Anyone who obtains their first driving licence in Germany starts on probation (Probezeit). During this time a single serious offence is enough for the driving licence authority to order a remedial seminar (Aufbauseminar) and extend the probation to four years. Many drivers only find out once the fine notice (Bußgeldbescheid) has long become final.
Aleksander Sigal, Fachanwalt für Verkehrsrecht (a traffic law title awarded by the bar association) in Berlin, explains the rules here – including what applies if you converted a foreign licence – and advises in English. The short version: the outcome is decided in the fine proceedings, not later at the licensing authority.
The probationary period at a glance
Probation lasts two years from the first time you obtain a driving licence (§ 2a StVG). Adding another licence class later does not start a new period. If your licence is provisionally revoked or seized, the clock stops for that time.
What counts is the date of the offence: an offence committed during probation still counts if the decision only becomes final after probation has ended. Only decisions entered in the central register in Flensburg (Fahreignungsregister) are relevant – in practice, criminal offences and regulatory offences that carry points. Parking tickets and minor warning fines do not count.
A and B offences: what counts
The Driving Licence Regulation divides offences into serious (A) and less serious (B) ones. One A offence weighs as much as two B offences.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| A – serious | Speeding with points (from 21 km/h), red lights, tailgating, overtaking, right of way, mobile phone use, alcohol and cannabis, driving alone with an accompanied-driving licence; crimes such as leaving the scene of an accident, coercion or drink-driving |
| B – less serious | Other regulatory offences with points, for example certain technical defects, and other traffic-related crimes not listed under A |
Points in Flensburg are added on top. How the points system works is explained under penalty points in Flensburg.
The three stages: seminar, warning, revocation
The licensing authority acts in three stages. It is bound by the final decision and does not re-examine the allegation.
- Remedial seminar. After one A offence or two B offences, the authority orders a seminar with a deadline, and probation is extended by two years to four in total. The seminar consists of four group sessions and a practical drive. After alcohol or drug offences, a special seminar is required.
- Written warning. Another A offence or two more B offences lead to a written warning, with the recommendation to attend traffic-psychological counselling within two months.
- Revocation. A further A offence or two B offences after those two months lead to revocation of the licence.
If you do not attend the ordered seminar on time, you also lose your licence; an objection or court action does not suspend the order. After revocation at stage three, a new licence can be issued three months after you hand in your licence at the earliest, with a new probationary period for the remaining time. Further A or B offences then usually lead to an MPU.
Zero alcohol and no cannabis for new drivers
During probation and until your 21st birthday, an absolute alcohol ban applies at the wheel (§ 24c StVG). Since August 2024 it also covers cannabis: you may not consume alcohol or THC while driving or start a journey under their influence. The 3.5 ng/ml THC limit that applies to other drivers is not the benchmark for you. The only exception is prescribed medical cannabis taken as directed.
The standard penalty is 250 euros and one point. As an A offence, it also means a special seminar and longer probation. From 0.5 per mille or 3.5 ng/ml THC, the general penalties apply as well – usually 500 euros, two points and a one-month ban. When it becomes a crime is explained under drink and drug driving.
The under-21 rule applies to everyone driving in Germany, including visitors with a foreign licence.
Accompanied driving from 17
With accompanied driving (BF17), probation starts when you get the licence at 17. Until you turn 18 you may only drive with a named companion who is at least 30, has held a category B licence for at least five years and had no more than one point when the application was made. Companions must not have 0.5 per mille or more, or 3.5 ng/ml THC or more.
The certificate is valid only in Germany and until three months after your 18th birthday. Driving without your companion is an A offence, and the licence is withdrawn.
Why an appeal matters so much on probation
Once the fine notice is final, the authority must order the seminar. It will not listen to arguments about the measurement or who was driving. Your only chance is the fine proceedings – and the two-week deadline for an appeal from service of the notice.
- Measuring errors, tolerance deductions or unclear driver identification can only be checked in the file – see speeding tickets in Germany.
- If the offence is reduced to one without points, there is no register entry – and no consequences for probation.
- Do not comment on the allegation in the Anhörungsbogen before the file is known.
Appealing just to gain time does not help, because the date of the offence is what counts.
Foreign licences and probation
If you convert a licence from outside the EU (Umschreibung), the time since you first obtained it is credited towards probation. If you have held your licence for more than two years, you are not on probation. The same applies to EU and EEA licences once you move to Germany: any probation still running continues under German rules.
How this fits with driving bans and revocation is explained under driving bans and licences in Germany; fees are covered under fees and legal insurance. Aleksander Sigal advises in English: 030 86 20 12 40.
This article gives a general overview of German law (as of October 2026) and does not replace advice on your individual case.