Offices for swapping and replacing driving licences

Online, by appointment or both: it depends on your city

Many cities take licence swaps at a citizens’ office, while others use a separate driving licence authority. Whether you can apply online with a digital ID, and whether the new card must be collected in person, depends on the city. The right counter may also depend on your situation, such as an old paper licence or a lorry or bus category.

56 offices
  • Aachen

    Bezirksamt Brand

    Paul-Küpper-Platz 1, 52078 Aachen

    Book an appointment to swap an old German licence if you live in Aachen, as nobody can apply for you.

    Bring an identity card or passport, your existing driving licence and a high-quality printed biometric photo. The city’s digital biometric terminals cannot be used for this driving-licence application. Pay the €26.50 application fee in cash or by card. Optional delivery to your registered address costs €6.30 extra; if selected, your old licence is limited to six months’ remaining validity when you apply and need not be presented again. Failed delivery requires collection at the road-traffic authority, with no refund of the delivery surcharge.

  • Aachen

    Bezirksamt Eilendorf: Pass-und Einwohnermeldeangelegenheiten, Bewohnerparken

    Heinrich-Thomas-Platz 1, 52080 Aachen

    This is for old German licences only, so a foreign licence goes straight to the regional driving licence authority.

    Bring an identity card or passport, your existing driving licence and a high-quality printed biometric photo. The city’s digital biometric terminals cannot be used for this driving-licence application. Pay the €26.50 application fee in cash or by card. Optional delivery to your registered address costs €6.30 extra; if selected, your old licence is limited to six months’ remaining validity when you apply and need not be presented again. Failed delivery requires collection at the road-traffic authority, with no refund of the delivery surcharge.

  • Aachen

    Bezirksamt Haaren: Einwohnermeldestelle

    Germanusstraße 32-34, 52080 Aachen

    Your deadline depends on your birth year or the licence’s issue year, so check the official table before you book.

    Bring an identity card or passport, your existing driving licence and a high-quality printed biometric photo. The city’s digital biometric terminals cannot be used for this driving-licence application. Pay the €26.50 application fee in cash or by card. Optional delivery to your registered address costs €6.30 extra; if selected, your old licence is limited to six months’ remaining validity when you apply and need not be presented again. Failed delivery requires collection at the road-traffic authority, with no refund of the delivery surcharge.

  • Aachen

    Bezirksamt Kornelimünster / Walheim

    Schulberg 20, 52076 Aachen

    A letter tells you when the new licence is ready, and you collect it with your old original.

    Bring an identity card or passport, your existing driving licence and a high-quality printed biometric photo. The city’s digital biometric terminals cannot be used for this driving-licence application. Pay the €26.50 application fee in cash or by card. Optional delivery to your registered address costs €6.30 extra; if selected, your old licence is limited to six months’ remaining validity when you apply and need not be presented again. Failed delivery requires collection at the road-traffic authority, with no refund of the delivery surcharge.

  • Aachen

    Bezirksamt Laurensberg

    Rathausstraße 12, 52072 Aachen

    The district counter takes your application and passes it on to the regional driving licence authority.

    Bring an identity card or passport, your existing driving licence and a high-quality printed biometric photo. The city’s digital biometric terminals cannot be used for this driving-licence application. Pay the €26.50 application fee in cash or by card. Optional delivery to your registered address costs €6.30 extra; if selected, your old licence is limited to six months’ remaining validity when you apply and need not be presented again. Failed delivery requires collection at the road-traffic authority, with no refund of the delivery surcharge.

  • Aachen

    Bezirksamt Richterich: Pass-und Einwohnermeldeangelegenheiten, Bewohnerparken

    Roermonder Straße 559, 52072 Aachen

    Open to people whose main home is in Aachen, with a personal appointment booked in advance.

    Bring an identity card or passport, your existing driving licence and a high-quality printed biometric photo. The city’s digital biometric terminals cannot be used for this driving-licence application. Pay the €26.50 application fee in cash or by card. Optional delivery to your registered address costs €6.30 extra; if selected, your old licence is limited to six months’ remaining validity when you apply and need not be presented again. Failed delivery requires collection at the road-traffic authority, with no refund of the delivery surcharge.

  • Aachen

    Bürger*innenbüro Bahnhofplatz

    Hackländerstraße 1, 52064 Aachen

    Book a personal counter appointment, and collect your new licence with the old original once a letter arrives.

