When does a keeper have to keep a driver's logbook and what goes into it? This page summarises § 31a and § 31 of the German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations.
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
When does the authority order a logbook?
The competent authority can order a logbook to be kept when it was not possible to identify a driver after a breach of traffic rules.
The order can cover one or more vehicles that are registered to the keeper or will be registered in future. The authority can designate replacement vehicles.
What is recorded for every journey?
| Time | Entry |
|---|---|
| before the journey starts | surname, first name and address of the driver |
| before the journey starts | official registration number of the vehicle |
| before the journey starts | date and time of the start of the journey |
| after the journey ends | date and time without delay, with signature |
The entries are made by the vehicle keeper or the keeper's representative.
Which other duties does the keeper have?
- The keeper hands over the logbook for inspection on request at any time.
- This is done at the place fixed by the authority that made the order.
- The keeper keeps it for 6 months after the end of the period for which it has to be kept.
What is the keeper responsible for in operation?
The keeper must not order or allow use when the keeper knows or ought to know that the driver is not fit to drive independently.
This also applies when the vehicle, the load or the occupancy does not comply with the rules or road safety suffers because of the load or occupancy.
Does the order also apply to new vehicles?
Yes. The order can also cover vehicles that will be registered to the keeper in future.
What does this mean for dealers?
For dealers, rental firms and fleets this means: whoever cannot name the driver risks a logbook order for several vehicles.
With Zevra the dealer files registration and deregistration in the dealer portal. Registration costs from 10 € per case, deregistration 2 € net, plus official fees.
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- Digital deregistration: documents from 01.01.2015
- Digital registration: documents from 01.01.2018
- Registration with Zevra: €10 net
- Deregistration with Zevra: €2 net · base fee: €0
Deadlines and cut-off dates according to: Bundesministerium für Verkehr
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Sources: Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO) § 31a – Fahrtenbuch · Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO) § 31 – Verantwortung für den Betrieb der Fahrzeuge · Sources · Vehicle figures: tax, insurance, fines