Licence for the (cross-border) carriage of goods by road for commercial purposes / Community licence

Do you intend to transport goods with motor vehicles over 3.5 tonnes on a commercial basis or for a fee? To do this, you need the permission of the locally responsible licensing authority (place of business).

The commercial performance of transport services with vehicles with a permissible total weight of more than 3.5 tonnes is subject to authorisation. A distinction must be made between a licence for the commercial carriage of goods by road (valid only in Germany) and a Community licence (valid within the European Union). The main grant factors are:

• Professional aptitude

Specialist knowledge examination at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or training as a transport specialist or forwarding agent (training started before 04.12.2011)

• Financial capacity

Equity of EUR 9,000 for the first vehicle, EUR 5,000 for each additional vehicle)

• personal reliability

Certificates of good conduct and information from the Central Trade Register must be applied for at the Citizens' Registration Offices and sent directly to the licensing authority. If entrepreneurs are already self-employed, certificates of good standing from the tax office, the employees' health insurance companies and the employers' liability insurance association must also be submitted. The documents for personal reliability must not be older than 3 months at the time of application).

The application is submitted to the locally competent licensing authority (place of business of the company).

Authorisation granted by the competent authority under state law.

In Lower Saxony, the responsibility lies with the district, the independent city or the large independent city.

• Police clearance certificate (will be sent to the competent authority after application has been submitted to the Citizens' Registration Office)
• Excerpts from the Central Trade and Transport Register
• Proof of proficiency and expertise examination of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce
• Clearance certificates from the tax office and social security institutions
• Certificate of Equity / Statement of Assets

Please check with your local authority to see if you need to submit any further documents.

• Applications must be submitted in writing. There are no special requirements for the form.
• The application forms, which are publicly available on the Authority's website, facilitate the submission of applications and should therefore be completed and sent to the competent authority.
• As a rule, it is not necessary to appear in person at the authority
• No online service possible (in Berlin)

The permit for the commercial carriage of goods by road will only be granted to you if:

• the safety and efficiency of the operation are ensured,
• there are no facts that demonstrate your unreliability as an entrepreneur or of the persons appointed to conduct the business,
• you as an entrepreneur or the person appointed to manage the business are professionally qualified and
• You and the contractors commissioned by you to carry out transport services have their place of business or their branch office within the meaning of commercial law in Germany.

• Contradiction

• You must apply for a Community licence (EU licence) or a national road haulage permit from the competent authority. The content of the application for a permit or community licence must be in accordance with Annex 1 of the General Administrative Regulation on Road Haulage Law (GüKVwV).
• The competent authority will make a final decision on the application.

none

The administrative fee for the issuance of the permit or licence is EUR 300.00 plus EUR 80.00 per copy/certified copy for each vehicle used.: Fee free of charge

Text reviewed by the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Transport