Advertisement

Driver's licences get expiration date

DDP/The Local
DDP/The Local - [email protected]
Driver's licences get expiration date
Photo: DPA

German driver’s licences are getting an expiration date, according to a media report on Thursday. As of 2013, they will be valid for only 15 years.

Advertisement

Legal steps to accommodate the new rule are currently being addressed by the federal government, daily Saarbrücker Zeitung reported.

Drivers will be required to apply for a new licence following the expiration date, but will not have to take another driving test, the paper said.

Meanwhile all of the open-ended driver’s licences issued before 2013 will have to be exchanged for the new version by 2033, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs said.

The change in policy is necessary to comply with a European Union guideline from 2006, which must be instituted by 2011.

The rule is meant to insure that the periodic exchange of licences will keep them up to date with the latest security technology, while new driver photos will help law enforcement better identify holders, the paper said.

But Germany will not adhere to a further EU guideline that recommended a driver health exam each time a license is renewed, the paper said.

The Bundesrat, or upper house of German parliament, must still approve final plans.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also