Exchanging your driving licence (Führerschein): deadlines and process
You exchange your driving licence at the driving licence authority (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde) where you live. This is mandatory for all licences issued before 19 January 2013, staggered by year of birth or year of issue. The fee is about 25 euros, plus a biometric photo. There is no test. We do not currently offer the exchange itself.
Licence exchange: the essentials
- Obligation
- all licences issued before 19.01.2013, staggered until 19.01.2033As of: 26.10.2026 · § 24a FeV
- Next deadline
- 19.01.2027 for cards from 2002 to 2004As of: 26.10.2026 · Anlage 8e FeV
- Responsible office
- driving licence authority of your current residenceAs of: 26.10.2026 · Bundesregierung
- Official fee
- about €25 (Köln €25.30 · München €26.50 · Dortmund €32.90)As of: 26.10.2026 · Bundesregierung
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- Test
- no driving test, no medical (except lorry and bus)
- New validity
- new licence valid for 15 years; the limit only applies to the document
- After the deadline
- old licence invalid; warning fine €10
- Processing time
- Köln 6 to 10 weeks · Dortmund approx. 8 weeks · München up to 14 weeks
- Our service
- We do not currently offer the exchange itself
By when must my driving licence be exchanged?
| Licence | Issued or born | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Card from 1999 | issued 2002 to 2004 | 19.01.2027 |
| Card from 1999 | issued 2005 to 2007 | 19.01.2028 |
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| Card from 1999 | issued 2008 | 19.01.2029 |
|---|---|---|
| Card from 1999 | issued 2009 | 19.01.2030 |
| Card from 1999 | issued 2010 | 19.01.2031 |
| Card from 1999 | issued 2011 | 19.01.2032 |
| Card from 1999 | issued 2012 to 18.01.2013 | 19.01.2033 |
| Card from 1999 | issued 1999 to 2001 | 19.01.2026 (expired) |
| Paper, up to 1998 | born before 1953 | 19.01.2033 |
| Paper, up to 1998 | born 1953 to 1958 | 19.07.2022 (expired) |
| Paper, up to 1998 | born 1959 to 1964 | 19.01.2023 (expired) |
| Paper, up to 1998 | born 1965 to 1970 | 19.01.2024 (expired) |
| Paper, up to 1998 | born 1971 or later | 19.01.2025 (expired) |
If you were born before 1953, you have until 19 January 2033, no matter when the licence was issued. On the card licence, the date of issue is on the front in field 4a.
How the exchange works at the authority
- 1Check the deadlineYear of birth or field 4a.
- 2Appointment or applicationAt the authority where you live.
- 3Documents and feeID, photo, old licence.
- 4Receive the new licenceCollect it or by post, depending on the city.
Exchanging the driving licence yourself
The way without us, step by step
You handle the exchange at the driving licence authority where you live. This is how the federal government and the cities whose pages we read describe it:
- The driving licence authority of your current residence is responsible. The federal government advises booking an appointment early.
- Köln: application at the customer centre with an appointment, or online with a digital passport photo and an image of your signature. After an online application you collect the new licence yourself; nobody can collect it for you then.
- München: application by post or online if your main residence is registered there. As soon as your old licence has arrived, the new one comes by post.
- Dortmund: personal visit by appointment; the new licence is normally sent to you directly.
- Costs compared: the federal government states about 25 euros. Köln charges 25.30 euros, 9.75 euros more for express; München 26.50 euros; Dortmund 32.90 euros with direct delivery. The biometric photo comes on top. With us there are no costs, because we do not offer the exchange.
- We are not an authority. Only the driving licence authority decides whether and when the new licence is issued.
The documents the authority asks for
- Valid ID card or passport; in Köln, EU citizens may also use their national passport.
- A current biometric passport photo, according to Köln no older than three months.
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- Your current driving licence.
- Index card copy (Karteikartenabschrift) if your old paper licence was issued by another authority. The issuing authority sends it to your current authority on request by post, by phone or online.
- For lorry and bus classes, also proof of medical fitness, for example of eyesight.
