Driving licence reissue after withdrawal (MPU)

Führerscheinstelle (driving licence office) · Reissue of the driving licence under § 20 FeV

In personBMV

If you lost your driving licence after driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of drugs, reaching eight points in the Register of Driver Fitness (Fahreignungsregister, FAER), or a criminal offence in road traffic, you do not get it back automatically once the period of disqualification ends. Legally, this is a reissue under § 20 of the Driving Licence Ordinance (Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, FeV), not the return of the old document: the authority examines again whether you are fit to drive motor vehicles.

This page explains when the application is permitted (under § 20 Abs. 3 FeV, at the earliest six months before the period of disqualification ends — not three), which documents the driving licence authority requires, when a medical-psychological examination (MPU) is ordered, what the procedure actually costs, and which mistakes delay the reissue by months. For the process of the examination itself, see our page on the MPU.

At a glance

Administrative fee

€35.70–€258.50

Fee range under Nr. 202.3 GebOSt, plus €5.10 for the application review (Nr. 201)

MPU (private costs)

approx. €550–€1,000

No official fee — no state-set rates since 1 August 2018

Application possible

6 months before the disqualification ends

§ 20 Abs. 3 FeV; the period of disqualification itself lasts 6 months to 5 years under § 69a StGB

Last updated8 October 2026

Legal basis§ 20 FeV · § 69a StGB · § 4 Abs. 10 StVG

VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de and BASt

Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta

Independent information website: we are not the Führerscheinstelle, not an authority and not a paid advice service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. Administrative fees move within a framework set by federal law and are fixed by the competent driving licence authority; MPU and evidence costs are private prices with no fee ordinance. All information is provided without guarantee and is not legal advice. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.

Required documents

§ 20 Abs. 1 FeV refers, for the reissue, to the provisions on the initial issue. You therefore essentially submit the same proof as for your first driving licence — supplemented by the documents arising from the withdrawal. Request the list from your authority in advance: which additional proof is required depends on the competent authority and on the reason for the withdrawal.

Valid identity card (Personalausweis) or passport — serves as proof of identity when submitting the application. If you present a passport, many authorities additionally require a current registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung), because the passport does not show a residential address. The driving licence is only issued if you have your ordinary place of residence in Germany (§ 7 FeV).
Biometric photograph (35 × 45 mm) — for the new card driving licence. The photograph must meet the passport-photo criteria and be current; older photographs are rejected. Whether your driving licence authority accepts a paper photograph or requires a digitally submitted photograph depends on the competent authority — for the identity card and passport, paper photographs have in any case no longer been permitted since 1 May 2025.
Eye test certificate — required under § 21 Abs. 3 FeV, issued by an officially recognised eye-testing centre (optician) or by an ophthalmologist. Under § 12 Abs. 7 FeV, the eye test must be no more than two years old when you apply. If you fail the test, you need an ophthalmological report instead.
Proof of first-aid training — also to be submitted under § 21 Abs. 3 FeV, issued by a recognised training body such as DRK, ASB, Johanniter, or Malteser. The ordinance sets no period of validity for this proof. Whether a new course is required after many years therefore depends on the competent authority — ask before booking.
Judgment, summary penalty order or withdrawal notice — this shows what the withdrawal is based on and when the period of disqualification ends. The authority needs the date to calculate the six-month period under § 20 Abs. 3 FeV and the earliest possible reissue date. Keep the document, even though the authority obtains the file in any case.
Positive MPU report — only required if the authority has ordered the examination under §§ 13, 13a, 14 FeV or § 4 Abs. 10 Satz 4 of the Road Traffic Act (Straßenverkehrsgesetz, StVG). The report is sent to you first; only you decide whether to submit it to the authority. If you do not submit a requested report within the deadline, the authority may, under § 11 Abs. 8 FeV, conclude that you are unfit to drive.
Proof of abstinence — for alcohol or drug questions, the assessment centres generally require a forensically usable monitoring programme over six to twelve months. Urine screenings with unannounced call-ins or hair analyses are permitted. Proof from non-accredited programmes is not recognised and must be repeated in full.
Karteikartenabschrift (index card transcript — a copy of your driving licence record) of your previous driving licence — shows which categories you last held and when they were obtained. It is issued by the authority that issued the withdrawn driving licence. If you have moved since then, the new authority either requests the transcript itself or asks you to do so — depending on the competent authority.
Old driving licence or proof of surrender — if the document was handed in to a court, the police, or an authority, or was confiscated, enclose the corresponding evidence. If the driving licence can no longer be found, many authorities require a declaration in lieu of an oath about its whereabouts. For details of the replacement procedure, see Driving licence lost or stolen.
Proof of a new driving test — only if the authority requires a test under § 20 Abs. 2 FeV. This is the exception and requires facts that suggest you have lost the required knowledge and skills. Without such an order, you do not have to repeat either the theory or the practical test.

