 1998, the deadline is based on the year of birth — these four deadlines (19 July 2022, 19 January 2023, 19 January 2024 and 19 January 2025) have all passed; only for people born before 1953 does it still run until 19 January 2033. For card driving licences issued between 1 January 1999 and 18 January 2013, the year of issue from field 4a counts: the deadline for the years of issue 1999 to 2001 ended on 19 January 2026, and the next open deadline is 19 January 2027 for the years of issue 2002 to 2004.

Where do I find the date of issue on my card driving licence?

The date of issue is shown on the front of the EU card driving licence in field 4a. Do not confuse it with the dates in column 10 on the back: these record since when you have held the respective driving licence class — this date has no bearing on the exchange deadline. Only the year in field 4a is decisive.

What does the compulsory exchange cost?

For converting a driving entitlement under the old law to the new card licence, €25.50 is charged under number 202.5 of the GebOSt fee schedule, plus a surcharge of €1.00 under number 126.2 – €26.50 in total. Berlin, for example, quotes this amount; some municipalities such as Cologne still give the older figure of €25.30 in their information sheets, so you should check the exact price with your authority before your appointment. An optional €6.50 is added for direct dispatch by the Bundesdruckerei, plus the cost of the photo.

My deadline has already passed — what happens now?

Your driving licence entitlement remains in place; only the document is invalid. Anyone checked with it pays a Verwarnungsgeld of €10; a driving ban, points or a new test are not at risk. Apply for the exchange without delay nonetheless, because the Verwarnungsgeld can be imposed again at every further check, and German rules do not apply abroad.

Do I need to take a new test or an eye test?

No. The compulsory exchange is a purely administrative act: all classes entered in your old driving licence are carried over into the new document, and your entitlement is fully preserved. The only exception applies to classes C, C1, CE, C1E, D, D1, DE and D1E, because these entitlements are limited from the outset to a maximum of five years under § 23 Abs. 1 Satz 2 FeV and must therefore be extended rather than merely exchanged.

How long does processing take?

Production of the new document takes around three to fourteen weeks, depending on the authority. Cologne states around ten weeks for the regular application and six to eight weeks for the online application, Munich up to fourteen weeks. Apply for the exchange in good time, therefore, and not only in the last few weeks before the deadline.

How long is the new driving licence valid?

The new EU card driving licence is valid for 15 years under § 24a Abs. 1 FeV and must then be exchanged again. Only the document is time-limited, not your driving licence entitlement — this continues indefinitely. An exception applies to classes C, C1, CE, C1E, D, D1, DE and D1E: there, the entitlement itself is limited to a maximum of five years, so there is no 15-year document.

Do I get my old driving licence back?

Under § 25 Abs. 5 FeV, the old driving licence is confiscated or invalidated when the new document is handed over. On express request, many authorities return it invalidated — for example punched or stamped — as a keepsake, but they are not obliged to. It is best to ask about this already when submitting the application.

Does my expired document count abroad?

No. Once the exchange deadline has passed, the old document loses its validity, and abroad the consequences are governed by the respective national law — you cannot rely on the German Verwarnungsgeld of €10 there. Car rental companies also check the validity date, so an expired document can be refused when taking over a vehicle.

Where do I have to apply for the exchange?

The competent body is the driving licence authority at your ordinary place of residence, not the one at your place of work. In many local authorities, the Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro also accepts the application and forwards it. If your driving licence was originally issued by another authority, you generally need a Karteikartenabschrift from there.

Compulsory driving licence exchange (EU card format)