📝 Registration, change of address, deregistration and i-Kfz

When you must register, re-register or deregister a vehicle and what online registration (i-Kfz) can do.

registration change of address deregistration i-Kfz FZV registration certificate change of keeper

In brief

A car may only drive on public roads if it is registered. If the keeper changes, the old and new keepers must report this to the registration office without delay. If you move to a different district, you must also act without delay.

You must carry the registration certificate Part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I) when driving. Much can also be done online (i-Kfz). For that you need an identity card with online function and PIN, an eVB number from the insurer and a valid main inspection.

Step by step

Clarify insuranceGet the eVB number from your motor insurer.
Gather documentsRegistration certificate Part I and II, proof of main inspection, ID.
Online or in personCheck whether your registration authority offers i-Kfz. Otherwise go in person.
Report a change of keeper or a moveReport both to the registration authority without delay.

Deadlines

without delay

Report on change of keeper (old and new keeper)§ 15 FZV

4 weeks

Deadline in the public summons for the registration certificate; after that the registration can end§ 15 FZV

without delay

Report a new plate or continued use of the old one when moving to a different district§ 15 FZV

Watch out – common mistakes

If you do not report a change of keeper, you risk the authority ending the registration by public summons (Aufgebot).
i-Kfz only works with a security code on the documents: for deregistration and re-registration, documents issued after 1 January 2015; for new registration, after 1 January 2018 (according to the BMV).
Whether your registration authority offers i-Kfz is up to the Länder. Check locally.
Fees and opening hours of registration offices: state law, not researched.

In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Change of keeper and change of residence (§ 15 FZV)

If the keeper changes, the previous keeper and owner must notify the registration authority without delay so that the vehicle registers can be amended. The new keeper must register the new keeper data without delay and apply for a new registration certificate Part I. Failure to do so can lead to the authority summoning the registration certificate for presentation in the Verkehrsblatt with a deadline of four weeks. If this deadline passes without result, the registration ends.

If the keeper moves their seat to a different district, they must apply for a new plate without delay or notify that the existing one will be kept. Otherwise the authority can prohibit operation on public roads.

Registration certificate Part I (§ 13 FZV)

The registration certificate Part I must be carried by the person driving the vehicle and handed over on request. A document that has been found again must be handed in by the keeper to the registration authority without delay.

i-Kfz

According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, the following are possible online: registration, deregistration, re-registration, change of keeper, day registration and the selection of special plates. You need an ID with an activated eID function plus PIN, the insurance confirmation (eVB number) and a valid main inspection. Implementation is the responsibility of the Länder.

Deregistration and tax

Taking a vehicle out of service (deregistration) is governed by § 16 FZV; the security code for i-Kfz is in § 21 FZV. After deregistration the registration authority transmits the data to customs (Zoll). According to Zoll (evaluated only as a search hit), the deregistration notice typically arrives about two weeks later; any credit is refunded about three weeks after that.

Not checked in full text

Not checked: short-term plates, seasonal plates, fees.

Who is responsible

Local registration authority (Kfz-Zulassungsstelle)
Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Motor Transport Authority; registers, recalls)

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Registration, change of address, deregistration and i-Kfz“?

When you must register, re-register or deregister a vehicle and what online registration (i-Kfz) can do.

Which deadlines and figures matter?

without delay: Report on change of keeper (old and new keeper) (§ 15 FZV)
4 weeks: Deadline in the public summons for the registration certificate; after that the registration can end (§ 15 FZV)
without delay: Report a new plate or continued use of the old one when moving to a different district (§ 15 FZV)

What should I do first?

Clarify insurance: Get the eVB number from your motor insurer.
Gather documents: Registration certificate Part I and II, proof of main inspection, ID.
Online or in person: Check whether your registration authority offers i-Kfz. Otherwise go in person.

What do I need to watch out for?

If you do not report a change of keeper, you risk the authority ending the registration by public summons (Aufgebot).
i-Kfz only works with a security code on the documents: for deregistration and re-registration, documents issued after 1 January 2015; for new registration, after 1 January 2018 (according to the BMV).
Whether your registration authority offers i-Kfz is up to the Länder. Check locally.

Evidence

Bundesministerium der Justiz, FZV §§ 13, 15, 16, 21, retrieved 20 September 2026
Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Internetbasierte Fahrzeugzulassung: So funktioniert „i-Kfz“, retrieved 20 September 2026
Zoll online, Kraftfahrzeugsteuer (Abmeldung), search hit only, retrieved 20 September 2026

As of

September 2026 · Sources and method

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