Germany’s cabinet approved a draft law aimed at making driving licences cheaper and easier to obtain on Wednesday.
The reform, which now heads to parliament, could bring major changes for learner drivers – from theory classes online to fewer mandatory lessons – with a target start date of early 2027.
After months of discussion, the federal cabinet has signed off on a draft bill designed to cut the cost of getting a driving licence. Currently the estimated average cost to get a licence in Germany is around €3,400.
The idea is simple: reduce bureaucracy, digitise parts of the process and give learners more flexibility – all without lowering safety standards.
The draft law now would need to pass the Bundestag and Bundesrat before it can come into force, which the government wants to see happen in early 2027.
READ ALSO: Almost half of learner drivers in Germany fail theory test
Online theory lessons and fewer exam questions
One of the biggest changes is that theory learning could move almost entirely online, meaning driving schools could potentially close physical offices and move to self-guided, digital platforms and apps.
But driving instructor associations, like the Fahrlehrerverband, and road safety groups are likely to challenge this move, arguing that fully unsupervised app-learning could lower educational quality and should be replaced by strict interactive video lessons instead.
The draft bill also cuts the mandatory "readiness assessment" (PrĂĽfungsreifefeststellung), which would allow students who study on their own online to bypass the driving school's sign-off and book their official TĂśV/DEKRA theory exam independently.
Again, the Federal Association of Driving Instructor Associations (BVF) and the German Road Safety Council (DVR) are already lobbying the Bundestag and Bundesrat to delete this clause.
Finally, the catalogue of theory questions is set to shrink by around a third, from more than 1,100 questions to roughly 840.
Fewer mandatory driving lessons
The draft also targets one of the biggest cost drivers: compulsory special driving sessions.
Currently, learners must complete 12 of these, including motorway and night driving. But under the proposed system, the only legal requirement would be at least one session in each category – with driving schools given some discretion to tailor the actual total to the driver’s ability.
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Practice driving with family members
Perhaps the most eye-catching proposal is allowing learner drivers to practise with relatives, again with a view to reducing the number of paid lessons.
Once learners have passed the theory test and completed a minimum number of lessons, they could practise with a parent or other experienced driver.
There will be conditions, however. It looks as if accompanying drivers will have to meet age, experience and penalty-point limits, although the exact thresholds are still being defined.
Shorter tests and simpler rules
The reform also looks to streamline the testing process, partly to reduce waiting times.
Practical driving tests are expected to be slightly shorter, while the rules for who can supervise theory exams will be relaxed, making it easier to recruit examiners.
Another practical change is greater transparency. In future, driving schools will have to publish prices and pass rates in a central database (Mobilithek), allowing comparison websites to show side-by-side costs.
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What’s changed from earlier plans?
As The Local has reported, many of these ideas have been on the table for months – including cutting special lessons, introducing parent-led driving, moving theory online and reducing exam questions.
But while most of the key ideas are still intact, the draft bill does include a few tweaks worth noting:
- Special lessons: instead of a clear-cut reduction to a fixed low number, the draft leaves more discretion to instructors – meaning savings may vary.
- Practice with family: still included, but likely to be trialled and subject to conditions, rather than a full nationwide rollout straight away.
- Test duration: earlier suggestions of a strictly mandated shorter test time are less clearly defined in the draft.
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