Step by step

The reissue is an administrative procedure with several preliminary stages. If you only become active after the period of disqualification has ended, you typically lose further months, because abstinence programmes and assessment appointments need lead time. Plan backwards from the end of the period of disqualification.

Establish the reason for withdrawal and the period of disqualification

First check what the withdrawal is based on — everything else depends on it. In a criminal-court withdrawal, the court sets a period of disqualification of six months to five years under § 69a Abs. 1 of the Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch, StGB); in exceptional cases it can be ordered permanently. If a period of disqualification was already imposed in the three years before the offence, the minimum is one year; after a provisional withdrawal is credited, the remaining period of disqualification must not fall below three months. The administrative withdrawal for eight points works quite differently: there, the reissue under § 4 Abs. 10 StVG is possible at the earliest six months after the withdrawal takes effect. The two regimes are often confused — note the exact end date from your judgment or official notice (Bescheid).

Check whether the period of disqualification can be terminated early

For a court-ordered period of disqualification, there is the option of shortening it: under § 69a Abs. 7 StGB, the court may terminate the period of disqualification early if grounds subsequently arise for assuming that unfitness to drive motor vehicles no longer exists. The competent body is the court that imposed the period of disqualification, not the driving licence authority. Such an application is usually based on participation in a traffic-psychology follow-up seminar, on therapy, or on proven abstinence. A statutory minimum duration of the period of disqualification already served must be observed; whether the application has prospects of success in your individual case should be clarified with a lawyer.

Submit the application to the driving licence authority

The application for reissue is submitted to the driving licence authority for your place of residence — depending on the local authority, in person by appointment, in writing, or through an online portal. The timing is decisive: § 20 Abs. 3 FeV allows the application to be submitted at the earliest six months before the end of a period of disqualification under § 2b Abs. 1 Satz 2 StVG or § 69a StGB. The widespread claim of three months is wrong. The driving licence may nonetheless only be issued after the period of disqualification has ended; the lead time exists so that the authority can obtain the file, request reports, and check proof in the meantime. If you use these six months, you often have the new driving licence in hand shortly after the period of disqualification ends.

Check the order for a report and choose an assessment centre

If the authority has doubts about your fitness to drive, it orders a report under § 11 Abs. 3 FeV in conjunction with §§ 13, 13a, or 14 FeV. The order must state the specific question — read it carefully, because it determines the scope, duration, and price of the examination. Under § 11 Abs. 6 Satz 2 FeV, the authority informs you that you choose the assessment centre, and at the same time points out that you may inspect the documents to be sent. Make use of both rights: inspecting the file shows what the doubts are based on, and the free choice allows you to compare prices and appointments between the officially recognised centres. There is no obligation to use the provider in your place of residence.

Provide proof and prepare

For alcohol and drug questions, the abstinence period determines the result. Monitoring programmes over six to twelve months with unannounced urine screenings or hair analyses are usual; the period must be completed before the examination appointment. So start as early as possible — ideally as soon as the withdrawal notice is issued, not only shortly before the period of disqualification ends. In parallel, many affected people prepare for the examination with traffic psychologists or recognised counselling centres. This preparation is a voluntary private service; there is no official proof of its benefit, but it helps you present your own history in a comprehensible and consistent way.

Undergo the MPU and submit the report

The structure of the examination follows from Annex 15 FeV: a medical examination including laboratory values, computer-based psychophysiological performance tests, and a psychological examination interview. There is no statutory duration; in practice at the assessment centres, two to four hours are usual. The finished report goes to you first — you decide whether to submit it to the authority. If it is negative, you may withhold it; however, the authority may then, under § 11 Abs. 8 FeV, conclude that you are unfit to drive, if it had requested the report. Bring your identity document and all proof named in the order to the appointment.

Wait for the decision and collect the driving licence

With a positive report and complete documents, the driving licence authority decides on the reissue and sets the fee within the GebOSt framework. § 20 Abs. 2 FeV only requires a new driving test if facts justify the assumption that you no longer have the knowledge and skills required under § 16 Abs. 1 and § 17 Abs. 1 FeV — this is not the usual case. The new card driving licence is then produced and usually must be collected in person. How long production takes depends on the competent authority; until it is handed over, you must not drive a motor vehicle.

Fees & costs

The costs of the reissue consist of two entirely different blocks: the administrative fee, which is regulated under federal law in the Fee Schedule for Measures in Road Traffic (Gebührenordnung für Maßnahmen im Straßenverkehr, GebOSt), and the private costs for the MPU, proof of abstinence, and preparation, for which there has been no state price regulation since 1 August 2018.