    Bring an identity card or passport, the existing licence and a printed biometric photo. Aachen’s photo terminal and digital photo cloud cannot supply this driving-licence photo. If choosing postal delivery, the old licence is limited to six months’ remaining validity at application. Failed delivery requires collection at the road-traffic authority, with no refund of the delivery surcharge.

  • Aachen

    Bürger*innenbüro Katschhof

    Johannes-Paul-II.-Straße 1, 52062 Aachen

    You must apply yourself, though an authorised person can later collect the new licence for you.

    Bring an identity card or passport, the existing licence and a printed biometric photo. Aachen’s photo terminal and digital photo cloud cannot supply this driving-licence photo. If choosing postal delivery, the old licence is limited to six months’ remaining validity at application. Failed delivery requires collection at the road-traffic authority, with no refund of the delivery surcharge.

  • Augsburg

    Bürgerbüro Stadtmitte

    An der Blauen Kappe 18, 86152 Augsburg

    Apply online with BundID or BayernID, or book an appointment, and keep your entitlement without a new test.

    Prepare a valid ID or passport, your old licence and a biometric photograph. Follow the chosen form’s instructions about originals and copies. If the last licence was issued outside Augsburg, request a free Karteikartenabschrift from the issuing authority and have it sent directly to Stadt Augsburg, Führerscheinstelle, An der Blauen Kappe 18, 86152 Augsburg, or [email protected].

  • Berlin

    Bürgeramt Rathaus Mitte

    Karl-Marx-Allee 31, 10178 Berlin

    Pick the right appointment, for a card exchange or for lorry and bus categories, and keep your booking confirmation.

    Card exchange: Bring ID or passport, your existing card and one current biometric photo on paper; the office does not print paper photos. For changes to eyesight restrictions, bring the required sight evidence; C/D cases use the specified medical examination. Check the official deadline table: the 1999–2001 card deadline was 19 January 2026, while 2002–2004 cards are due by 19 January 2027. A separate rule applies to category-B holders born before 1953. Confirm your issue-year and birth-year case rather than assuming 2033 applies to everyone. C/D entitlement renewal: Bring ID or passport, driving licence and a current biometric photograph on paper; the office does not print paper photos. Take eyesight-examination evidence no more than two years old and physical/mental-fitness evidence no more than one year old. For D categories, a performance test no more than one year old is required from age 50 or where renewal crosses that age. D categories also need an authority-purpose criminal-record certificate, requested with the application for an additional fee. Bring professional-training evidence if also applying for the FQN.

  • Bielefeld

    Stadt Bielefeld – Fahrerlaubnisbehörde

    Ravensberger Park 5, 33607 Bielefeld

    Book a personal appointment ideally six months to four weeks before expiry, and a second one to collect.

    Bring ID, your German or EU card licence, a paper biometric photo no older than six months, eyesight evidence no older than two years and a general medical report no older than one year. Bus categories also require an authority-purpose criminal-record certificate and, where renewal extends beyond age 50, a psychophysical assessment no older than one year. Bring professional-driver qualification evidence if applicable. Direct delivery is possible while categories remain valid.

  • Bochum

    Büro für Kfz-Angelegenheiten — Fahr- und Beförderungserlaubnisse

    Bulksmühle 17, 44809 Bochum

    Book an appointment to swap a paper licence or older card, and come in person to sign for the new one.

    Bring valid ID/passport, the existing licence and a compliant 35 × 45 mm photograph. If a paper licence was issued outside Bochum, arrange a Karteikartenabschrift from the issuing authority beforehand to avoid delays. Ask about medical/eyesight evidence where retaining older truck entitlements or extending categories requires it. The procedure accepts cash or EC card; confirm any extra charges before ordering.

  • Bonn

    Dienstleistungszentrum im Stadthaus

    Berliner Platz 2, 53111 Bonn

    Apply online with a BundID verified at high level and post your documents, or book an appointment instead.

    Bring your ID or passport, existing licence and a recent biometric photo. City photo capture costs €6. If your paper licence was issued elsewhere, ask the issuing authority to send a Karteikartenabschrift directly to Bonn. Additional evidence depends on licence classes; confirm the checklist before applying.

  • Braunschweig

    Stadt Braunschweig — Führerscheinstelle

    Porschestraße 5, 38112 Braunschweig

    Book an appointment online, fill in the city’s application form and check how to hand it in.

