Overview

• Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder presented a reform blueprint to make licences more affordable while maintaining high road‑safety standards.
• The plan would scrap mandatory in‑person theory classes, enable full app‑based learning, and shrink the theory question bank by roughly one third.
• Practical training would expand simulator use, including learning manual shifting before testing in an automatic, reduce required night/autobahn/country drives, and cut the on‑road exam to 25 minutes.
• Fahrschulen would have to publish prices and pass/fail rates online, and an experiment clause would test supervised practice with parents or other close companions.
• Driving‑instructor groups broadly back a more compact curriculum, while safety advocates urge caution; a Class B licence currently averages about €3,400 in Germany.