Do I have to report a rental vehicle to the registration authority?

Yes, without delay after the business starts – unless the vehicle is registered to the renter or the rental contract runs for at least 1 year.

How often does a rental car need a general inspection?

Every 12 months if it is rented out commercially without a driver and is not registered to the renter.

When must a taxi be reported?

Before the start and after the end of its use for passenger transport, in writing or electronically.

Registering rental cars and taxis: reporting the use

Q: Which document is needed for the entry?

Registration certificate part I.

In short: Anyone registering rental cars or taxis must report the use to the registration authority without delay and present registration certificate part I for the entry. For self-drive rental the report is not needed if the rental contract runs for at least 1 year or the vehicle is registered to the renter. The general inspection for such rental vehicles is due every 12 months. With Zevra, registration costs from €10 per case.

Rental companies, car-sharing providers and taxi firms have additional duties. All details come from § 15 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance (FZV) and Annex VIII of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO).

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: 2026-10-10 · Zevra editorial team · Reviewed by Mohamed Gabal, owner

Registering rental cars and taxis: reporting the use and meeting deadlines

Which use must be reported?

Use	Report	Time
Passenger transport under the Passenger Transport Act	in writing or electronically	before the start and after the end
Transport for kindergarten or school operators	in writing or electronically	before the start and after the end
Transport of people with disabilities to care facilities	in writing or electronically	before the start and after the end
commercial rental without a driver (self-drive rental vehicle)	in writing or electronically	after the business starts

In all cases registration certificate part I must be presented so the use can be entered.

When is the report not needed for a rental vehicle?

if the vehicle is registered to the renter
if the renter has signed a rental contract of at least 1 year

If the rental contract is shortened afterwards, the report must be made without delay.

Which interval applies to the general inspection?

If vehicles subject to inspection are rented out commercially without a driver and are not registered to the renter, the general inspection interval is 12 months in all cases. An ordinary car, by contrast, is first inspected after 36 months and then every 24 months.

What applies when a rental vehicle is sold?

If the use ends, that must be reported too. On sale the transfer to the buyer works as for any used car; the general inspection must be valid for it.

What follows if the report is missing?

The report is a duty under the Vehicle Registration Ordinance and must be met without delay.

What does this mean for rental companies and dealerships?

In the Zevra dealer portal you select the use as a self-drive rental vehicle in the application. Reporting passenger transport, for example for taxis, goes through the registration authority.

With Zevra, registration costs from €10, deregistration from €2 per case, net and plus official fees.

Sources: Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 15 – Mitteilungspflichten bei Änderungen · Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO) Anlage VIII – Untersuchung der Fahrzeuge

Registering rental cars and taxis: reporting the use and meeting deadlines