    Prepare the three-page form, valid ID/passport/electronic residence document, biometric photo and existing licence. A Karteikartenabschrift may be needed if the last licence was issued elsewhere. Medical/eyesight reports apply only to relevant heavy-vehicle cases. The fee is €32.82 including direct delivery and €51.42 for the specified heavy-vehicle case; confirm current fees. Payment is cash or EC. Its photo machine costs an additional €10 paid separately. The two-to-eight-week estimate is not guaranteed.

  • Bremen

    Bürgeramt Bremen — Fahrerlaubnisse

    Stresemannstraße 48, 28207 Bremen

    At your appointment you get the old licence back with limited validity, and the new card follows by post.

    Bring ID/passport, the current licence and a compliant photo. If the licence was issued before 1999 outside Bremen, obtain the issuing authority’s Karteikartenabschrift. The ordinary fee is €31.50 including direct postage; using the photo self-service terminal costs €6 extra. Ordinary processing is about four weeks. Express service has different charges and collection arrangements; confirm these rather than assuming ordinary delivery or same-day availability.

  • Chemnitz

    Fahrerlaubnisbehörde Chemnitz

    Düsseldorfer Platz 1, Bürgerhaus Am Wall, 09111 Chemnitz

    Pick the driving licence authority, not the ordinary registration counter, when you book, and come in person to sign.

    Bring your old licence, identity card or passport with current registration evidence, and a biometric photograph. For an older paper licence issued elsewhere, obtain a Karteikartenabschrift from the issuing authority; ask Chemnitz about records from the former Volkspolizei-Kreisamt Karl-Marx-Stadt. The city says this extract is unnecessary for licences issued from 1 January 1999. Confirm the accepted photo format before using a passport-photo code.

  • Cologne

    Kundenzentrum Innenstadt

    Laurenzplatz 1–3, 50667 Cologne

    Apply online and collect at the city-centre customer centre, or visit in person on the days without an appointment.

    Bring ID or passport, any required residence permit, old licence and current biometric paper photo, or use the €6 city terminal. For a pre-1999 licence issued outside Cologne, ask the issuing authority to send a Karteikartenabschrift to your chosen Cologne centre. Online applications need JPEG/JPG files: a borderless portrait photo at 45 × 35 mm and a landscape signature image at 115 × 35 mm, plus licence issue and category details. The photo should be no older than three months. Pay online using a method offered by the form; bring your old licence for exchange at collection.

  • Dortmund

    Bürgerdienste – Dienstleistungszentrum Innenstadt (EWO, KFZ)

    Südwall 2-4, 44137 Dortmund

    Book the driving licence appointment, not the ordinary ID card one, and apply in Dortmund only if you live there now.

    Bring valid ID or passport, your old driving licence and a current printed biometric photo measuring 45 × 35 mm. The passport photo device is not suitable for driving-licence photos. For a paper licence issued outside Dortmund, request a Karteikartenabschrift from its issuing authority in advance; card licences do not require this extract. Pay by card or cash at the payment machine.

  • Dresden

    Fahrerlaubnisbehörde Dresden

    Hauboldstraße 7, 01239 Dresden

    Apply by post with the city’s printed form and your photo, or book an appointment to come in person.

    For postal applications include copies of both sides of your ID/passport and existing licence, plus a current biometric photograph measuring 35 × 45 mm. For a personal application bring the original identity document and licence with the photograph. Do not send cash or your original licence with the ordinary postal application. The city quotes €26.50 and sends a fee notice; pay using its instructions. Processing can take up to 12 weeks, with no separate receipt confirmation. Wait for the collection notification and bring the old licence so it can be withdrawn or invalidated. Collection instructions take precedence over application appointment rules.

  • Duisburg

    Fahrerlaubnisbehörde Duisburg

    Theodor-Heuss-Straße 80, 47167 Duisburg

    Have your medical evidence ready, and book a licensing appointment, which opens about two weeks ahead.

    Bring the current licence, identity document, biometric photo and the prescribed medical and eyesight reports. The authority offers its own photo terminal in the second-floor waiting area for €6.50; this is a driving-licence service, not the municipal passport-photo procedure. Bus renewals also require a type O criminal-record certificate and, where applicable, a performance test. The fee is €50.20 including optional €5.10 direct postage; medical/photo and other costs are separate. Payment at the transport office is cashless.

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Where to next

Renew or replace your German licence

For drivers who already hold a German licence. See which situation applies to you and where to ask for the new card.

Renew a German driving licence