Apply for a cab permit

Do you want to transport passengers commercially in a cab? You can apply for the necessary permit from the relevant transport authority.

You require a permit for the commercial transportation of passengers by cab. You can submit a corresponding application to your local transport authority in the respective independent city or district.

In municipalities with more than 7,500 inhabitants, the municipal council is responsible, otherwise the district committee at the registered office or branch of your company.

• Formal application (surname, first name of the applicant; place of residence and place of business; for natural persons: Date of birth, place of birth; number of vehicles, vehicle type, capacity of the vehicles to be used
• Certificates of employment or examination certificates (for professional suitability) of the applicant or the person appointed to manage the business
• Equity certificate / additional certificate (form in accordance with Section 2 (2) No. 2 / Section 2 (3) of the Ordinance on Professional Access to Road Passenger Transport PBZugV), not older than 12 months
• Clearance certificate from the tax office, the municipality, the social insurance institution and the employers' liability insurance association, not older than 3 months (from the company, the legal representative and the person appointed to manage the business / transport management)
• Certificate of good conduct for submission to the authorities in accordance with Section 30 (5) BZRG
• Extract from the central trade register in accordance with Section 150 (5) GewO (for companies)
• Extract from the driving aptitude register (FAER)

General documents

• Vehicle list, if applicable rental vehicles with rental contract or leasing list
• Proof of liability insurance for cabs including risk identification number (WKZ)
• Business registration
• In the case of partnerships, the list of partners, the partnership agreement or other proof of contractual authorization
• certified extract from the commercial register

The licensing authority may request further information and documents, in particular the submission of a certificate of good conduct.

Forms available: Yes
Written form required: Yes
Informal application possible: No
Personal appearance necessary: No

• The safety and efficiency of the business is guaranteed.
• There are no facts indicating that the applicant is unreliable as an entrepreneur or the person appointed to manage the business.
• The applicant as entrepreneur or the person appointed to manage the business is professionally qualified.
• The applicant and the entrepreneurs appointed by the applicant to provide transport services must have their registered office or place of business within the meaning of commercial law in Germany.

New applicants and existing entrepreneurs must be given appropriate consideration. Within both groups, consideration will be given according to the chronological order in which applications are submitted.
Irrespective of the date of application, applicants will be given lower priority,

• who do not intend to operate a cab business as their main occupation,
• have not operated their cab business as their main occupation or have sold or leased it in whole or in part within the last 8 years,
• has not properly fulfilled his or her operating obligations

An applicant may only be granted one permit at a time, provided that no more permits can be granted than there are applicants.
New applicants receive their permit for 2 years. During this period, the rights and obligations arising from the permit may not be transferred.
Legal entities under public law are deemed to have fulfilled the requirements.

Personenbeförderungsgesetz (PBefG) § 2; Verordnung über den Betrieb von Kraftfahrunternehmen (BoKraft); Verordnung über den Zugang zum Beruf des Straßenpersonenverkehrsunternehmers (PBZugV); Fahrzeugzulassungsverordnung

• Appeal: Further information on how to lodge an appeal can be found in the notification of your application.
• Appeal to the administrative court after an unsuccessful appeal

Proceed as follows to obtain a permit for the commercial transportation of passengers by cab:

• Submit a corresponding application to the transport authority responsible for you in the respective independent city or district and enclose all the necessary documents with the application.
• The authority will process your application and carry out the necessary hearing procedures.
• You will receive a decision on the issue or re-issue of a cab permit, including the handover of the permit certificates.

Deadlines only start to run once a decision has been made on the application. If your application is complete, a decision will be made within 3 months. The deadline can be extended by 3 months if necessary. The general objection period under administrative procedure law is one month.

The extension of the three-month period may not exceed 3 months. Approval is deemed to have been granted if it is not refused within the deadline.

The processing time may vary between the competent transport authorities. The processing time may depend, among other things, on whether all documents relevant to the decision have been submitted or whether additional requests for documents are necessary.

The amount of the fees depends on

- the number of vehicles and
- the term of the permit.

The fee is charged in accordance with the Ordinance on Costs for Official Acts in Paid or Commercial Passenger Transport by Motor Vehicle (PBefGKostV). It amounts to a minimum of 100.00 euros and a maximum of 1,465.00 euros.

Approval is granted for new applicants for a period of 2 years.