New driving license law from 2013
Driving license exchange
Since January 19, 2013, a fundamentally new driver's license law has been in effect. Completely new is the limitation of the driving license to 15 years. All driver's license documents produced by the Federal Printing Office after this date must be renewed every 15 years in the future.
Whether gray rag, pink cardboard or white plastic card: By 2033, every driver's license issued before January 19, 2013, must be exchanged for the new EU driver's license. This will happen in stages. Here you can find the timetable.
Staggered deadlines apply to driver's license exchanges in Germany. The final deadline is January 19, 2033 - but depending on the year of birth or year of issue, the exchange obligation takes effect earlier. This is to avoid overloading the authorities and long waiting times. An overview of the deadlines can be found here:
Detailed information on the other regulations associated with the 2013 driver's license reform can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs.
Biometric photos for the driver's license
Biometric photos have also been made mandatory for driver's licenses. Since October 2008, driver's license applications can only be processed if a biometric photo is enclosed. This also applies to applications for international driver's licenses.
