For the customer the paper in the glove box disappears, for the dealership the handover changes. All statements come from press release 057/2025 and the i-Kfz page of the Federal Ministry of Transport.
Zevra is the B2B platform for digital vehicle registration for car dealers, registration services and fleets: cases are entered in the dealer portal and filed nationwide by power of attorney with qualified electronic signature – from €10 per registration, no base fee, no minimum volume.
Last updated: · Zevra editorial team · Reviewed by M. Gabal, owner
What is the digital registration certificate?
The digital registration certificate is the digital version of registration certificate part I. Keepers load it onto their smartphone in the i-Kfz app and retrieve it there at any time. The app was developed on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Transport by the Federal Motor Transport Authority and Bundesdruckerei.
Does the app replace the paper certificate on the road?
The Vehicle Registration Ordinance requires registration certificate part I to be carried. According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, retrieving the certificate in the app legally fulfils this duty; the paper no longer has to be carried on car or motorcycle journeys.
What applies when?
| Step | Status according to the Federal Ministry of Transport |
|---|---|
| Launch of the i-Kfz app for citizens | 6 November 2025 |
| Availability for legal entities such as fleet operators | announced for early 2026 |
| digital driving licence in app form | planned, expected at the end of 2026 |
| Carrying after an online registration | at the latest 10 days after registration: part I or the digital certificate |
What else can the app do?
- manage registration certificates without keeping paper documents
- share the certificate digitally with third parties, for example a workshop
- automatic reminders, for instance of upcoming general inspections
Is the paper certificate still needed?
Yes, for registration cases. The security code for the internet-based procedure is concealed on the printed registration certificate part I; for deregistration and transfer it is uncovered on the paper.
What does this mean for fleets?
The press release of 6 November 2025 announces that the i-Kfz app will also be available to legal entities such as fleet operators in early 2026. Check the current status with the Federal Motor Transport Authority before you switch your drivers.
What does this mean for the dealership?
After an online registration via Zevra the customer drives off with the temporary registration proof; the printed part I arrives by post and can then be loaded into the app.
With Zevra, registration costs from €10, deregistration from €2 per case, net and plus official fees.
Read more
- New registration online: register new cars digitally and hand over the same day
- Vehicle deregistration online: take vehicles out of service digitally – for dealers and fleets
- Transfer online: re-register a used car to the buyer digitally
- Re-registration online: put deregistered vehicles back into service digitally
- Day registration online: first registration for one calendar day – digitally from the dealership
- eVB number in vehicle registration: proof of third-party insurance in the digital application
- Digital registration power of attorney: how the dealership registers for the customer with legal certainty
- Vehicle registration without online ID: why the customer needs no eID when the dealership registers
- Number plates in the digital registration case: own press or order with shipping
- Digital vehicle registration in the dealership: the complete guide
- i-Kfz for companies and dealers: portal, large-customer interface or service
- Vehicle registration by the dealer – also in another federal state
- Who offers digital vehicle registration for companies in Germany?
- Uncovering the security code: registration certificate part I, part II and stickers
- Registration certificate part II lost: procedure, deadlines and consequences for the trade
- Short-term plates or red plates: what dealers need for test and transfer drives
- Export plates: exporting vehicles – what dealers need to know
- Registering motorcycles and trailers online: what is the same for dealers – and what differs
- i-Kfz stage 4: what is new – and what does it mean for dealerships?
- Registering a company car: which documents does each legal form need?
- Registration service, authority or i-Kfz: which route pays off for dealers?
- Registering a leased vehicle: who is the keeper – and where does the registration certificate part II stay?
- Registration service at the dealership: how does registration become a selling point?
- Registration for used-car dealers: which vehicles work online?
- Registration service costs: what does a dealership pay per registration?
- How long does online vehicle registration take in Germany?
- Seasonal plates, E plates and H plates: applying online in Germany
- Low-emission sticker (Umweltplakette): what dealers should know
- Change of address after a move: re-registering a vehicle online
- Registering motorhomes and caravans online: what dealers need to know
- Interchangeable plates (Wechselkennzeichen): one plate for two vehicles
- Vehicle registration in Germany: official figures, deadlines and key dates
- Vehicle registration fees in Germany: official fees at the counter and online
- Registration without a valid HU: what is possible when the inspection has expired
- Importing an EU vehicle and registering it in Germany: what dealers need to know
- Registering an electric car in Germany: tax exemption and E plate
- Keeper's change of name: having the vehicle documents changed
- Documents for vehicle registration: printable checklist per case
- Reserving a number plate: term, fee and rules for personalised plates
- Registering rental cars and taxis: reporting the use and meeting deadlines
- Certificate of destruction (Verwertungsnachweis): scrapping and deregistering a car
- Green number plates: plates for tax-exempt vehicles in Germany
- Online registration rejected: common reasons and solutions
- Becoming a KBA large customer: requirements, details and duties
- HU intervals: when is the general inspection due for which vehicle?
- Vehicle tax at registration: SEPA mandate and tax arrears
- Temporary registration proof: content, validity and duties
- CoC (certificate of conformity): the proof at first registration
- Vehicle registration: 5 special cases on papers and plates in brief
- Registration certificate part I: fields and codes from A to S explained
- 100 km/h plaque for trailers: requirements and procedure
- i-Kfz portal: procedure, 30-minute limit and availability of online registration
- Car dealerships
- Registration services
- Fleet operators
- Car workshops
- Pricing
Sources: Bundesministerium für Verkehr: Pressemitteilung 057/2025 – Neue i-Kfz-App: digitaler Fahrzeugschein (06.11.2025) · Bundesministerium für Verkehr: Internetbasierte Fahrzeugzulassung – So funktioniert i-Kfz · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 13 – Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I