Exchanging a driver's license: deadlines, costs and instructions for exchanging it
The most important things at a glance
- Who has to exchange the driver's license by when is regulated in a step-by-step plan.
- The next date is already on January 19, 2025 for all age groups from 1971 onwards.
- The driving licence authority is usually responsible for the exchange.
- The new driver's license is valid for 15 years after the exchange.
Why do I have to exchange my driver's license?
The main aim of the driver's license exchange is to create uniformity: Currently, 110 different types of documents are in circulation in the EU member states. Citizens, law enforcement officers and authorities therefore sometimes find it difficult to distinguish valid driving licences from invalid ones. By exchanging the gray or pink paper driver's licenses as well as certain documents in credit card format, the chaos is to be put to an end throughout the EU by 2033.
The EU Directive 2006/126/EC stipulates that all document types currently used throughout the EU are to be converted to only one driving licence format. The new driver's licenses also contain an expiration date. This is intended to make forgeries more difficult, which pose a danger, especially in the case of paper driving licences.
Who has to exchange the driver's license?
You will need to exchange your driver's license if it was issued on January 18, 2013 or earlier. The obligation to exchange applies both to driving licences that entitle the holder to drive a car and to documents with noted driving licence classes for motorcycles.
If you already have a driver's license in credit card format, which you received from January 19, 2013, you do not have to exchange the driver's license. You can find the date of issue on the front in field 4a.
When do I have to exchange my driver's license? What are the deadlines?
When it comes to the deadlines for exchanging driving licences, it is crucial to look at the date of issue. Depending on the date of issue, the second step depends on either your year of birth or the year of issue of the document.
- Driving licences issued by 31 December 1998
These are the old paper driver's licenses in pink or gray or those from the former GDR. Here, your year of birth determines which deadline applies to you. The older age groups make the start. - Driving licences issued on or after 1 January 1999
These driver's licenses are already documents in credit card format. Here, the year of issue is decisive for when you have to exchange your driver's license.
However, there is one exception: If you were born before 1953, you do not have to exchange the document until January 19, 2033. The year of issue is not decisive for these holders of the driving licence.
Table: Exchange deadlines for driving licences issued before 1999
Driving licences issued before 1999 (i.e. by 31 December 1998) must first be exchanged. These are the gray and pink paper driver's licenses, which are particularly susceptible to forgery, as well as GDR driver's licenses.
These documents depend on the year of birth. The following deadlines apply:
| Year of birth of the licence holder | Mandatory exchange by |
|---|---|
| before 1953 | 19. January 2033 |
| 1953 to 1958 | January 19, 2022 |
| 1959 to 1964 | January 19, 2023 |
| 1965 to 1970 | 19. January 2024 |
| 1971 or later | 19. January 2025 |
Table: Exchange deadlines for driving licences issued from 1999 onwards
Driving licence documents issued from 1999 onwards (from 1 January 1999) are already credit card driving licences. However, they do not yet meet the EU-wide standard. For them, the deadline for the exchange is based on the year of issue. These deadlines are crucial:
| Year of exhibition | Mandatory exchange by |
|---|---|
| 1999 to 2001 | 19. January 2026 |
| 2002 to 2004 | 19. January 2027 |
| 2005 to 2007 | 19. January 2028 |
| 2008 | 19. January 2029 |
| 2009 | 19. January 2030 |
| 2010 | 19. January 2031 |
| 2011 | 19. January 2032 |
| 2012 to 18 January 2013 | 19. January 2033 |
Can I exchange my driver's license earlier?
Yes, that is possible. For example, if you are planning appointments with the authorities or applying for an international driver's license, you can also exchange your driver's license before the deadline that applies to you.
Where can I exchange my driver's license?
It depends on the state where you can exchange your old driver's license. As a rule, the driving licence authority is responsible for this. In some cases, the exchange is possible at the citizens' office.
Remember to make an appointment for the exchange in good time. In some places, an exchange of driving licences is only possible by appointment. Keep in mind that the waiting time for free appointments in large cities such as Berlin, Munich or Hamburg can be several weeks or even months.
Do I have to take the test again for the new driver's license?
No, you do not have to take a new driving test to exchange your driving licence. Nor do you have to survive a new probationary period after exchanging your driver's license. The switch to the uniform card driving licence is also not associated with a health check. For example, you don't have to pass an eye test again.
The driving licence classes previously noted in the driving licence will also be adopted and, if necessary, noted on the back of the driving licence with the help of key numbers. This ensures that all authorizations of the corresponding class of the old note are also retained in the new one.
What documents do I need for the driver's license exchange?
For the driver's license exchange, you must have certain documents ready. Then the switch to the new EU driving licence is usually done quickly at the driving licence office or another responsible office.
You need these documents for the driver's license exchange:
- Valid identity card or passport
- Biometric passport photo
- Current driver's license
- In some cases: index card transcript
You only need the index card copy if you still have a paper driver's license, for example if you want to exchange the pink driver's license, and if it was not issued by an authority at your current place of residence.
For example, if your driver's license was issued in Aachen, but you now live in Zwickau, you will need an index card copy from the driver's license office in Aachen for the exchange. In many cases, you can apply for them online; Alternatively, this can also be done by post or telephone.
Costs: How much does it cost to exchange a driver's license?
Exchanging your old driver's license for a new one costs about 25 euros, and if you have it sent to you by direct mail from Bundesdruckerei, you will add another five euros.
Extra tip: Find out how you can pay at the authority. Sometimes only one card payment is possible.
How long is the new driver's license valid?
Unlike the old driving licences, the EU-wide uniform licence is no longer valid indefinitely: it has a validity period of 15 years. You can find the expiration date on the front in field 4b. If the end of validity has been reached, but you still need a valid driver's license, you can renew it as you regularly do with your identity card or passport.
Driver's license exchange deadline missed: And now?
At the end of the above-mentioned exchange periods, your driver's license loses its validity. If you still drive a vehicle on the road, you are committing an administrative offence that can be punished with a fine of ten euros. However, it is important to know: All you need is the prescribed document. You have therefore not lost your driving licence, i.e. the authorisation to drive vehicles of certain classes. You can read more about the difference between "driving without a license" and "driving without a license" in the linked article.
Checklist: 6 steps to a new driver's license
Use this checklist for exchanging your driver's license. This way you have everything in view and the switch to the EU driving licence goes smoothly:
- Check the date of issue of your driver's license.
- Use your year or year of exhibition to determine the exchange deadline that applies to you.
- Make an appointment with the responsible authority in good time.
- If necessary, apply for an index card copy from the competent authority.
- If necessary, have a biometric passport photo taken.
- Go to the authorities with your ID, passport photo, old driver's license, an accepted means of payment and – if necessary – the index card copy and have your driver's license exchanged.