AmtsDeutschland
0%
Skip to main content
Authorities Most popular Guides
FAQ Contact
Find an official procedure

Renew the Schwerbehindertenausweis

Renewing is not the same as a new determination

Often onlineFree of charge§ 152 SGB IX

Renewing the pass is the least dramatic process this authority handles — and that is exactly why it is worth distinguishing it from something it is often confused with. Renewal is not an application for a new determination. It concerns the validity of the proof document, not the determined degree of disability, and does not in itself trigger a fresh assessment.

The difference matters in practice, because it determines a risk. An application for a new determination — the so-called worsening application (Verschlimmerungsantrag) under § 48 SGB X (Social Code Book X, Sozialgesetzbuch Zehntes Buch) — opens the entire file, not only the deterioration being claimed. If another condition has meanwhile improved, for example after a successful operation, the individual GdB for that condition can fall and pull the overall GdB down with it. In the worst case, severe disability status (Schwerbehinderteneigenschaft) is lost altogether. This is not a theoretical risk: because the overall GdB is formed from the interaction of all impairments, an improvement in one area can push the result down even where another area has got worse. Mere renewal does not do that.

What happens when the pass expires? The determination itself remains in force — it is documented in the notice and does not end with the pass. In practice, however, you lack the proof, and all benefits that require you to present it are effectively suspended: free travel, the parking permit, discounts. The renewal should therefore be applied for a few weeks before expiry.

Last updated28 August 2026
Legal basis§ 152 SGB IX
Verification§ 152 SGB IX · distinction from a new determination under § 48 SGB X
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not the Versorgungsamt, 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. No legal advice and not an official authority. 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.
CostsNoneLike the initial issue
New assessmentNot triggeredUnlike under § 48 SGB X
ApplyBefore expiryOtherwise proof lapses
Required documents

What you need

The expiring pass

With the file reference number and expiry date. In many federal states, an informal application or an online form stating the file reference number is enough.

A current photograph

If a new one is required. Some federal states keep the existing photograph where circumstances are unchanged.

A statement of whether anything has changed

Be truthful here, but do not confuse this question with a worsening application: if you want to achieve an increase, that is a separate application with its own risk.

A reminder a few weeks beforehand

Processing takes time; anyone who applies only on the day of expiry is temporarily left without proof. Enter the expiry date in your calendar well in advance.

Checking whether an indefinite pass can be issued

If no change in your state of health is to be expected, the pass can be issued indefinitely. Ask about this — it saves every future renewal.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Note the expiry date well in advance

    A few weeks beforehand is usually enough. It is the proof that expires — not the determination, but in everyday life it feels the same.

  2. 2

    Renew informally or online

    In most cases, an application stating the file reference number is enough; many federal states offer this online. It does not involve a fresh medical assessment.

  3. 3

    Do not combine the renewal with an increase

    If you are also seeking a higher GdB, that is an application under § 48 SGB X with a complete reassessment — and the risk of a reduction. Keep the two deliberately separate and decide on the second step independently.

  4. 4

    Ask about an indefinite pass

    Where circumstances are permanently unchanging, it is possible and ends the cycle of renewals. This is particularly worthwhile for conditions that, by experience, do not improve.

  5. 5

    Observe the deadline if refused or changed

    The one-month deadline for an objection applies here too. An objection (Widerspruch) against the notice is available, to be lodged within one month. If it does not succeed, the social court (Sozialgericht) decides — not the administrative court: § 51 Abs. 1 Nr. 7 SGG of the Social Courts Act (Sozialgerichtsgesetz) expressly assigns “the determination of disabilities and their degree, as well as further health characteristics” to the social courts’ jurisdiction. And the proceedings cost you nothing: § 183 SGG expressly names “persons with disabilities” among those for whom proceedings before the social courts are free of charge.

Fee information

Costs and payment

What the renewal costsIssue under § 152 SGB IX
ExtensionFree of charge
New assessmentDoes not take place
Indefinite issueWhere the condition is unchanging
Replacement if lostUsually free of charge
Objection (Widerspruch)Free of charge
Legal action before the social court (Sozialgericht)Free of charge, § 183 SGG

The renewal concerns only the validity of the proof. It must be clearly distinguished from an application for a new determination under § 48 SGB X, which has the entire state of health reassessed and under which the GdB can also fall.

Good to know

Important notes

Renewal is not a worsening application. It does not trigger a new assessment and does not carry the risk of a reduction.

With expiry, the proof ends, not the determination. In practice, however, every benefit that requires you to present the pass is suspended.

Apply a few weeks before expiry. Processing takes time, and in the meantime you lack proof.

Where the condition is permanently unchanging, an indefinite pass can be issued. It is worth asking about this.

If you also want to achieve an increase, that is a separate application with its own risk. Do not combine the two without thinking it through.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Renewing only on the day of expiry. Proof is missing until the new pass is issued.

Combining the renewal with an increase application without knowing the risk.

Assuming that the determination ends along with the pass. It continues to apply.

Not asking about an indefinite pass even though the condition is unchanging.

Letting the one-month deadline lapse after a refusal.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Is there a new assessment when renewing?

No. Renewal concerns the validity of the pass, that is, the proof document, and not the determination itself. It does not involve a fresh medical assessment. The position is different for an application for a new determination under § 48 SGB X — there, the entire state of health is reassessed, and the GdB can also fall.

What happens if the pass has expired?

The determination remains in force; it is documented in the notice and does not end with the pass. You lack the proof, however, and every benefit that requires you to present it — free travel, the parking permit, discounts — is effectively unusable until the new pass is available. The renewal should therefore be applied for several weeks in advance.

Can I get an indefinite pass?

Yes, if no change in your state of health is to be expected. This is considered for permanent conditions incapable of improvement and ends the cycle of renewals. Ask about it explicitly — it is not always offered of its own accord.

Does the renewal cost anything?

No, it is free of charge, just like the initial issue. A replacement pass for a lost one is also usually issued without a fee. An objection against a refusal is likewise free of charge, and legal action before the social court is free of charge for persons with disabilities under § 183 SGG.

Can I apply for renewal and an increase together?

It is possible, though often not advisable. As soon as you apply for an increase, § 48 SGB X applies: the office reassesses your entire state of health, including the areas that have improved. If you only want to renew the proof, you should leave it at that and decide the question of an increase separately and after advice.

What if the renewal is refused?

Then the usual one-month deadline for an objection applies. First check the statement of reasons: a refusal to renew usually presupposes that the office takes the view that circumstances have changed — in substance, that then amounts to a new determination, against which the same legal remedies are available. After that, the social court decides, free of charge.

Related official procedures

Severe disability pass (Schwerbehindertenausweis)
From GdB 50 — with disability codes
Free of charge
Have your GdB increased
Opens the entire file — downwards too
§ 48 SGB X
Travel token
Only with G, aG or Gl — free with H or Bl
Personal contribution

Cannot find the official procedure you are looking for?

Tell us what information you need.

Send a request