Is there still an old card driving license in your wallet or even a paper one? For some vintages the exchange deadline has expired, for others it is approaching. Which deadline applies to you.
Berlin/Erfurt. Have you already exchanged your old driver's license? Yes, long ago? It's not your turn yet? No idea what we're talking about? Of this: All drivers in the EU should gradually receive the new, forgery-proof, EU-standard driving license.
For this purpose, both paper documents and older card documents will be exchanged in stages. There were and are deadlines for this - those that depend on the year of birth of the owners and those that depend on the date of issue of the document. Some have already passed, according to TÜV Thuringia.
Take a look in your wallet: Is there an old paper driving license or was a card driving license issued between 1999 and 2001? Then there is a need for rapid action. Unless you were born before 1953.
This is how the exchange works according to birth year or issue date
The exchange of the old paper notes was staggered according to the birth years of the holders. The last season for those born in 1953 or later with such paper documents ended on January 19, 2025 - until then, everyone born in 1971 or younger was the last to have these documents.
And for the old card driving licenses that were issued from January 1, 1999, the first deadline expired on January 19 of this year. But don't panic - there is an exception for both formats:
Anyone born before 1953 must have exchanged their driving license document by January 19, 2033. It doesn't matter whether it's a paper or credit card driver's license and regardless of the date it was issued.
Unless, in individual cases, there is already a new document with an expiry date - then this always applies, according to the ADAC. The 15-year validity period already applies to all driving licenses issued from January 19, 2013, after which a new document is required, similar to the identity card.
The deadlines for driving licenses issued from 1999
For the old card driving licenses, which are due this year, the date of issue is decisive. The next deadline here ends at the beginning of 2027.
These are the exchange periods for card driving licenses (issued between January 1st, 1999 and January 18th, 2013) at a glance:
1999 to 2001: Deadline passed (until January 19, 2026)
2002 to 2004: Exchange until January 19, 2027
2005 to 2007: Exchange until January 19, 2028
2008: Exchange until January 19, 2029
2009: Exchange until January 19, 2030
2010: Exchange until January 19, 2031
2011: Exchange until January 19, 2032
2012 to January 18, 2013: Exchange until January 19, 2033
Tip: You don't necessarily have to exhaust your deadline, the exchange can be made at any time.
Get an appointment in good time
To exchange your license, you will need an appointment at the relevant driving license office - and this is not always easy to get. So it definitely makes sense to try to exchange it as soon as the deadline approaches. A fee of around 25 euros is charged for the exchange, and biometric passport photos are also required.
Only administrative act - no new examination
Very important: According to the federal government, the exchange campaign is “a purely administrative matter”; the driving license itself remains unchanged. Therefore, this does not involve any additional medical examinations or new driving tests.
However, anyone who cannot present a valid driver's license at a police check will face a fine of 10 euros. An expired driver's license will not be immediately confiscated during a vehicle inspection. In addition to the warning fine, law enforcement officers will usually remind you of the obligation to exchange and thus receive an official request for the exchange, according to TÜV Thuringia. Anyone who wants to rent a car could also have problems with an expired document.
