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German Cabinet Backs Digital Driving Licence for 2026 Rollout

The draft now moves to parliament to cut red tape across vehicle services.

Overview

  • The government approved a modernization package with roughly 80 measures and a bill creating the legal basis for a smartphone licence.
  • The transport ministry targets national availability by end-2026, ahead of an EU-wide digital licence expected around 2030.
  • The digital credential will complement the physical card and is meant to ease everyday use cases such as car-sharing and rentals.
  • The agenda plans to centralize online vehicle registration at the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, relieving about 400 local authorities of separate portals with timing still to be set.
  • The bill also introduces digital parking controls and an explicit ban on commercial trading of Flensburg penalty points with fines up to €30,000, and it has been sent to Bundestag and Bundesrat.