Driving Licence in Germany: Everything You Need to Know A driving licence is an important...
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Driving Licence in Germany: Everything You Need to Know A driving licence is an important...
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WeiterlesenIf you have a German driving licence and need to complete an application, rent a vehicle, exchange your licence, or provide proof of your driving entitlement, you may be asked for your German driving licence number.
The number is one of the most important identifiers printed on a German driving licence. On the modern German EU-format driving licence, the licence number is shown in field 5 on the front of the card. German regulations specify that this number is composed of information relating to the responsible driving licence authority, a sequential licence number, a check digit and the document’s production number.
Understanding where to find the German driving licence number and how it differs from other numbers on your documents can prevent mistakes when completing forms or dealing with German authorities.
In this comprehensive guide, we explain everything you need to know about the German driving licence number, including where it appears, what it means, how it relates to your driving entitlement, and when you may need it.
For more information about German driving licences, visit FahrenExperten.
The German driving licence number (Führerscheinnummer) is the unique number associated with the driving licence document.
It is used to identify the licence and is recorded as part of the official driving licence information held by German authorities.
Under the German Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (FeV), the licence number is included among the official data associated with a driving licence. The regulations distinguish between the Fahrerlaubnisnummer (driving entitlement number) and the Führerscheinnummer (driving licence document number).
This distinction is important because people sometimes use the terms „driving licence number“ and „driving entitlement number“ interchangeably even though German administrative records distinguish between them.
If you have a modern German EU driving licence, look at the front of the card.
The licence is divided into numbered fields.
The German driving licence number is shown in field 5.
German regulations explicitly identify field 5 as the number of the driving licence.
A simplified overview of the main fields on the front of a German licence is:
| Field | Information |
|---|---|
| 1 | Surname |
| 2 | First name |
| 3 | Date and place of birth |
| 4a | Date of issue |
| 4b | Expiry date |
| 4c | Issuing authority |
| 5 | German driving licence number |
| 6 | Photograph |
| 7 | Signature |
| 9 | Driving licence categories |
The German licence does not display a residential address in field 8; German regulations note that this field is not used on the German driving licence.
Finding your German driving licence number is usually simple.
Use your current EU-format German driving licence card.
The front contains your personal and document information.
Locate the field labelled 5.
The characters printed in this field represent your Führerscheinnummer.
If you are completing an official application, copy the number exactly as it appears on your licence.
Do not substitute:
These are different identifiers.
The structure of the German driving licence number is defined by German regulations.
According to the FeV, the number consists of:
This structure helps authorities distinguish individual driving licence records and documents.
It is therefore more than simply an arbitrary number printed on the card.
This is an important distinction.
German regulations refer separately to:
This relates to the driver’s driving entitlement.
This identifies the driving licence document.
The German FeV specifies that the licence number consists of the driving entitlement number together with the sequential number of the particular licence document, along with the applicable check/document information.
For everyday purposes, when a form asks for your German driving licence number, it will generally be asking for the number printed in field 5 of your licence.
In everyday use, the number in field 5 is the relevant Führerscheinnummer.
However, the German administrative system distinguishes the driving entitlement number from the licence document number.
This matters particularly when dealing with official records, replacement licences or administrative procedures.
If an authority specifically asks for your Fahrerlaubnisnummer, do not automatically assume it means exactly the same thing as the Führerscheinnummer printed on the card.
If you are unsure which number a particular form requires, follow the terminology used by the authority or contact the relevant Fahrerlaubnisbehörde.
The licence number is designed to identify the driving licence within the German administrative system.
German regulations specify that the licence number includes information connected to the issuing authority, a sequential number, a check digit and the document’s issuance number.
This provides an important identification mechanism for the licence document.
However, it should not be treated as a general-purpose personal identification number.
These two numbers serve completely different purposes.
Identifies your driving licence document.
Identifies your passport.
Identifies your identity document.
Identifies a registered vehicle.
If a website or application asks specifically for your German driving licence number, use the number in field 5 rather than another identification number.
You may be asked for your German driving licence number in many situations.
For example:
The exact information required depends on the service.
For information about renewing a German licence, read our Renew Driving Licence Germany guide.
If your German driving licence has been:
you may need to provide information about your previous licence.
