Police stop drivers: driving license from abroad is invalid!

Police stop drivers: driving license from abroad is invalid!

Today, May 27, 2025, the police in Ulm carried out a traffic stop at a gas station and rest area. During this check, a 35-year-old driver was stopped with an invalid Bosnian driving license. The man has been living in Germany since September 2024, which resulted in his driving license becoming invalid under German regulations. After a period of 180 days, driving licenses from non-EU countries usually lose their validity, which was the case in this case. Since he was behind the wheel without a valid driver's license, he received a notice for driving without a license, which can be punished according to Section 21 StVG. His German-registered Peugeot had to be left at the rest stop while he faced the legal consequences of his actions. According to news.de, the strict regulations in Germany for foreign driving licenses are clear: These must be rewritten within the six-month period in order to be able to drive legally on German roads.

For foreign citizens, especially third-party foreigners like the 35-year-old in this case, they are generally allowed to drive for up to six months with a driving license obtained abroad. However, after this period, the validity of this permit expires, which can have legal consequences if you continue to drive. Driving without a converted driving license can be considered a criminal offense and can result in fines and points in the central traffic register. This information highlights the importance of observing the legal requirements regarding foreign driving licenses in order to avoid unpleasant surprises. This is supported by the content of tarneden.de.

Legal situation for foreign driving licenses

In Germany, according to Section 2 of the Road Traffic Act, it is necessary to have a valid driving license in order to drive a motor vehicle on public roads. The local driving license authority is responsible for issuing and converting a driving license. The identification documents required for this should be presented when applying and a personal appearance is often necessary. It should also be noted that the transfer of driving licenses from abroad is a case-by-case decision that depends on various legal regulations. This important information can be found on the [TÜV Nord] website (https://www.tuev-nord.de/de/privatkunden/verkehr/fuehrerschein/informationen-fuer-auslaendische-mitbuerger/).

The legal implications of driving without a valid license are extensive, and on the one hand there are numerous court decisions that in certain cases have led to the acquittal of foreigners who continued to drive without a license. On the other hand, professional drivers who have been active in Germany for more than six months should be particularly careful, as their frequent trips could potentially be considered as multiple crimes. Lawyers state that in such cases the consultation costs start at 75 euros and the representation costs without a main hearing are around 700 euros and can even cost around 1,100 euros in a main hearing.