If your card driving licence has expired, or if it is damaged or illegible, you must apply for a new EU card driving licence.
If you have changed your name or if restrictions affecting your driving licence are lifted, you must apply for a new EU card driving licence.
Your driving licence remains valid. You will simply receive a new licence. The licence categories generally remain the same. Exceptions apply to categories 2 and 3; changes will apply if you are 50 years of age or older. Further information can be found under "Important Information".
More Information
Publisher
Hamburg
Last update or date of publication
Contact
The government service telephone number 115 – your point of contact for questions related to the federal, state and local.
Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 18:00 (and beyond these times in some regions).
Call 115 nowGovernment service telephone number calls are charged at local rates.
- valid identification document (identity card, electronic residence permit (eAT) or passport) with current registration certificate
- Printed biometric passport photo 35 x 45 millimeters - not older than 1 year
- Please be sure to bring your biometric passport photo with you to your appointment. It is not possible to have one taken on site.
- current driver's license
- Appointment confirmation
Additionally, for the renewal of a truck driving licence of the old classes 2 and 3:
- ophthalmological report in accordance with Annex 6 of the Driving Licence Regulations (FeV), not older than 2 years
- Medical certificate in accordance with Annex 5.1 of the German Driving License Regulations (FeV), not older than 1 year.
You will usually receive your new driving licence from the Federal Printing Office after 3-4 months.
Preconditions
- They possess a card-format driving licence.
- Her main residence is in Hamburg.
Hints
You can also exchange your driver's license at the State Transport Authority (LBV).
With the old Class 3 license, extending the authorization to drive vehicles over 7.5 tons (CE 79) is no longer straightforward. Upon exchanging your license, you will receive a Class BE driving licence.
If you wish to obtain additional driving licence categories, you will need to submit further documents. From the age of 55, you must also take a theoretical and a practical test for categories C and CE (formerly category 2). Alternatively, you can choose not to obtain category 2.
Your driving licence remains valid after the exchange.
Exchange due to name change: EUR 45.90
Exchange due to expiration: 33.10 EUR
Basis for legal action
Section 24a of the Driving Licence Regulations (FeV)
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/fev_2010/__24a.html
Section 25 of the Driving Licence Regulations (FeV)
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/fev_2010/__25.html
Annex 3 of the Driving Licence Regulations (FeV)
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/fev_2010/anlage_3.html
Annex 8e of the Driving Licence Regulations (FeV)
Legal Remedies
No legal remedy is provided for.
Procedure
- You submit the application in person.
- You book an appointment online.
- They attend the appointment in person and bring all the necessary documents with them.
- You are applying to exchange your driver's license.
- The responsible authority will forward your application to the State Transport Authority (LBV).
- The LBV commissions the Federal Printing Office to produce your new EU card driving licence.
- You will receive your new EU card driving licence.
Deadlines
The exchange deadlines for unlimited card-format driving licences depend on the year the licence was issued:
- 1999 to 2001: Exchange until January 19, 2026
- 2002 to 2004: Exchange until 19.01.2027
- 2005 to 2007: Exchange until 19.01.2028
- 2008: Exchange until 19.01.2029
- 2009: Exchange until January 19, 2030
- 2010: Exchange until 19.01.2031
- 2011: Exchange until 19.01.2032
- 2012: Exchange until January 18, 2033
- 2013: Exchange until January 19, 2033
EU driving licences of category B issued from 19 January 2013 onwards are already valid for 15 years. You can find the expiry date on your EU driving licence.
Processing time
You will usually receive your new driver's license from the Federal Printing Office within 3 months.
If an express procedure is available for this service, it can only be used at the LBV.