The German vehicle licence is officially called registration certificate part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I). This page sums up what § 13 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance of 2023 says about it.
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
Who must carry the registration certificate part I?
The person driving the vehicle must carry the registration certificate part I and hand it to competent persons for inspection on request. The ordinance ties the duty to the person who drives the vehicle.
If several trailers are registered to the same keeper and a trailer list has been applied for, presenting that list is sufficient.
What does the trailer list contain?
On application the registration authority issues a list of the trailers registered to the keeper. It exists alongside the registration certificate part I and contains:
- surname, first name and address of the keeper,
- make, vehicle class and body type,
- unladen mass and permissible total mass,
- for semi-trailers also the vertical load,
- vehicle identification number,
- date of first registration and number plates of the trailers.
Which markings does the registration certificate part I bear?
| Feature | Requirement of the ordinance |
|---|---|
| Template | Annex 6 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance |
| Visible marking | wording “Uncover only for internet-based registration procedures. Document valid only if undamaged.” |
| Marking underneath | wording “Document no longer valid.” |
| Print number | assigned only once for each registration certificate part I |
| Security code | covered; made visible only by irreversible uncovering |
Whoever uncovers the security code also makes the wording “Document no longer valid” visible.
What else is entered in the document?
The authority notes recognition as a low-pollutant vehicle and classification in an emission class, provided the requirements have been proven. The date of recognition or classification is noted as well.
In cases of doubt the authority may require an expert report on the emission class in which the vehicle is to be classified.
What applies after the registration certificate part I is lost?
If a new registration certificate part I is issued after a loss and the lost document is found again, the keeper or owner must hand it in to the competent registration authority without delay.
§ 13 does not say which documents the authority requires for the new issue. The information from the competent registration authority is decisive.
What does this mean for digital registration?
Internet-based procedures need the security code of the registration certificate part I. After uncovering, the document shows the visible wording “Document no longer valid”.
With Zevra the dealer enters the case in the dealer portal. Registration costs from €10 per case, deregistration €2 net, plus official fees.
- Registration certificate part I: fields and codes from A to S explained
- Uncovering the security code: registration certificate part I, part II and stickers
- Registration certificate part II: issue, duty to present and new certificate
- Digital registration certificate: what the i-Kfz app changes for keepers and dealers
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Car dealerships
- Registration services
- Fleet operators
- Remarketing & resellers
- Pricing
Sources: Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 13 – Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) Anlage 6 – Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I · Sources · FZV sections § 13