The taxi driving licence

A city without taxis would be unthinkable. After all, not everyone owns a car to get from A to B. A taxi in Germany may carry a maximum of nine persons including the driver. 

Whether you are a part-time or full-time taxi driver: If you want to drive a taxi yourself, you must meet a number of additional requirements in addition to your category B driving licence, such as a passenger transport licence and a local knowledge examination. It doesn't matter whether you want to work as a self-employed taxi driver or hire a taxi company.

If you would like to drive a taxi yourself, you must meet a number of additional requirements in addition to your class B driving licence.
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Important Information

  • Driving licence class B
  • Minimum age 21 years
  • Two years driving experience
  • Local history exam
  • Passenger transport document
  • Police clearance certificate
  • Central traffic register in Flensburg
  • Positive medical opinion
  • Examination of visual acuity, reaction ability, ability to concentrate and orientation ability

If you would like to be trained as a taxi driver, you can either register for an appropriate training course, e.g. at a taxi company or a driving school on site, or teach yourself the necessary knowledge. You can register for the local knowledge examination and the examination within the scope of the Personenbeföderungsscheins when you feel ready.

A training is however in any case recommendable, since here all points are treated such as local knowledge, contact with customers and the like in detail and it prepares you so very well for the examination. You can find out the costs of the training at your local provider.

You have to take the local knowledge exam at the TÜV or your local authority. Each authority regulates the content individually. In the past the local knowledge examination was almost exclusively taken orally, nowadays the oral examination is usually supplemented or even replaced by a written examination. Depending on the authority, the examination material can be very extensive and sometimes include over a thousand details (streets, squares, authorities, police stations, hospitals, old people's homes, cemeteries, hotels, consulates/embassies, inner-city connections, etc.).

In Berlin, for example, you have to know 600 streets and squares.

For example, to pass the written exam, you must score at least 75 out of 100. As a rule, the written examination lasts 90 minutes.

Oral examination: The oral taxi examination consists of a city map and an orientation test. Here you must score at least 70 points to pass. If you fail the exam, there is a blocking period until the next exam date. Depending on the frequency of the failure, this is between four weeks and six months.

I'm afraid there's no general way of saying that. The cost of a taxi driver's license depends on many factors, such as whether you pass the tests immediately or already have a class B driver's license.

You can find out more about the costs of class B here. The following data are estimated values. These may vary depending on the region, driving school and individual progress of the student (taxi driver's license only! Class B not included):

  • Ophthalmic examination (50€)
  • General medical examination (200-600€)
  • Police clearance certificate (15€)
  • Taxi exam (40€)
  • Course (voluntary, but useful) (1000-2000€)
In the driving lessons you learn what you need for driving later and gain confidence for the test.

Find your driving school

You want to get a so-called special driving licence, but don't know where yet? Then take a look at our search, find driving schools in your area and find out about the special driving licences offered there.

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