Service	Amount
Application review (GebOSt Nr. 201)	€5.10
Issue after prior refusal or withdrawal (GebOSt Nr. 202.3)	€35.70–€258.50 (fee range)
MPU — private service of the assessment centre, depending on the question	approx. €550–€1,000
Abstinence monitoring programme with urine screening (6–12 months)	approx. €400–€900
Hair analysis per sample	approx. €150–€300
MPU preparation with traffic psychologists or counselling centres	No official price regulation — depends on the provider
Eye test and first-aid training	Depends on the provider
If applicable, a new driving test under § 20 Abs. 2 FeV	Depends on the competent body

Why a range of €35.70 to €258.50? Nr. 202.3 of the GebOSt is a fee range. The driving licence authority sets the specific amount within this range according to the administrative effort of the individual case — a simple case without evaluation of a report is at the lower end, a procedure with extensive file retrieval, several categories, and examination of a report well above it. The often-quoted “around €44” describes at most an individual case at the lower end, not the legal position. An additional €5.10 is always charged for the application review under Nr. 201.

The MPU is not an official fee. Until 31 July 2018, the rates were fixed in the GebOSt; these fee items were removed. Since then, the officially recognised assessment centres calculate their own prices, and the examination is billed directly between you and the centre — not through the authority. The price depends mainly on the question: a pure alcohol question is cheaper than a combined alcohol and drug question with an additional traffic offence. Neither the health insurance fund (Krankenkasse) nor the authority reimburses these costs, even with a positive result.

Payment and special cases. Whether the administrative fee is paid in cash, by card, by bank transfer or online depends on the competent authority; many local authorities now accept card payment only. If the application is refused, the fee is not waived — the authority also charges a fee for a Bescheid refusing an application, because the official act was performed. Also budget for travel costs to the screening appointments: with an unannounced call-in, you must appear at short notice, which matters if you have a long way to travel.

Important notes

Six months, not three. § 20 Abs. 3 FeV allows the application at the earliest six months before the end of a period of disqualification under § 2b Abs. 1 Satz 2 StVG or § 69a StGB. This does not shorten the period of disqualification itself — you only gain processing time.
Two separate systems of disqualification periods. The court-ordered period of disqualification under § 69a Abs. 1 StGB lasts six months to five years and can be ordered permanently in exceptional cases; the minimum is one year if a period of disqualification was already imposed in the last three years. For withdrawal because of eight points, § 4 Abs. 10 StVG applies instead: reissue at the earliest six months after the withdrawal takes effect.
Early termination is possible. Under § 69a Abs. 7 StGB, the court may terminate the period of disqualification if new facts speak against continuing unfitness to drive. The application goes to the court — the driving licence authority cannot shorten a court-ordered period of disqualification.
At eight points, the MPU is the normal case. § 4 Abs. 10 Satz 4 StVG provides that the authority “as a rule” orders a medical-psychological report in these cases. It is therefore not mandatory, but the exception must be justified. You can check your current points status through the information from the Register of Driver Fitness (Punkteauskunft) in Flensburg.
Cannabis has had its own legal basis since 2024. The cannabis reform inserted § 13a FeV, which separately regulates the clarification of fitness-to-drive doubts in a cannabis case. In addition, a THC limit of 3.5 ng/ml in blood serum has applied under § 24a Abs. 1a StVG since 22 August 2024. Older guides that classify cannabis generally under § 14 FeV are, to that extent, outdated.
You choose the assessment centre yourself. § 11 Abs. 6 Satz 2 FeV obliges the authority to inform you of this and, at the same time, to allow you to inspect the documents to be sent. Make use of the file inspection before the documents go to the assessment centre — they show which incidents are being assessed.
Official figures instead of marketing promises. The BASt evaluated a total of 75,257 assessments for 2024: just under 57% “fit to drive”, just over 39% “not fit to drive”, and just over 4% with a course recommendation. There is no official breakdown by prepared and unprepared participants — figures such as “only 40% pass without preparation” are not substantiated.
Start abstinence early. The six-to-twelve-month proof period must be completed before the examination and come from a forensically usable programme. If you only start after the period of disqualification has ended, you push back the driving licence by a further six months to a year.
First aid: no statutory period of validity. § 21 Abs. 3 FeV requires proof of first-aid training but does not specify a period of validity. Whether an old course is recognised or a new one is required depends on the competent authority.
No driving during the period of disqualification. Anyone who drives despite having had their driving licence withdrawn commits a criminal offence under § 21 StVG. Besides the criminal conviction, you risk a new, longer period of disqualification — pushing the reissue far into the future. Driving with a driving licence obtained in another EU country does not help either during an ongoing period of disqualification.

