Procedure descriptions
Applying for a rental vehicle permit
Do you wish to commercially carry people in a rental vehicle? In order to do so, you require a rental vehicle permit.
You may only rent out the vehicle as a whole. The renter (passenger) decides the purpose, reason and carrying out of the trips.
You may obtain a licence which is valid for a maximum of five years. Once it expires, you may have it extended.
Attention: Cars which are rented out to persons who drive themselves are not classed as rental vehicles.
Rental vehicles are distinguished from taxis in the following way:
- You may not keep rental vehicles in public places or on public roads in order to carry passengers. After each trip, you must return to the place of business of the company.
- You do not have any business operation or carriage obligation.
- The fare can be agreed freely. However, this must be calculated by using a distance counter.
- There are no rules concerning the colour of the vehicle.
- The number of permits is not subject to any restrictions.
Should you wish to carry persons in a taxi, you require a taxi permit.
Responsible department
- if your future place of business is in an urban district: the city council
- if your future place of business is in a rural district: the rural district office
Details
Prerequisite
- The operator or company management must be reliable and professionally suitable.
- The operator or company management must be professionally suitable.
- The business must be stale and financially sound.
- The place of business or headquarters of the company must be located in Germany (as defined under commercial law).
Procedure
You must apply to the competent authority for the rental vehicle permit. Depending on the service offered by the responsible body, you can download an application form from the Internet.
Tip: You can also obtain application forms from specialist publishers and professional organisations:
- Verband des Verkehrsgewerbes Nordbaden
- Verband des Verkehrsgewerbes Südbaden
- Verband des Württembergischen Verkehrsgewerbes
The responsible body will carry out a hearing. Within the framework of this, it will request statements from other bodies, including:
- Communities
- Trade supervisory authorities
- The chamber of industry and commerce
- The responsible trade union
- The association of people carriers
Following the expiry of the deadline for the submission of statements, the responsible body will take a decision concerning the application and will inform the applicant of the outcome in writing.
Required documents
- Proof of personal suitability (must not be more than three months old at the time of application), for example:
- Extract from the Federal Central Register (certificate of good conduct)
- Extract from the Central Register of Trade
- Extract from the Central Traffic Register
- Extract from the register of trade or co-operatives (certified transcripts)
- Copy of the articles of association and list of shareholders
- for legal entities: Proof of power of representation
- Proof of financial suitability (must not be more than three months old at the time of application):
- Certificates of good standing of the tax office
- Certificate of good standing of the responsible district
- Certificate of good standing of the social security provider:
- from health insurance companies with which you insure or have insured employees and
- for yourself, if you are or have been voluntarily or privately insured.
- Certificate of good standing of the Berufsgenossenschaft für Transport und Verkehrswirtschaft (may not be more than three months old at the time of application)
- Certificate of funds and any additional certifications (may not be more than twelve months old at the time of application)
- The amount of funds depends on the number of vehicles intended to be used: For the first vehicle, you must provide proof of funds to the sum of 2,250 EUR and 1,250 EUR for each additional vehicle.
- Proof of professional suitability:
- Examination certificate of the professional exam at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce or
- Technical certification from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce confirming that you have acted in a management capacity for a rental vehicle company for at least three years, or
- Proof of recognised equivalent final examination (for example merchant examination for railways and road traffic with focus on the carriage of persons).
- Should you appoint other persons to company management, you must submit the following documents for these persons:
- Certificate of good conduct (Führungszeugnis)
- Extract from the Central Register of Trade
- Extract from the Central Traffic Register
- Proof of professional suitability
- Proof of the employment relationship (employment contract)
Note: The competent authority may request additional documents.
Costs
Framework fee for the permit: EUR 50.00 - 500.00
In regular cases, this amounts to
- 60 EUR for the first vehicle
- and 30 EUR for each additional vehicle.
These sums are not binding for the district authority.
In case of disproportionately high administration costs, the licensing authority can deviate from these sums up to the maximum sum of the framework fee.
Note: You may incur additional costs for
- register information and
- the issuing of other proof.
Processing time
Under normal circumstances, the competent authority will make a decision concerning your application within three months.
This period may be extended by another three months at most. This is conditional on the competent authority sending a written interim notice in due time (within the first three months).
Miscellaneous
Advertising is permitted on all parts of the rental vehicle’s bodywork. Further information in this respect can be found in the general rules of the local government, for example those of the Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart concerning the permitting of advertising on taxis and rental vehicles dated 11.01.2008.
Rental vehicles must be equipped with a distance counter (not taxi meter) and alarm. Exceptions are possible.
Legal basis
Release note
The German original version of this text was drafted in close cooperation with the relevant departments. The Verkehrsministerium released it on 05.10.2020. Only the German text is legally binding. The Federal State does not assume any liability for the translated texts.
In cases of doubt or if you have any questions or problems, please contact the relevant authorities directly.