Applying for an operating license for a vehicle without registration

Would you like to drive a vehicle that does not require registration and does not have EU type approval or national approval? Then you must apply for an operating permit.

Various types of vehicles that do not require registration require an operating license in order to participate in road traffic. These include, for example

• self-propelled work machines and forklifts
• Single-axle tractors for agricultural or forestry purposes
• light motorcycles
• two- or three-wheeled mopeds
• motorized medical wheelchairs
• Small electric vehicles such as e-scooters
• Trailers in agricultural or forestry operations

Depending on the vehicle type, an operating permit can be issued with or without the allocation of a separate license plate.

The general operating permit (ABE) is issued by the manufacturer for vehicles that are produced in series.

You must apply for an individual type approval (EBE) if your registration-free vehicle does not have an EU type approval or other national approval such as an ABE. These can be, for example

• self-constructed vehicles
• one-off productions
• Vehicles from small series
• Vehicles from abroad without EU type approval

For an EBE, you must submit an expert opinion from an officially recognized expert or a technical service appointed to test complete vehicles of the respective vehicle class, which contains various test reports. These reports must prove that the necessary tests have been carried out and that the vehicle complies with the regulations.

You will receive the operating license for an unlimited period. It expires if:

• You make changes to the vehicle and the type of vehicle approved in the operating license is changed,
• a danger to road users is to be expected,
• the exhaust or noise behavior is impaired,
• you do not comply with possible requirements for installations or attachments or
• you permanently take the vehicle out of service.

After the operating permit has expired, you can apply for a new operating permit with an expert opinion from an officially recognized expert or a technical service designated to test complete vehicles of the respective vehicle class. The final decision on the granting of a new operating license is made by the competent authority according to the respective state law.

On 29.04.2009, the introduction of the EC Vehicle Approval Regulation (EG-FGV) and the new version of § 21 StVZO changed the procedure for issuing an individual approval or individual operating permit for motor vehicles.

In Hesse, this task is carried out by 2 bundling authorities in the districts of Fulda and Marburg-Biedenkopf.

The district of Marburg-Biedenkopf is responsible as the approval authority for the following cities/districts:

• City of Darmstadt
• Darmstadt-Dieburg district
• City of Offenbach
• District of Offenbach
• City of Wiesbaden
• County of Gießen
• Odenwald district
• Bergstrasse district
• District of Groß-Gerau
• Main-Taunus district
• Rheingau-Taunus district
• Limburg-Weilburg district
• Marburg-Biedenkopf district

The district of Fulda is the licensing authority responsible for the following cities/districts:

• City of Kassel
• County of Kassel
• District of Waldeck-Frankenberg
• Schwalm-Eder district
• District of Hersfeld-Rotenburg
• County of Werra-Meißner
• County of Fulda
• Vogelsberg district
• Main-Kinzig district
• Wetterau district

Exceptions are the city of Frankfurt a. M., the Lahn-Dill district and the Hochtaunus district, which provide this service themselves for their residents, provided the vehicles are registered there.

Appeal and action before the administrative court

There is no deadline.

The fee for the operating permit for vehicles without registration depends on whether a separate license plate is also applied for. There are also other variable costs, for example for expert opinions.: Fee from 39,50 EUR to 55,60 EUR (Information on cost composition can be found here)

The following information is available:

The Federal Motor Transport Authority can issue you with proof of a general operating license for vehicles manufactured in the former GDR. This applies to

• mopeds (mokicks, mopeds)
• Bicycles with auxiliary motor
• light motorcycles from the former GDR that were first put on the road before March 1, 1992
• Motorized ambulance chairs from the former GDR that were first put on the market before March 1, 1991
• trailers from the former GDR production without registration