Report ID card theft

If your ID card has been stolen, you must report this. You can find out more here.

As a German citizen, you are obliged to have an identity card from the age of 16 if you do not have a valid passport. Any theft of your identity card must be reported to the Citizens' Registration Office or the police. If you do not do this, you are committing an offense.
After reporting it, you can apply for a new ID card. If you have a valid passport, you do not need to apply for a new ID card. If you report the theft to your local authority or the police, the online ID card will be blocked at the same time. You can also block the online ID card yourself by telephone.

To prevent misuse, the ID card holder must immediately report the theft of the ID card to the blocking hotline (116 116) or to the ID card authority to block the online ID card function. If you have also applied an electronic signature to the ID card, you must have the signature function blocked separately. To do this, please contact the provider from whom you purchased the signature certificate and report the loss to them.

Blocking ensures that any attempted misuse is detected immediately. After blocking, it is no longer possible to use the online ID function of your ID card or to have it read out on site.
If you find the document again later, you must also report this.

Please report the theft to the local citizen's office.

If a criminal offense is involved, contact the local police station.

You do not need to submit any documents.

ID card was stolen.

As a rule, you must report the theft of your ID card in person. If the relevant ID card authority offers a corresponding online service, you can also report the theft via this service. The ID card authority will block your online ID card function after receiving your report.

Block the online ID function yourself via the hotline:

• Dial the blocking hotline 116 116, which is available around the clock, 7 days a week.
• Enter the blocking password that you received with the PIN letter using the telephone keys as soon as you are prompted to do so.
• Your online ID card will be blocked immediately.

You must report the theft immediately.

Your message will be recorded immediately.

Fee free of charge

If a report is not made to the identity card authority or not made in time, an administrative offense is committed which can be punished with a fine.

Please note: Germany cannot influence whether and how other countries set up their national police information systems or whether and how often they are updated. Therefore, in individual cases, foreign authorities may not recognize your recovered ID card for use abroad or may even confiscate it. If you want to avoid such potential inconveniences, for example on vacation or on a business trip abroad, it is advisable to apply for a new document from your competent authority if your ID card is lost or stolen. In this way, you can waive any further use of the ID card from the outset once it has been found.

It is a criminal offense to provide another person with an identity document in order to deceive them in legal transactions.