Overview
- The KBA’s i‑Kfz app now lets drivers carry a legally recognized digital vehicle registration on their phones, with sharing, HU reminders, and offline access.
- The transport ministry instructs officers to verify by having drivers interact with the app and, if needed, to cross‑check details via the ZEVIS database without taking the phone.
- Police unions report no nationwide training for checks of digital documents, and at least one state ministry confirms no special courses beyond an information sheet.
- TÜV bodies say the physical document is still required at inspections because the plaque and paper stamp remain legally linked, so legal adjustments are still pending.
- A staged EU‑mandated licence exchange moves to card licences from 1999–2001 with a deadline of 19 January 2026; new cards are valid for 15 years, the swap costs about €25, and missing the date brings a €10 warning in Germany with potentially tougher consequences abroad or with rental firms.