Skip to content

Apply for a passenger transport permit

You need a passenger transport permit to drive the following

  • Taxis
  • Hired cars or passenger cars in regular services or bundled on-demand services
  • Hire cars or passenger cars for commercial excursions and holiday destinations
  • Ambulances, if you are transporting passengers for a fee or commercially

If you have a driving licence class D or D1, you only need a passenger transport permit to drive taxis.

The permit is valid for a maximum of five years. You can have it extended for five years at a time

Prerequisite

  • Driving licence in credit card format
  • Driving licence class B or equivalent for at least two years; for ambulances: one year
  • Minimum age: 21 years; for ambulances: 19 years
  • Proof of physical and mental fitness
  • personal reliability: no serious previous convictions or traffic violations are allowed
  • Proof of professional competence for taxis, rental cars and bundled on-demand transportThe
    content requirements for proof of professional competence have not yet been conclusively clarified. There are transitional regulations. Further information can be obtained from the responsible driving licence office.

Responsible department

the driving licence office in your place of residence

Is the driving licence office,

  • if you live in a city district: the city council
  • if you live in a rural district: the Landratsamt (district administration office)

Procedure

You must appear in person at the competent office. You can obtain the application form from the driving licence office. Your municipality of residence must confirm your personal data in the application.

You can also submit the application there.

Required documents

  • Identity card or passport
  • Driving licence in credit card format
  • Certificate of good conduct
  • current information from the driving aptitude register
  • Proof of professional competence: only for taxis, hire cars and bundled on-demand transport
  • medical certificate on the examination of eyesight or certificate from an ophthalmologist (validity: two years)
    You can have this examination carried out by
    • an ophthalmologist
    • an occupational physician or occupational health physician
    • an assessment centre for fitness to drive
    • a doctor from the public health department or another public authority
  • medical certificate of fitness
    Doctors usually have the form for this certificate. You can see a doctor of your choice. When you apply, the certificate must not be older than one year.
  • performance psychology certificate
    This examination will check, for example Your
    • Ability to cope with stress
    • Reactivity
    • Orientation ability
    • Ability to concentrate

You can provide proof by means of

  • a company or occupational medical report or
  • a report from an officially recognised assessment centre for fitness to drive

If necessary, you must provide a medical-psychological certificate from an officially recognised assessment centre for driving aptitude to prove that you can cope with the special responsibility of transporting passengers.

Costs

  • Issuing: EUR 43.90 if you already have the EU card driving licence
  • Exchange of your existing driving licence for the cheque card driving licence: additional EUR 25.30
  • further costs are incurred for applying for a certificate of good conduct as well as the required proof of suitability and medical examinations

Miscellaneous

Proof of specialist knowledge: The content requirements for proof of specialist knowledge have not yet been conclusively clarified. There are currently transitional regulations; more detailed information can be obtained from the responsible driving licence office. 

The procedure and the required documents apply to both the initial issue of a driving licence and the new issue of a driving licence for the carriage of passengers.

Release note

16.02.2022 Verkehrsministerium Baden-Württemberg