If you buy a car, you must register it, if you sell it, you must deregister it. For this, you will need several documents – and an appointment with the vehicle registration authority. The most important information.
- Sale: the vehicle must be deregistered or re-registered
- The seller must deregister the vehicle before delivery
Appointments at registration points in Germany: regional differences
If you want to re-register or de-register your car now, you will need to make an appointment in advance in many places. This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted online by the club at motor vehicle registration offices in 16 state capitals.
You can make an appointment to deregister a vehicle in Germany online in 13 of the 16 provincial capitals. In some authorities, you can also make an appointment by email or phone. Bremen and Wiesbaden continue to allow on-site processing without prior appointment.
In Berlin, Hanover, Dusseldorf, Saarbrücken and Munich, you sometimes had to wait weeks for an appointment. In half of the provincial capitals, an appointment could be made on the same day, while in the remaining three it took a day or two.
To re-register a car in Germany, it was possible to register online in 15 of the 16 provincial capitals. In Potsdam it was only possible by phone.
You can make an appointment on the same day in the capitals of five states (Bremen, Magdeburg, Erfurt, Saarbrücken and Munich). In seven capitals, we had to wait longer than three days, sometimes even up to five weeks (Kiel, Schwerin, Berlin, Hanover, Dusseldorf, Mainz and Stuttgart).
How to register a used car in Germany
In order to register a car in Germany, the following documents must be submitted:
- ID card or passport
- Vehicle insurance confirmation ( EVB number : seven-digit combination of numbers and letters) for vehicle liability insurance. You give it to the admissions office when you register. Attention: driving on public roads without insurance is a criminal offence.
- Registration certificate part I and part II
- Confirmation of the last major review
- Authorization for direct debit of vehicle tax
- Custom number plate : If you need a specific number plate, you can reserve it in advance. The commission for this is 10.20 euros.
If you send a representative to the Admissions Committee for registration, you must issue a written power of attorney. The person must also carry an original ID and a copy of your ID. A statement of consent is required for admission to a minor .
Tip: usually the regulatory bodies have their own templates of powers of attorney and declarations of consent. In many regions of Germany, you can also register your car online or transfer it to a new owner.
How to register a new car in Germany
When registering a new vehicle, in addition to the documents mentioned above, you will need confirmation of the license for operation. In most cases, this is the manufacturer’s COC certificate (it can be obtained from the dealer).
This is done by the admissions committee
The registration department by main place of residence deals with the following:
- Issuance of documents for the car
- Registration number and seals
- Environmental sticker on the registered car (on request)
If you do not yet have license plates , contact the license plate service after approval . In this case, the number plates must be stamped by the registration authority.
How to deregister a car in Germany
To deregister an old car, you will need the following documents:
- Certificate of Registration Part I, also known as “Vehicle Registration”
- Mark for cancellation
- The office automatically informs the main customs office and the insurance company that the vehicle has been deregistered.
- The license plate can be reserved . The maximum reservation period depends on the registration area and is usually between three and twelve months.
In principle, the previous owner can use his license plate for another car. In this case, it is necessary to pay 10.20 euros for the required license plate.
The buyer does not register the vehicle: what to do?
If you sell your car while it is not yet registered, you must notify the registration service about the sale. The obligation does not apply if the buyer himself informs the registration service about it.
If the buyer does not register the car immediately or removes it from service, it should be reported to the registration service. The latter can submit a registration certificate to the Verkehrsblatt with a four -week deadline for submission to it. This means that the registration certificate is sought publicly. Once the term expires, the approval ends, and with it, your tax liability.
However, there is no right to initiate this procedure, therefore, before transferring the vehicle, it is strongly recommended to deregister it.
Upon sale , the insurance contract is transferred to the buyer. As a result, in case of a claim, the seller does not lower the rating. As this only applies when the insurance company is aware of the sale , it is strongly recommended that you also notify the insurance company of the sale.
