Apply for a workshop card for the first time

Does your company install or calibrate tachographs? Then you need a workshop card, which you can apply for from the relevant authority.

The workshop card is a tachograph card for

• approved manufacturers of tachographs,
• vehicle manufacturers,
• workshops and
• their responsible specialists such as fitters or technicians.

As an entrepreneur or as an authorized representative or authorized person, you can apply for this from the responsible office.

Your responsible specialists use the workshop card to install, check and calibrate digital tachographs and to download their data.

The workshop card is PIN-protected. The personal PIN number is sent to the responsible specialist at their home address. Specialists may only have one workshop card per employment relationship and may only use it there. The workshop card is the property of the company.

The workshop card is valid for 1 year from the date of personalization by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). You can apply to renew your card at the earliest 1 month before the card expires.

You must immediately report the theft or loss of the workshop card to the competent authority that issued the workshop card.

State Technical Inspection Hesse (TÜH)

• Application for the issue of a workshop card:
• documentary evidence of the name, address and registered office of the workshop, tachograph manufacturer or vehicle manufacturer
• Proof of identity of the entrepreneur or the person or persons authorized to represent the company by law, articles of association or partnership agreement
• Proof of identity and notification of the native language of the specialist for whom the workshop card is requested
• Proof of training of the responsible specialist in accordance with the tachograph recording equipment training guidelines
  • not older than 3 years
• Proof of employment of the responsible specialist
• Proof of recognition or commissioning of the workshop (in accordance with Section 57b of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations)
  • not older than 3 years

• Your company is
  • an officially recognized manufacturer of tachographs,
  • a vehicle workshop commissioned by the manufacturer or
  • an approved and recognized vehicle workshop.
• The following are eligible to apply
  • You as the entrepreneur or
  • an authorized representative or authorized person of the company.

The workshop card must be returned to the office processing the application if it is issued on the basis of false statements, if one of the conditions for issuing the card no longer applies, if the card is misused, if the responsible skilled worker leaves the company (e.g. due to a change of company) or if the workshop card is no longer required for other reasons (e.g. technician leaves the company due to retirement).
Each responsible specialist may only have 1 workshop card per employment relationship and may only use it there.
After the deadline of 15.06.2021, proof of the new training certificates (Annex IC) and corresponding recognition or commissioning for the activation, testing, installation and retesting of Generation 2 tachographs must be provided when submitting the application.