Deadline missed: what applies then
Once your deadline has passed, the old licence loses its validity under § 24a(2) of the Driving Licence Regulation. According to the federal government, the driving permit itself remains unchanged: you may still drive the classes you obtained, and there is no new test.
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Anyone carrying only the old licence after the deadline commits an administrative offence. The federal government states a warning fine of ten euros; the fines catalogue also lists 10 euros for not carrying a licence. The federal states can waive this in exceptional cases.
You simply catch up on the exchange afterwards. München points out that processing may take longer once the deadline has passed. You may keep your old licence if you wish; the authority then visibly cancels it, on the card licence with a hole at the bottom right (§ 25(5) FeV).
Foreign driving licence: a different procedure
A licence from a country outside the EU and EEA remains valid for six months after you move here (§ 29 FeV). After that you need a German driving permit; for countries in Annex 11, parts of the test are waived (§ 31 FeV).
Why we do not offer the exchange
We do not currently offer the exchange itself: the driving licence authorities whose pages we read require at least one step that only you can take. In Köln you collect the new licence yourself, in Dortmund you appear in person, and in München you send in your old licence yourself.
This page is meant to make your way to the authority easier: the deadline, the fee, the documents and the index card copy. We do not check any driving permit and promise no appointment.
Questions about the licence exchange
By when do I have to exchange my driving licence?
That depends on the licence. Paper licences up to 1998 go by year of birth: for everyone born in 1953 or later the deadlines have passed; if you were born before 1953 you have until 19 January 2033. Card licences from 1999 go by year of issue; next up are the years 2002 to 2004, deadline 19 January 2027.
How much does the licence exchange cost?
The federal government states a fee of about 25 euros. Köln charges 25.30 euros and 9.75 euros more for express delivery, München 26.50 euros, Dortmund 32.90 euros with direct delivery. A biometric passport photo comes on top. If you renew lorry classes at the same time you pay more, in Köln for example 43.90 euros.
Can I exchange my driving licence online?
In some cities yes, but not entirely without visiting the authority. Köln accepts the application online with a digital passport photo and an image of your signature; you collect the new licence yourself after six to eight weeks. München accepts applications online or by post and sends the new licence as soon as the old one has arrived.
Which year of birth has to exchange the licence now?
For paper licences the deadlines for everyone born in 1953 or later have passed; these licences are already invalid. Only those born before 1953 still have until 19 January 2033. For card licences it is not the year of birth that counts but the year of issue in field 4a: the deadline for 2002 to 2004 ends on 19 January 2027.
What is the penalty if I do not exchange my licence?
According to the federal government a warning fine of ten euros, because after the deadline the old licence is invalid. It mentions no points in Flensburg. The driving permit remains, and there is no new test. You can catch up on the exchange at any time; in München processing may then take longer.
Which documents do I need for the licence exchange?
ID card or passport, a current biometric passport photo and your current licence. If the old paper licence was issued by another authority, you also need an index card copy from that authority. Dortmund does not require it for card licences. For lorry and bus classes, health certificates are added.
Official sources
- Anlage 8e FeV – Umtausch vor dem 19. Januar 2013 ausgestellter Führerscheine, read on 26.10.2026
- § 24a FeV – Gültigkeit von Führerscheinen, read on 26.10.2026
- § 25 FeV – Ausfertigung des Führerscheins, read on 26.10.2026
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- § 29 FeV – Ausländische Fahrerlaubnisse, read on 26.10.2026
- Bußgeldkatalog-Verordnung, Anlage – Nr. 168, read on 26.10.2026
- Bundesregierung – Diese Führerscheine müssen umgetauscht werden (21.09.2026), read on 26.10.2026
- Stadt Köln – Führerschein-Pflichtumtausch, read on 26.10.2026
- Stadt Dortmund – Führerschein (EU-Führerschein / Führerscheinumtausch), read on 26.10.2026
- Stadt München – Umtausch in Kartenführerschein, read on 26.10.2026
Reviewed by M. Gabal on 27.10.2026
Provided by Behördenfix (M. Gabal). On this page Behördenfix provides information about the driving licence exchange and does not currently offer it. We are not an authority, give no legal advice and do not assess your individual case.
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