Driving with unstamped license plates
Trips related to the registration process, including stamping trips and trips for general inspection or security checks, may be made within the registration area and the surrounding area with unstamped license plates. However, it is a prerequisite that the registration authority has assigned such a number plate in advance and that the trips are covered by motor liability insurance.
Return trips after removal of the sticker with the seal can be made with a pre-assigned number plate until the end of the day the vehicle was taken out of service, if they are insured by a motor civil.
Registration of vehicles in Germany online
Cars can also be registered, re-registered and de-registered online. This is how online vehicle registration works.
- A new ID card with online eID functionality is required
- Vehicle registration and title must have hidden security codes
- Payment is made online using EC or credit card
Digitization in registration offices: both initial registration and transfer to a new owner are possible via the Internet. This online registration of vehicles *, abbreviated i-Kfz, complements the deregistration and re-registration of passenger cars via the Internet. However, so far only about two-thirds of registration departments offer a full range of online registration on their Internet portals.
Until now, online registration was only possible for general license plates . For all others, such as seasonal number plates and so-called electronic number plates , which give electric car drivers advantages when parking, for example, this is not yet possible.
What is required for online access to vehicle registration in Germany
In order to be able to use the online service, a number of requirements must be met: For all processes, the vehicle owner needs a new identity card with the activated online eID function * and the corresponding PIN code . Also a card reader or smartphone with the free ID app *. Second, the registration documents (vehicle registration and car title) must have a hidden security code * that must be scratched off. This applies to Part I of the registration certificate from 2015 and Part II from 2018.
Here’s how consent works
You must first identify yourself on the online portal of the local registration authority: with a new identity card or an electronic residence permit . Here’s how it works when registering for the first time : enter the vehicle identification number (VIN) and then the security code in the registration certificate, part II (vehicle registration document) – you must notify it in advance. You will then need the insurance company’s eVB number as proof of vehicle liability and account details for vehicle tax collection.
Now you can choose the next available license plate or enter a reserved license plate. After the automatic verification of the application data, you pay using ePayment , such as Giropay or credit card. Which payment methods are accepted depends on the IT of the respective registration service.
Once all records have been verified, the application will be reviewed by the Admissions Clerk. You will then be mailed an approval notice and certificates, a stamp sticker carrier and a HU sticker carrier to be affixed to the license plate. After pasting the sticker on the license plate, you can start driving.
Deregistration of a car in Germany online
When de -registering a vehicle during official decommissioning in Germany, do the following: Enter the vehicle registration number and the open security code of Part I of the registration certificate (vehicle registration) as well as the number plate. If the vehicle is later re-registered with the same number plate in the same registration area, the number plate can be reserved. Next, payment of the fee through the electronic payment system, verification and confirmation of the application. After a positive verification of the data, confirmation of deregistration can be called online.
The following documents are required for online re-registration with a change of ownership and for re-registration: Certificate of Registration, Part I and Part II, each with a hidden security code, number eVB . (electronic confirmation of insurance), confirmation of a valid basic technical inspection, IBAN for deducting transport tax.
Important: during re- registration, part II of the registration certificate is required only if the owner changes at the same time.
Online car registration in Germany: this is the cost of the service
Prices and fees are the same throughout the country: the statement of operation, the deregistration certificate, is cheaper than at the registration office – it costs 5.70 euros online instead of 6.90 euros. Other online procedures are slightly more expensive than in person at the registration office: the registration fee is €27.90 instead of €27, and the transfer to another registration area is €28.20 instead of €27.
The Federal Ministry of Transport cites material and personnel costs for online processing . For example, to create cover letters so that the user of the new service knows what to do. Instead, the driver saves himself a trip to the registration office, which is often associated with a long wait, especially in cities. As the Certificate of Registration Part II must be sent by registered letter or postal delivery document, an additional fee of €10.20 will be charged in these cases.
German sites for selling and buying cars
List of sites for selling and buying cars in Germany: