Apply for a driving licence to carry passengers

You need a passenger transport permit to drive the following

  • Taxis
  • Hired cars or passenger cars in regular services or bundled on-demand services
  • Hire cars or passenger cars for commercial excursions and holiday destinations
  • Ambulances, if you are transporting passengers for a fee or commercially

For driving licence class D or D1, the following applies: You also need a permit to transport passengers for driving taxis, rental cars and for bundled on-demand transport within the meaning of section 50, paragraph 1, sentence 1 of the Passenger Transport Act.

The permit is valid for a maximum of five years. They may have it extended for five years at a time.

Related forms and processes

Prerequisite

  • Driving licence in cheque card format
  • Driving licence class B or equivalent for at least two years; for ambulances: one year
  • Minimum age: 21 years; for ambulances: 19 years
  • Proof of physical and mental fitness
  • personal reliability: There must be no serious previous convictions or traffic violations.
  • Proof of professional competence for taxis, rental cars and bundled on-demand transport
    The content requirements for proof of professional competence have not yet been conclusively clarified. There are transitional regulations. Further information can be obtained from the responsible driving licence office.

Responsible department

the driving licence office in your place of residence

Is the driving licence office,

  • if you live in a city district: the city council
  • if you live in a rural district: the Landratsamt (district administration office)

Procedure

The application can be submitted in writing or, if offered by the competent authority, as an online application. If you submit a written application, you can obtain the application form from the driving licence office. You can also submit the written application, including the required proofs and documents, there.

For the online application, please use the link on this page. You can upload the required proofs and documents as file attachments as part of the online application.

Deadlines

none

Required documents

  • Identity card or passport
  • Driving licence in credit card format
  • Certificate of good conduct
  • Proof of specialist knowledge: only for taxis, hire cars and bundled on-demand transport
  • medical certificate confirming the examination of eyesight or certificate from an ophthalmologist (valid for two years)
    You can have this examination carried out by:
    • an ophthalmologist
    • an occupational physician or occupational health physician
    • an assessment centre for fitness to drive
    • a doctor from the public health department or another public authority
  • medical certificate of fitness
    Doctors usually have the form for this certificate. You can go to a doctor of your choice. When you apply, the certificate must not be older than one year.
  • performance psychology report
    This examination will check, for example: Your
    • Ability to cope with stress
    • Reactivity
    • Orientation ability
    • Ability to concentrate

You can provide proof by means of

  • a company or occupational medical report or
  • a report from an officially recognised assessment centre for fitness to drive

If necessary, you must provide a medical-psychological report from an officially recognised assessment centre for driving aptitude to prove that you can cope with the special responsibility of transporting passengers.

Costs

  • Issuing: EUR 43.90 if you already have the EU card driving licence
  • Exchange of your existing driving licence for the cheque card driving licence: additional EUR 25.30
  • Further costs are incurred for
    • Applying for a certificate of good conduct and
    • the necessary proof of suitability and
    • medical examinations.

Detailed information

Driving licence for passenger transport - application for extension

Miscellaneous

Proof of expertise: The content requirements for proof of expertise have not yet been conclusively clarified. There are currently transitional regulations. Further information can be obtained from the responsible driving licence office.

The procedure and the required documents apply

  • both for the first issue of a driving licence
  • as well as for the new issue of a driving licence for the carriage of passengers.

Appeal

Objection

You can obtain information on how to lodge an objection (form and deadline) from the office responsible for you (driving licence office in your place of residence)

Legal basis

Fahrerlaubnisverordnung (FeV):

  • § 11 Eignung
  • § 12 Sehvermögen
  • § 48 Fahrerlaubnis zur Fahrgastbeförderung

Personenbeförderungsgesetz (PBefG):

  • § 50 Absatz 1 Satz 1 Gebündelter Bedarfsverkehr

Release note

machine generated, based on the German release by: Verkehrsministerium Baden-Württemberg, 08.11.2024