Old driver's licenses have to be exchanged - first deadline in January 2022

Created: 01/13/2022, 01:51 PM

By: Anne Hund

Millions of driver's licenses will have to be exchanged by 2033.

You can find out which deadline applies to whom here.

Slowly but surely, the old driver's licenses should disappear.

The first deadline in January 2022 is just the beginning of a step-by-step plan: Millions of driver's licenses * will have to be exchanged by 2033.

Driving license exchange: First deadline in the step-by-step plan

But how does the driver's license exchange work?

On

it said: “You go to your  driver's

office  and apply for an exchange of your driving license for motorcycle and car classes. 

"

The exchange is mandatory, emphasize the experts: If you instead continue to drive with your old

and allow the deadline to pass, you risk a 

 of ten euros.

Important, so it was said on

: "However, you do not commit a crime - it is different with truck and bus driving licenses!"

You can also read

Deadlines for the mandatory exchange of old driving licenses

The first important date is approaching: Anyone  born

 must exchange their driving license 

, as the German Press Agency (dpa) described some time ago and lists all relevant deadlines for the mandatory exchange of old driving licenses has.

• Drivers born between 1953 and 1958 should exchange their driving licenses by January 19, 2022.

• For those born between 1959 and 1964, the deadline is January 19, 2023,

• for those born between 1965 and 1970 by January 19, 2024,

• for those born in 1971 or later until January 19, 2025,

• for those born before 1953 until January 19, 2033.

You can find out more about exchanging old driver's licenses and the January deadline here.

After that, there are deadlines for the 

, which were issued from January 1, 1999, as dpa further described.

This exchange should take place according to the respective

, the date of

is decisive:

• Driving licenses issued between 1999 and 2001 should be exchanged by January 19, 2026.

• For the exhibition years 2002 to 2004, the plan provides for a deadline of January 19, 2027

• for the exhibition years 2005 to 2007 until January 19, 2028

• for the exhibition year 2008 until January 19, 2029

• for the exhibition year 2009 until January 19, 2030

• for the exhibition year 2010 until January 19, 2031

• for the exhibition year 2011 until January 19, 2032

• for driver's licenses issued between 2012 and January 18, 2013, the conversion period runs until January 19, 2033.

Good to know:

A voluntary exchange of the driver's license document is possible at any time, i.e. before the respective submission deadline.

Driver's license: what do you need for an exchange?

car drivers and motorcyclists

need

an identity card or passport, a biometric passport photo and the

for the exchange .

"If the old (pink or gray) paper driver's license was not issued by the authority of your current place of residence, you also need a copy of the so-called 

 from the authority that originally issued the driver's license," it said

on

It can be applied for by post, by phone or often online and sent directly to the new driver's license office.

Also interesting:

How much does the driver's license exchange cost?

According to the ADAC, the

for the exchange at the

office cost around 25 euros, on top of which there are the costs for the biometric passport photo.