Bundestag to vote on cheaper driving licence reform on 5 November

What the Bundestag will decide

The Bundestag is due to vote on Thursday, 5 November 2026, on the first part of a reform intended to make learning to drive cheaper and more digital. The vote covers amendments to the Fahrlehrergesetz (driving instructors act) and the Straßenverkehrsgesetz (road traffic act). The transport committee cleared the draft on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, in amended form, with CDU/CSU and SPD in favour and AfD, the Greens and the Left against. A second part, a ministry regulation, also needs Bundesrat consent, and the main changes are now set to take effect on 1 July 2027, later than the earlier plan of early 2027.

Costs and savings

According to the Federal Transport Ministry, a class B licence costs about 3,400 euros on average. Fees for the theory and practical exams at TÜV or DEKRA are set by law, while driving schools set their own prices for lessons. The Federal Statistical Office reported that costs rose faster than consumer prices in every year from 2021 to 2024, with a 5.8% increase in 2024 against 2.2% for consumer prices overall.

Driving licence costs5.8

Consumer prices overall2.2

Driving licence costs

5.8 % vs prior year

Consumer prices overall

2.2 % vs prior year

Data from the article text

Transport minister Steffen Bilger, speaking to Welt, said learners could save several hundred euros and at best up to 1,000 euros, citing forecasts from industry associations. He also pointed to large regional differences and to the fact that some learners need more lessons than others. The ADAC sees costs falling by up to a third under optimal conditions.

What changes in theory and practice

Theory lessons would no longer have to take place in person. Learners could study at home through an app, in a hybrid format at a driving school, or in the classroom as before. Rules on classroom spaces and on the order of lesson content would be dropped, and the question catalogue for the theory exam would be shortened. Every exam question would carry one point instead of a weighted two to five error points, although safety-relevant questions must still be answered correctly. The fixed requirement of twelve 45-minute special drives covering night, rural roads and the Autobahn would go, and schools would set the hours according to each learner's ability. After passing the theory exam and completing at least six lessons, learners could practise on public roads with people close to them. Those supervisors would need a car licence held for at least seven years and no more than one point on their driving record. Parents practising with learners is already allowed in Luxembourg and Austria.

Objections from driving instructors

Kurt Bartels, deputy head of the Bundesvereinigung der Fahrlehrerverbände, criticised the plan sharply.

“It goes clearly at the expense of traffic safety.”

Bartels said the association would accept fewer mandatory theory hours but insists that a binding in-person share remain. Without it, he warned, learners who missed content in digital lessons would need extra practical lessons, which would cancel out the savings. He also doubts driving schools will save on classroom costs, since many have long leases or own their premises. The Greens and the Left warned that costs could simply shift to more regular lessons or higher insurance premiums, and Christian Hirte (CDU), the parliamentary state secretary, considered higher premiums conceivable.

Support and next steps

The ADAC welcomes the reform, and a spokeswoman said it offers a chance to make obtaining a licence more flexible and cheaper. The motoring club also insists that cost cuts must not come at the expense of training quality and road safety. The CDU Bundestag member Henning Rehbaum said the size of the savings depends on the Länder.

“The cost-saving potential for 800,000 driving students a year depends heavily on how the states further develop the regulation now in the Bundesrat.”

After the Bundestag vote, the law and the accompanying regulation still need Bundesrat approval. The planned start of the main changes is 1 July 2027.