Upper Palatinate authorities overloaded: driver's license exchange period extended by half a year

Created: 01/19/2022, 16:34

It doesn't matter if it's pink or gray: Such paper driver's licenses are gradually losing their validity.

Since authorities in Bavaria are overloaded, the deadline was extended.

(Symbol image) © Andreas Arnold/dpa/dpa-tmn

Due to overburdened authorities, those born between 1953 and 1958 have six months longer to exchange their driving licenses.

The new deadline is July 19. 

Regensburg – The deadline for exchanging all driver's licenses from the years 1953 to 1958 is actually Wednesday (January 19).

However, this was briefly extended by half a year until July 19*.

This is reported by BR, citing a decision by the conference of interior ministers.

The reason is that in many places exchange applications are still missing and the authorities in the Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria have their hands full.

Driving license exchange in the Regensburg area: Upper Palatinate authorities are overloaded

Around 7,000 driving licenses still have to be exchanged in the district of Schwandorf*, the report continues.

So far, however, only 400 applications have been made (as of Monday, January 17).

So far, only 1,100 of a total of 3,000 driver's licenses have been exchanged in the city of Amberg.

The initial lull has lifted since mid-December, so the rush with around 500 exchange appointments by the end of March is immense.

Waiting times of several weeks or even months are currently to be expected.

In the district of Landshut*, only a total of 2,300 driving licenses of all birth years were exchanged in 2020 and 2021, reports the BR.

According to the current status, almost 230 applications were received this year alone.

The trend is rising, but the driver's license office is very busy, they say.

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Some counties better positioned

The district of Deggendorf*, on the other hand, is better positioned.

Thanks to a postal circular with the application documents sent to those affected last year, all 4,000 driving licenses were exchanged there.

This was announced by the responsible district office according to BR.

Things are also looking good in the Neumarkt district. As of Monday (January 17), 85 percent of the approximately 5,000 registered driver's licenses have already been exchanged here.

The background to the exchange campaign is that driving licenses should be standardized across the EU in the future.

For those born between 1959 and 1964, the exchange deadline is January 19, 2023. There is a fee of 25 euros for the exchange into the forgery-proof credit card format.