Driving without or with an expired operating licence is an administrative offence. The registration office can also prohibit operation and cancel the licence plate. Furthermore, liability insurance cover may lapse if the operating licence or individual approval has not been issued.
The operating licence according to § 21 StVZO is only valid in Germany. The registration certificate part I (formerly: vehicle registration document) is proof of a vehicle's operating licence.
You must carry this with you as the driver. You must also carry the original or a copy of the relevant documents for parts installed or attached to the vehicle, for example
- the relevant operating licence,
- Type approval,
- Approval within the scope of the operating licence or a supplement thereto
- an extract from this licence or approval
If the modification is accepted on the basis of
- a licence,
- an authorisation or
- a parts certificate,
the modifications do not have to be entered in the registration certificate part I. In these cases, you must carry corresponding proof with confirmation of proper installation or fitting and the conditions to be observed. If the modifications made have been entered in the registration certificate part I (vehicle registration document), the obligation to carry the documents and evidence described does not apply.