Driving license exchange: Millions of Germans in the exchange trap!

Driving license exchange: Millions of Germans in the exchange trap!

Kiel, Deutschland - A exchange of driving license is imminent and time is pushing! By January 19, 2025, everyone who was born after 1971 must exchange their old paper driver's license for a new one. But the numbers are alarming: In the Plön district of around 25,000 expected exchange campaigns, only about 11,000 took place! It also looks bleak in other circles such as Pinneberg and Stormarn. If you are still traveling with the old driver's license, you risk a fine of 10 euros - a joke compared to the cost of around 30 euros for the exchange. The ADAC also warns of problems abroad or in rental cars if you keep the old appearance.

important deadlines and steps

The countdown is running! The next key date is January 19, 2025. Only those who were born before 1953 can keep their old driver's license until 2033. However, the exchange process is not regulated uniformly: the driver's license points in the different circles have different requirements. First of all, a index card must be requested if the driver's license has been issued in a different circle. This is often quick and free of charge, but can take up to six weeks in Neumünster. After that, a biometric passport photo is required, which can be created yourself or can be made cheaply in drugstores.

The application is usually given personally, some circles also offer postal or online options. Long waiting times are expected, especially in the last weeks before the deadline, because the Federal Printing needs up to six weeks for the exhibition of the new driver's license. In some circles, the old driver's license can even be kept, while others insist on collecting it. If you have a truck driver's license, you have to expect additional requirements. For later years, the driver's license was issued after 1999, the exchange only begins from 2026.