Driving instructor licence - applying for a candidate licence
Anyone who trains persons who wish to acquire a licence to drive motor vehicles (learner drivers) requires a driving instructor licence. The driving instructor licence is issued on application in category BE and additionally in categories A, CE and DE. The applicant initially receives a candidate licence. The candidate licence is issued for the purpose of continuing training as a driving instructor specifically for practical training in a training driving school. After completing the entire training and passing an examination, the driving instructor licence is issued.
The driving instructor licence and the candidate licence may only be used together with the driving school licence or as part of an employment or training relationship with the owner of a driving school.
Responsible authority
is the office responsible for driving instructors in your place of residence. This is
- if you live in a rural district: the local district office
- if you live in an urban district: the local city council (town hall)
Contact
Details
Prerequisite
The driving instructor licence is issued if the applicant
- is at least 21 years old,
- is mentally, physically, professionally and pedagogically suitable and there are no facts that make him/her appear unreliable for the driving instructor profession,
- has at least completed vocational training in a recognised teaching profession or equivalent previous training,
- is in possession of a driving licence for the category for which the driving instructor licence is to be issued,
- has held a category B driving licence for at least three years and, if the driving instructor licence is also to be issued for category A, CE or DE, has also held a category A2, CE or D driving licence for two years in each case,
- have been trained as a driving instructor within the last three years before the driving instructor licence was issued,
- can prove their professional and pedagogical aptitude by successfully passing the driving instructor examinations,
- has the knowledge of the German language required to carry out the professional activity.
The following requirements do not yet have to be met for the candidate licence to be issued:
- Minimum age,
- Completion of training as a driving instructor
- complete completion of the driving instructor examinations (the practical driving test and the specialised knowledge test must be successfully completed for the candidate licence)
Procedure
Training to become a driving instructor can only take place at a recognised driving instructor training centre. This requires not only theoretical training, but also practical training in a driving instructor training centre.
The duration of driving instructor training is
- at least 12 months for applicants for a category BE driving instructor licence and includes lessons in a driving instructor training centre and additionally in a training driving school
- for applicants for a category A driving instructor licence, at least one additional month at a driving instructor training centre
- for applicants for a category CE or DE driving instructor licence, at least two additional months at a driving instructor training centre
(If the applicant for category DE holds a category CE driving instructor licence, the training period is reduced by one month; this also applies to the issue of a category CE driving instructor licence if the applicant previously held a category DE licence).
Driving instructor training takes place in closed courses at a recognised training centre. An interruption is generally not permitted, with the exception of a maximum one-month period without lessons, which is not counted towards the total duration of the training.
The training is a "phased training programme". In the basic level, the driving instructor licence for category BE is acquired first. This requires a two-stage application procedure, first for a candidate licence and later for the driving instructor licence. Building on the category BE driving instructor licence, category A, CE and DE driving instructor licences can be obtained.
To obtain a driving instructor licence, a candidate licence must first be applied for.
- In order for the candidate driving instructor to be able to apply the knowledge freshly acquired at the officially recognised training centre in the training driving school, he or she is granted a "candidate licence" with limited training rights if he or she has previously passed the practical driving test and the specialist knowledge test with flying colours.
- The candidate licence expires either when the driving instructor licence is issued (after successfully completing the training and passing the theory and practical driving test) or after three unsuccessful theory or practical driving tests or after two years from the date of issue.
After completing the driving instructor training and successfully passing the driving instructor examinations, the applicant will receive an unlimited driving instructor licence for category BE upon application.
You must submit the application to the competent authority for your place of residence in writing or, if offered by the competent authority, as an online application. To apply online, please use the link on this page. You can upload the required evidence and documents as file attachments as part of the online application.
Deadlines
The candidate licence should be applied for in good time, depending on the practical driving test and specialist knowledge test, and the candidate licence is mandatory for training in the training driving school.
The driving instructor licence should be applied for immediately after passing the driving instructor examination. No learner drivers may be trained without the driving instructor licence.
Required documents
- official proof of place and date of birth (e.g. identity card or passport)
- Original driving licence or a certified copy of the driving licence
- extended certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority
- Curriculum vitae
- Medical and ophthalmological certificate or certificate confirming that the requirements for physical and mental aptitude and eyesight are met in accordance with the requirements for a category C1 driving licence
- Proof of previous training: At least completed vocational training in a recognised apprenticeship or equivalent previous training.
- A certificate from the officially recognised driving instructor training centre confirming the duration of the training.
- For the issue of a category BE driving instructor licence, an additional certificate from the training driving school confirming the duration of the training undertaken
Costs
Fees of EUR 40.90 are incurred for issuing the candidate licence and the driving instructor licence.
In addition, there are fees for obtaining information from the driving aptitude register (EUR 3.30), issuing the certificate of good conduct (payable at the town hall at the place of residence), the costs of driving instructor training and the fees for the examinations as part of driving instructor training.
Miscellaneous
Persons who already have a service driving instructor licence (from the German armed forces or the police) can obtain a general driving instructor licence under simplified conditions. In addition to the above-mentioned documents, proof of possession of the service driving instructor licence (e.g. certified copy of the driving instructor licence) must be enclosed with the application.
Legal basis
Fahrlehrergesetz (FahrlG):
- § 1 Erfordernis und Inhalt der Fahrlehrerlaubnis
- § 2 Voraussetzungen der Fahrlehrerlaubnis
- § 4 Antrag auf Erteilung derFahrlehrerlaubnis
- § 9 Anwärterbefugnis
- § 10 Erteilung Fahrlehrerlaubnis und der Anwärterbefugnis
Durchführungsverordnung zum Fahrlehrergesetz
Fahrlehrer-Ausbildungsverordnung (FahrlAusbV)
Fahrlehrer-Prüfungsverordnung (FahrlPrüfV)
Release note
Machine generated, based on the German release by: Verkehrsministerium Baden-Württemberg, 18.09.2025