Contents
What is customary today
The law requires the keeper not to let anyone drive without a driving licence (Section 21 StVG). It does not specify an interval. In practice, a check twice a year has become established for vehicles assigned on a permanent basis. The Heilbronn Chamber of Crafts, for example, recommends checking the driving licences of all vehicle users at least twice a year, checking originals only and recording the checks in writing.
What is set to change
The Federal Government’s draft bill of 7 October 2026 (printed paper 21/8404) provides for a new Section 2e StVG. Under it, the keeper generally checks the driving licence before the first handover and then again if they have, or should have, reason to assume that the driving licence is missing or has been withdrawn. Regular checks without a specific reason would then no longer be necessary. Details and wording: New law on driving licence checks.
Recommendations by situation
| Situation | Customary today | Under the draft on Section 2e StVG |
|---|---|---|
| Company car, assigned permanently | Twice a year | Before the first handover, then when there is a reason |
| Pool vehicles with changing drivers | At issue or at short intervals | Before each driver’s first journey, then when there is a reason |
| Lorry and bus categories with an expiry date | Additionally before the category expires | Before the category expires, because the date is known |
| Known driving ban or administrative fine proceedings | Immediately and after the ban ends | Immediately and after the ban ends |
| Driving licence from a non-EU country | Before the six months after taking up residence expire | Before the six months after taking up residence expire |
Why expiry dates matter so much
Card driving licences issued since 19 January 2013 are valid for 15 years. Categories C1, C, CE and D are valid for only five years and are renewed with a medical examination and eyesight test. Anyone who knows these dates cannot claim to have had no reason to assume anything was wrong. Expiry dates therefore belong in your follow-up system in every case.
Setting it up in FleetCred
You set the cycle between one and 24 months. FleetCred then automatically requests the initial check for new drivers and the cyclical checks after that. With 0, you switch this off and request checks with a click, for example before the first journey or when there is a reason. FleetCred reminds you of expiry dates in both cases.
This article gives an overview and is not a substitute for legal advice. For your individual case, please ask your legal department, a specialist lawyer or your trade association.
Sources
- § 21 StVG – Driving without a driving licence (gesetze-im-internet.de)
- Draft act of the Federal Government on reducing bureaucracy in the transport sector, Bundestag printed paper 21/8404 of 07.10.2026
- Deutsches Handwerksblatt: driving licence checks by employers – one check is to be enough
- Dr. Datenschutz: driving licence checks by the employer – what to bear in mind