You're moving soon and still have a lot to do: Packing moving boxes, handing over keys, organizational tasks. Last but not least, you must not forget to re-register your car! To make this step easier for you, you can find out everything you need to know in this blog article.
Content of this blog article:
Why do I have to re-register my car at all?
When do I have to re-register my car?
Moving within a city
Moving to another district
What documents do I need?
Do I need a new license plate?
Can I re-register my vehicle online?
What are the costs and deadlines?
Conclusion
First of all, it's quite simple: you have to re-register your car because it is required by law. But there are also good reasons for this: By re-registering your car, you ensure that important documents and information such as insurance or notifications about upcoming main inspections reach you. The amount of your car insurance may also change - so if you're lucky, you may even be able to save some money. Correct registration also ensures that no problems arise in the event of an accident or a traffic check.
If you have bought a used vehicle, moved house or changed your name, you must re-register your car. In the case of a change of owner, re-registration is equivalent to a transfer of ownership. The principle of residence applies in registration law, so you must always state your main place of residence when registering your vehicle.
Are you only moving within your city and staying in the same registration area? Great - that saves you a few steps and fees! In this case, you don't need a new license plate or a change of registration at the vehicle registration office, but only have to change the address in the registration certificate I, i.e. in the vehicle registration document. You often don't even have to go to the vehicle registration office to do this, as in some municipalities the re-registration is carried out directly at the citizens' office and the vehicle documents are updated when you register your new place of residence.
If you move to a new registration area and to a different city than before, in addition to the change of address in the vehicle documents, you will need to re-register the car to your new main place of residence. To do this, you must go to the vehicle registration office in your new place of residence. Please note: However, you must first appear in person at the residents' registration office and have re-registered yourself there, so that the address is already entered in your identity card or you can prove it with your registration certificate.
Here is a checklist of all the documents you need to collect:
Once you have all the documents together, all you have to do is go to the vehicle registration office in your new place of residence and officially re-register there!
Since 2015, you do not necessarily need a new license plate if you move to another registration area. You can therefore simply take your old license plate with you.
However, if you would like a new license plate, this is of course also possible. Please refer to our checklist above and remember the registration certificate II, in which the new license plate must of course be entered.
Digitalization has also arrived here: since 2019, you can register your vehicle online.
To do this, your ID card must support the eID function and be activated. This also requires a reader or the free ID card app on a cell phone with NFC function. Finally, you will need the security codes from the vehicle registration document and vehicle title, which you must scratch off on the documents.
If you have all these requirements, you can also conveniently re-register your car online!
As a rule, re-registration is not expensive and is not particularly important when moving house. Even if it is inconvenient, you will avoid the additional costs incurred by penalties if you fail to meet the registration deadline.
The latter is not uniformly defined and is ultimately up to the authorities. However, as a rule of thumb, the deadline of around one month after the move can be noted. However, if the re-registration takes place significantly later, a fine may be due.
The regular costs are normally made up of several individual aspects:
Please note that these fees can vary and may not all be necessary for you, e.g. if you do not want a new license plate. On average, the cost of re-registration is around €20.
Moving house is an exciting but also stressful time. You should not forget to re-register your car in order to avoid legal problems and fines. So find out well in advance about the applicable deadlines and requirements for re-registering in your new district or city.
We wish you a stress-free move and lots of fun in your new home!
Global Move Management
Parsdorfer Weg 10
85551 Munich / Kirchheim
Germany