Common mistakes

Only becoming active after the period of disqualification has ended

Anyone who only submits the application once the period of disqualification has already ended gives up the six-month lead time under § 20 Abs. 3 FeV. Consequence: file retrieval, the order for a report and the assessment appointment only start afterwards — the driving licence typically arrives months later than necessary.

Relying on the wrong three-month deadline

Many guides state three months. If you plan on that basis, you start too late with proof of abstinence and finding an appointment, losing exactly the time the law actually grants. What counts is six months before the end of the period of disqualification.

Proof of abstinence from an invalid programme

Screenings without unannounced call-ins, samples from non-accredited laboratories, or self-organised tests are not recognised by the assessment centres. Consequence: the entire proof period must be completed again — six to twelve months of delay, and the costs are incurred a second time.

Accepting the order for a report without checking it

The order must state the specific question and point out the rights under § 11 Abs. 6 FeV. If you do not check it and do not inspect the file, you go into the examination without knowing the allegations and cannot challenge in time a question that may be too broadly framed.

Not submitting a requested report

The report goes to you first, and you may withhold it. However, if you do not submit it to the authority within the deadline, it may, under § 11 Abs. 8 FeV, conclude that you are unfit to drive. Consequence: refusal of the application, without the content of the report even being examined.

Contradictory statements in the examination interview

In the psychological interview, the information you provide is compared against the file, laboratory values, and history. If you play down your consumption or deny incidents that are on record, you risk the result “not fit to drive” — and with it, refusal of the reissue.

Having the eye test done too early

Under § 12 Abs. 7 FeV, the eye test certificate must be no more than two years old when you apply. A test taken during a long period of disqualification has often expired by the time you apply and must be repeated at your own expense.

Driving during the period of disqualification anyway

Driving without a driving licence is a criminal offence under § 21 StVG. Besides the conviction, you risk a new period of disqualification, which may turn out considerably longer than the original one — pushing back the reissue by years.

Frequently asked questions

When can I apply for the reissue?

Under § 20 Abs. 3 FeV, the application may be submitted at the earliest six months before the end of a period of disqualification under § 2b Abs. 1 Satz 2 StVG or § 69a StGB. However, the driving licence is only issued once the period of disqualification has actually ended. The lead time exists so that the authority can check reports and proof in the meantime.

What does the reissue cost at the authority?

For the issue of a driving licence after a prior refusal or withdrawal, Nr. 202.3 of the GebOSt provides for a fee range of €35.70 to €258.50. An additional €5.10 is charged for the application review under Nr. 201. Where your authority falls within the range depends on the administrative effort of the individual case.

What does the MPU cost in 2026?

The MPU is not an official fee but a private service of the officially recognised assessment centre. Since 1 August 2018, there have been no state-set rates; the centres calculate freely. Depending on the question and the provider, market prices in 2026 are around €550 to €1,000, which you must pay yourself.

When is an MPU ordered?

An MPU is considered in particular for a blood alcohol concentration of 1.6 per mille or more, or 0.8 mg/l breath alcohol, for repeated traffic offences under the influence of alcohol, and after a withdrawal on these grounds (§ 13 Satz 1 Nr. 2 FeV). In addition, there are drug cases under § 14 FeV and, since 2024, cannabis issues under § 13a FeV. For a withdrawal because of eight points, the examination must, as a rule, be ordered under § 4 Abs. 10 Satz 4 StVG.

How many people pass the MPU?

The Federal Highway Research Institute (Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen, BASt) evaluated a total of 75,257 assessments for 2024: just under 57% of the reports found fit to drive, just over 39% not fit to drive, and just over 4% ended with a course recommendation. There is no official breakdown of whether those affected had prepared. Reliable statements about pass rates with and without preparation cannot be derived from this.

How long does the MPU take?

The structure of the examination, with a medical examination, psychophysiological performance tests, and a psychological examination interview, follows from Annex 15 FeV. The ordinance does not prescribe a standardised duration. In practice at the assessment centres, two to four hours are usual.

What happens with a negative report?

If the report is negative, the driving licence authority refuses the application for reissue. There is no statutory waiting period for repeating the examination. When a new assessment makes sense depends on the competent authority and on the duration of the proof you still need to provide.

Do I have to take the driving test again?

As a rule, no. Under § 20 Abs. 2 FeV, a new test is only required if facts justify the assumption that you no longer have the knowledge and skills required under § 16 Abs. 1 and § 17 Abs. 1 FeV. Whether such facts exist is decided by the driving licence authority on a case-by-case basis.

Can the period of disqualification be terminated early?

Yes. Under § 69a Abs. 7 StGB, the court may terminate the period of disqualification early if grounds subsequently arise for assuming that unfitness to drive motor vehicles no longer exists. The competent body is the court, not the driving licence authority. A minimum duration of the period of disqualification already served must be observed.

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