Overview
- The federal cabinet put a detailed reform package forward on May 22 that aims to lower the cost and speed of getting a driver’s licence through digital theory classes, fewer mandated special drives and shorter practical exams.
- A central change is an “Experimentierklausel” to allow supervised informal instruction by close relatives after a learner passes the theory test and completes six formal lessons, with lay instructors required to hold a licence for at least seven years.
- The proposal would cut the theory-question catalogue by about 30 percent, permit fully online theoretical instruction, allow greater use of simulators and shorten practical driving exam times to EU minimums to increase test capacity.
- Professional driving instructors and national associations sharply oppose parts of the plan, citing risks to road safety, weakened pedagogy and unclear liability for private practice drives.
- The draft also mandates central online reporting of Fahrschulpreise and comparison portals for prices and pass rates, but the measure must still clear state-level agreement and parliamentary votes before any 2027 implementation and its likely savings remain disputed.