How to get a driving licence in Germany: step by step (2026)
Getting a German car licence step by step: age, eye test, first aid, application, driving school, theory and practical test, plus what the 2027 reform changes.
Last updated: November 2026 (FeV as amended on 12 August 2026)
Key points
- For a car licence (class B) you need: the minimum age, an eye test, a first aid course, an application at the driving licence authority, training at a driving school, a theory test and a practical test.
- Today the theory training takes at least 12 double lessons of basic content plus 2 double lessons for class B, in person at the driving school.
- For the practical part there is no fixed number of normal lessons, but 12 special drives are compulsory: 5 overland, 4 on the motorway and 3 at dusk or in the dark, 45 minutes each.
- The theory test has 30 questions. You pass with no more than 10 error points, but not with two wrong 5-point questions. You can take it in English and 13 other languages.
- A reform planned for 2027 is to make the theory training free of compulsory lessons and simplify the test scoring. The Bundesrat still has to approve it.
Who can get a German licence
The minimum age for class B is 18. With accompanied driving (Begleitetes Fahren ab 17) you can get the licence at 17; until your 18th birthday you may only drive in Germany and only with a named accompanying person (§ 10 and § 48a FeV). That person must be at least 30, must have held a class B licence for at least five years and may have no more than one point in the driver fitness register when you apply.
You also need your ordinary residence in Germany, which normally means living here for at least 185 days a year because of personal and work ties (§ 7 FeV). Students from another EU or EEA country who are here only to study do not establish ordinary residence, but they can still get a licence if their stay lasts at least six months.
Step 1: Eye test and first aid course
Eye test: Applicants for class B take a vision test at an officially recognised eye test centre (§ 12 FeV), which many opticians are. You receive a certificate; it must not be older than two years when you apply. If you do not pass, you need an examination by an ophthalmologist.
First aid: You must attend a first aid course of at least nine teaching units of 45 minutes at an officially recognised provider (§ 19 FeV). Doctors, health professionals and some other trained groups are exempt.
Step 2: Choose a driving school and apply
You apply in writing or electronically to the driving licence authority (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde, often called Führerscheinstelle) where you live, at the earliest six months before you reach the minimum age (§ 21 FeV). In the application you name your driving school and state whether you hold or have held a licence from another country. Attach:
- an official proof of your place and date of birth,
- a biometric passport photo,
- your eye test certificate,
- proof of the first aid course.
The authority checks your application and then sends the test order to the technical testing service (in most states TÜV or DEKRA), which conducts both tests (§§ 15 and 22 FeV). In practice your driving school will tell you which documents your authority wants and whether you can apply online.
Step 3: Theory lessons (current rules)
The Fahrschüler-Ausbildungsordnung (FahrschAusbO) sets out the training. Its starting point is that you also study on your own (§ 4 (1)). On top of that, the driving school must teach a minimum number of theory lessons:
| Part | Minimum for class B | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Basic content (Grundstoff) | 12 double lessons of 90 minutes, 6 if you already hold a licence | § 4 (3) FahrschAusbO |
| Class-specific content (Zusatzstoff) | 2 double lessons | § 4 (4) and Annex 2.8 FahrschAusbO |
Lessons may also be split into single lessons of 45 minutes, and the plan should not exceed two double lessons a day. Theory lessons currently require your physical presence; digital lessons are only allowed in justified exceptional cases with approval from the state authority and must then be live, with everyone taking part at the same time (§ 4 (1b)). Filling in practice test sheets does not count towards the minimum lessons (§ 4 (1a)).
Step 4: Driving lessons and special drives
Practical training consists of basic training and special training drives (§ 5 FahrschAusbO). There is no legal minimum number of normal driving lessons: your driving instructor decides when you have reached the training goals (§ 6 (1)). The basic training should be largely complete before the special drives begin. For class B, Annex 4 requires these special drives of 45 minutes each:
| Special drive | Number | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Overland (federal or state roads) | 5 | including one drive of at least two lessons in a row |
| Motorway (or dual carriageway with at least two lanes each way) | 4 | including one drive of at least two lessons; if possible at least one lesson without a speed limit or with a limit of at least 120 km/h |
| At dusk or in the dark | 3 | at least half on motorways, federal or state roads |
Automatic or manual? If you take the practical test in an automatic car, your licence is restricted to automatics (§ 17a FeV). You can avoid this if your driving school trains you for at least 10 lessons of 45 minutes in a manual car and you pass a drive of at least 15 minutes with them (§ 5a FahrschAusbO). Your licence then carries code 197 and is valid for manual cars too.
When the training is complete, the driving school confirms it. You need this confirmation before each test, and the end of the training must not be more than two years ago (§ 16 (3) and § 17 (5) FeV).
Step 5: The theory test
The theory test is taken on a computer at the testing service, at the earliest three months before you reach the minimum age (§ 16 FeV). For a first licence it has 30 questions worth 2 to 5 points each, 110 points in total. You fail if you have more than 10 error points or if you answer two 5-point questions wrongly (Annex 7, Part 1 FeV).
The test is in German, with optional German audio. You can also take it in English, French, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Croatian, Spanish, Turkish, Standard Arabic, Kurmanji or Ukrainian. If you fail, you can usually retake it after two weeks at the earliest (§ 18 (1) FeV). After passing, you must take the practical test within twelve months, otherwise the theory test expires (§ 18 (2) FeV).
Step 6: The practical test
The practical test can be taken only after passing the theory test, at the earliest one month before you reach the minimum age (§ 17 FeV). For class B it lasts at least 55 minutes in total (Annex 7, Part 2). It takes place in and outside built-up areas, if possible including the motorway, near where you live, go to school, study or work. You have to provide a suitable test vehicle (§ 17 (1) FeV); in practice that is the driving school car.
Step 7: Your licence and the probation period
After passing, you receive your licence. The licence must be handed over within two years of the practical test, otherwise the whole test expires (§ 18 (2) FeV). With accompanied driving at 17 you first receive a test certificate instead of the card, valid in Germany until three months after your 18th birthday (§ 48a FeV).
Every first licence is issued on probation for two years (§ 2a StVG). During that time, and in any case until you turn 21, you must not drink any alcohol or consume cannabis before or while driving.
What changes with the 2027 reform
A new driver training ordinance is in preparation (Bundesrat printed paper 365/26). According to the draft, learners decide for themselves how they acquire the theory: in class, digitally in a group or completely on their own, for example with an app. Driving schools would no longer have to offer compulsory theory lessons.
- Most changes are to apply from 1 July 2027, the new training ordinance itself from 1 January 2027.
- The theory test is to be scored more simply: 30 questions, no more than 3 mistakes.
- The proof of theory training before the test and the twelve-month deadline between the two tests are to be dropped.
- Driving lessons, the special drives and the practical test stay with the driving school.
The Bundestag passed the related law in November 2026; the Bundesrat still has to approve it and may ask for changes. Until then, the current rules described above apply. Details are in our guide German driving licence reform 2027.