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Driving Schools Warn of Safety Risks as Germany Weighs License Cost-Cutting Overhaul

The transport ministry has sent its proposals into talks with states ahead of a planned 2026 rulemaking push.

Overview

  • Berlin proposes making theory learning app-based by removing mandatory in-person classes to lower the cost of a driver’s license.
  • The plan would shrink the theoretical exam question catalogue by about one-third.
  • Simulator use would expand to cover all manual-transmission training and parts of mandatory special drives such as autobahn and night driving.
  • Driving schools report fewer enrollments as learners wait for possible savings and they warn simulators cannot replicate real traffic stress.
  • Schools cite simulator purchases of roughly €40,000 each and note that the package is entering coordination with the Länder toward potential legal changes in H1 2026.