The Fahrzeugschein is now called registration certificate Part I. If it is lost, the Vehicle Registration Ordinance and the fee schedule set out what applies next. This page sums up the rules for keepers and dealerships.
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 to do if Part I (Fahrzeugschein) is lost?
- Have the competent registration authority issue a new registration certificate Part I.
- Check whether Part II (Fahrzeugbrief) is missing too – a separate procedure applies to it.
- If the old Part I turns up, hand it in to the registration authority without delay.
The duty to hand in the recovered document is set out in § 13(7) FZV.
How much does a new Part I cost?
| Fee under GebOSt | Amount |
|---|---|
| Item 225: replacement of vehicle papers due to loss | 10.20 Euro |
| Surcharge for issuing a registration certificate Part I | 0.90 Euro |
| total | 11.10 Euro |
Item 225 of the annex to the German road traffic fee schedule covers issuing, replacing or changing vehicle papers due to changed data, unusability or loss.
May you drive without Part I?
The person driving the vehicle must carry registration certificate Part I and hand it over for inspection on request (§ 13(6) FZV).
Failing to carry or hand it over is an administrative offence under § 77 no. 4 FZV.
What applies if Part II is missing as well?
The loss of a registration certificate Part II must be reported to the registration authority without delay; it informs the Federal Motor Transport Authority (§ 14 FZV). On application the KBA publishes a public notice in the Verkehrsblatt with a deadline for presentation.
A new Part II may only be issued after this deadline. Part I, by contrast, can be reissued without a public notice.
What does the new Part I change for online registration?
Every registration certificate Part I carries a hidden security code and a print number that is assigned only once (§ 13(1) FZV). The replacement therefore has a new code.
For a later online process such as deregistration or re-registration, the new document counts; the code of the lost certificate can no longer be used.
What does this mean for dealerships?
If Part I is missing when buying a car, it can be replaced without a public notice; the GebOSt fee is 11.10 Euro. If Part II is missing, it takes longer because of the public notice.
With Zevra, registration costs from 10 € per case and deregistration 2 € net, plus official fees.
- Registration certificate part I: duty to carry, markings and loss
- Vehicle registration certificate in Germany: Part I (Fahrzeugschein) vs Part II (Fahrzeugbrief)
- Registration certificate part II lost: procedure, deadlines and consequences for the trade
- Vehicle registration fees in Germany: official fees at the counter and online
- Uncovering the security code: registration certificate part I, part II and stickers
- Competent registration authority: which authority applies to residence, company and special cases
- Temporary registration proof: valid for 10 days
- Documents posted by the authority: within 6 days
- 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
Read more
- Documents for vehicle registration: printable checklist per case
- 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
- HSN and TSN on German car papers: where they are and what the digits mean
- Digital registration certificate: what the i-Kfz app changes for keepers and dealers
- Vehicle tax at registration: SEPA mandate and tax arrears
- Temporary registration proof: content, validity and duties
- 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
- eVB number in vehicle registration: proof of third-party insurance in the digital application
- Uncovering the security code: registration certificate part I, part II and stickers
- Registration certificate part II lost: procedure, deadlines and consequences for the trade
- Registration certificate part I: duty to carry, markings and loss
- Vehicle registration certificate in Germany: Part I (Fahrzeugschein) vs Part II (Fahrzeugbrief)
- Application for registration: which details and proofs the ordinance requires
- Registration certificate part II: issue, duty to present and new certificate
- Proof of general inspection for online registration: register retrieval or check digit
- Insurance confirmation: content, transmission and notifications to the insurer
- International registration certificate: when it is issued and what it is valid for
- COC database of the KBA: purpose, manufacturers' duties and deadlines
- Old German vehicle documents: which papers and plates remain valid
- Data protection in vehicle registration: what dealers check under the GDPR
- Chassis number (VIN): where it is, how it is built and what it does at registration
- Car dealerships
- Registration services
- Fleet operators
- Pricing
Sources: Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 13 – Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 14 – Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 77 – Ordnungswidrigkeiten · Gebührenordnung für Maßnahmen im Straßenverkehr (GebOSt) – Anlage, Gebührennummer 225 · Sources · FZV sections § 13 · FZV sections § 14 · FZV sections § 77 · Vehicle figures: tax, insurance, fines