Your German driving licence number can be useful when identifying the missing document.
If you have lost your licence and do not know the number, this does not necessarily prevent you from applying for a replacement. The responsible authority can have access to the relevant administrative records.
For more information, see our Lost Driving Licence Germany guide.
When renewing a German driving licence, your existing licence information may be relevant to the application.
A modern German driving licence document generally has a limited validity period, while the underlying driving entitlement for ordinary categories such as B is generally not subject to the same 15-year document limitation.
If you are preparing to renew your licence, check:
For more information, read our Driving Licence Validity Germany article.
Do not confuse the German driving licence number with the licence expiry date.
They appear in different fields.
Shows the expiry date of the physical licence document.
Shows the German driving licence number.
The German EU-format licence explicitly identifies these fields separately.
For example, a form asking for:
„Driving licence number“
requires the information from field 5, while a question asking:
„Licence expiry date“
requires the information from field 4b.
The number itself does not tell you which vehicles you are allowed to drive.
For that information, look at the categories listed on the licence.
Common German driving licence categories include:
The German licence displays the categories held by the driver, with relevant dates and restrictions.
For a detailed overview, visit our German Driving Licence guide.
The driving categories are primarily shown on the back of the German driving licence.
Field 9 identifies the vehicle categories held by the driver.
Field 10 indicates the date on which the respective category was granted.
Field 11 contains the expiry date for categories with a specific validity period.
Field 12 contains restriction and additional information codes.
Therefore, if someone wants to verify what a driver can legally operate, looking only at the German driving licence number is not sufficient.
The categories, dates and restriction codes must also be considered.
The back of the German licence can contain numerical codes indicating restrictions or additional conditions.
These codes appear in field 12.
German law provides a detailed system of harmonised EU codes and national codes for restrictions, conditions and additional information.
For example, certain codes can indicate requirements relating to:
If you see an unfamiliar code beside one of your categories, it is important to understand what it means before driving.
This is a common question.
There is no general public online database where anyone can enter a German driving licence number and access a driver’s complete official record.
A licence number is an administrative identifier, not a public search key for unrestricted access to personal driving records.
Official German driving licence information is handled through the competent authorities and relevant registers.
The FeV provides for official records containing driving entitlement and licence information, including the licence number and information concerning previous documents.
If you need formal verification, contact the relevant Fahrerlaubnisbehörde rather than relying on an unofficial online service.
An employer may need to verify that an employee has the appropriate driving entitlement, particularly when driving is part of the employee’s job.
For example, this can be relevant to:
However, possessing a German driving licence number alone does not tell an employer whether the employee currently holds every necessary category or whether restrictions apply.
The employer should verify the relevant licence categories and documentation appropriately.
For professional drivers, additional qualification requirements can also apply.
Car rental companies may request your driving licence details when you collect a vehicle.
Depending on the rental company’s procedures, you may be asked for:
If you are renting a vehicle abroad, additional documentation may be required.
Always carry your valid German driving licence when driving.
The precise situation can depend on the type of licence transaction.
German regulations distinguish between the driving entitlement number and the number associated with the specific licence document.
If a new document is issued, the relevant document information may change.
For this reason, if a form asks for your current German driving licence number, use the number printed on your current licence, rather than automatically copying a number from an old licence.
A replacement licence is a new physical document.
The German administrative system keeps information about previous licences and documents.
If you have lost your licence, do not attempt to reconstruct a licence number from memory.
Instead, provide the information you have to the responsible authority.
The authority can determine the relevant record and issue the replacement document according to the applicable procedure.
If you exchange or convert a foreign driving licence into a German licence, the resulting German licence will have its own German document information.
The new card will display the German Führerscheinnummer in field 5.
The category information and applicable codes can also contain information relevant to the converted entitlement.
If you are converting a foreign licence, read our guides on:
A German licence should not be confused with a driving licence issued by another EU member state.
Although EU driving licences follow a harmonised format, the numbering system belongs to the issuing country.
Therefore, if your licence was issued in France, Spain, Italy, Poland or another EU country, it will not have a German Führerscheinnummer simply because you are living in Germany.
For more information, read our EU Driving Licence in Germany guide.
