Class D

Minimum age and exam dates

You must be at least 23 ½ years old. You can take your theory exam 3 months before your 24th birthday and your practical exam 1 month before. You also need a class B driving licence.

Application at the road traffic office

The application always comes first! Make sure all the details are correct. Based on your application, the road traffic office (Straßenverkehrsamt) prints your driving licence and commissions TÜV to conduct your exams. This can take a few weeks – but that is the road traffic office's responsibility. While your application is being processed, you can of course already start your training and attend our theory lessons.

• First-aid certificate (9 teaching units)
• 1 biometric passport photo
• Valid ID document
• Ophthalmological report
• Medical report
• Application form

Theory

If you don't have a driving licence yet, 30 theory lessons of 90 minutes each are mandatory: 12 basic topics and 18 class-specific topics. If you already hold a driving licence, the basic content is shortened to 6 units. Once you've completed all lessons and your application has been approved by the road traffic office, you can take your theory exam. The exam consists of 30 questions. You may not have more than 10 error points; two incorrectly answered questions worth 5 error points each mean an immediate fail.

Practice and minimum driving lessons

In the regular driving lessons you get familiar with the vehicle and get used to road traffic. How many of them you need depends on your previous experience, your talent and your learning progress. For buses, however, a minimum number of driving lessons is mandatory – depending on the licences you already hold:

• Class B or C1 for less than 2 years: 45 driving lessons of 45 minutes each plus 22 rural road drives, 14 motorway drives and 8 drives in darkness
• Class B or C1 for more than 2 years: 33 driving lessons of 45 minutes each plus 12 rural road drives, 8 motorway drives and 5 drives in darkness
• Class C for less than 2 years: 14 driving lessons of 45 minutes each plus 16 rural road drives, 8 motorway drives and 6 drives in darkness
• Class C for more than 2 years: 7 driving lessons of 45 minutes each plus 8 rural road drives, 5 motorway drives and 5 drives in darkness

What can I drive with class D?

Motor vehicles – excluding two-wheelers – for carrying more than 8 people. You may also attach a trailer with a maximum authorised mass of at most 750 kg.

Can I also drive commercially with this licence?

If you need class D for commercial use, a professional driver qualification has been mandatory since 10 September 2009. Without this initial qualification, only private use is permitted.