If you have a licence from outside the EU/EEA, your existing foreign licence has its own identifying number.
If you subsequently convert it into a German driving licence, you will receive a German licence document containing the relevant German licence number.
The conversion requirements depend heavily on the country that issued the original licence.
Some foreign licences can be converted relatively straightforwardly, while others may require theory and/or practical examinations.
Learn more through our Non-EU Driving Licence Germany article.
If you need to inspect a German driving licence, use the following checklist.
Compare:
with the driver’s official identity document where appropriate.
Find field 5 on the front.
Look at field 4b.
Review the categories listed on the back.
Review fields 10 and 11.
Look at field 12.
A visual inspection is not necessarily an official confirmation of driving entitlement.
Your passport number is not your driving licence number.
A vehicle registration number identifies a vehicle, not the driver.
Field 4b is the document expiry date.
Field 5 is the German driving licence number.
The licence number alone does not tell you which vehicles the driver can operate.
If you have received a replacement or new licence, use the information shown on your current document unless an authority specifically asks for historical information.
A licence number should not be treated as a public key for accessing someone’s complete German driving record.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where is the German driving licence number? | Field 5 on the front |
| German name | Führerscheinnummer |
| Is it the expiry date? | No |
| Is it the passport number? | No |
| Is it the vehicle registration number? | No |
| Where is the document expiry date? | Field 4b |
| Where are driving categories shown? | Field 9 on the back |
| Where are category issue dates shown? | Field 10 |
| Where are category expiry dates shown? | Field 11, where applicable |
| Where are restrictions shown? | Field 12 |
| Can anyone search the number online? | There is no general public database for unrestricted licence-record searches |
| Can authorities verify the number? | Yes, through applicable official records and procedures |
The field numbering and licence information are defined by the German FeV.
The German driving licence number, or Führerscheinnummer, is the identifying number printed on the German driving licence. It appears in field 5 on the front of the modern EU-format licence.
Look at the front of your German driving licence and find field 5.
Field 5 contains the driving licence number. German regulations specify its structure and how it relates to the driving entitlement number and document number.
Not necessarily. German administrative law distinguishes between the Fahrerlaubnisnummer and Führerscheinnummer. The latter is the number shown on the physical licence document.
The physical licence document’s expiry date is shown in field 4b.
No. Your German driving licence number is associated with your driving licence and is not the same as your passport number.
There is no general public online system that provides unrestricted access to a person’s German driving record using their licence number. Official verification should be handled through the appropriate authority.
It may be requested as part of an application or administrative procedure. The exact requirements depend on the authority and the type of application.
If you have your licence, look at field 5. If the licence has been lost or stolen, contact the responsible driving licence authority rather than guessing the number.
Changing your address or moving between cities does not necessarily mean that your underlying driving entitlement changes. The relevant procedure depends on the administrative action involved.
The physical document and its identifying information can be affected by the issuance of a new document. When completing a current application, use the number on your current licence unless the authority specifically asks for the previous number.
The German driving licence number is a key piece of information on your German EU-format driving licence.
If you are looking for it, simply check field 5 on the front of the card. German law defines this as the number of the driving licence and specifies how it is constructed.
However, the number alone does not provide a complete picture of your driving rights. When checking a German licence, you should also examine the expiry date in field 4b, the vehicle categories in field 9, category issue dates in field 10, applicable expiry dates in field 11 and restrictions or additional information in field 12.
If you are completing an official form, renewing your licence, replacing a lost licence or converting a foreign licence, always use the information from your current German driving licence and follow the instructions provided by the responsible authority.
For more German driving licence information, visit FahrenExperten and explore related guides such as Check German Driving Licence, Driving Licence Validity Germany, German Driving Licence Requirements, German Driving Licence Application, Renew Driving Licence Germany, Replace Driving Licence Germany, Lost Driving Licence Germany, Driving Licence Expired Germany, Foreign Driving Licence Germany, and Convert Foreign Driving Licence Germany.
Driving Licence in Germany: Everything You Need to Know A driving licence is an important...
Weiterlesen
Rijbewijs kosten in Duitsland: een compleet overzicht Wie in Duitsland zijn rijbewijs wil halen, vraagt...
Weiterlesen