Driving ban and withdrawal of driving licence (withdrawal of driving licence) have different meanings:

A driving ban of between one and three months can be considered as a measure if the withdrawal of the driver's license does not appear to be absolutely necessary (§ 44 StGB). The driving ban takes effect when the driving licence has been deposited or sent to the office that issued it. After expiry of the driving ban issued by the court, the police or an administrative authority, the driving licence is automatically returned or sent back.

With the withdrawal of the driving license (by court or administrative authority), the driving license becomes invalid. The acquis has expired. The driver's license must be re-applied for.

In this application, the driving licence authority must fully examine the suitability to drive a motor vehicle. The examination must cover all physical, mental and character circumstances which must be present in order to exclude as far as possible a danger to the general public. It is therefore also taken into account how you have behaved since the conviction.

In addition, the driving licence authority may also take into account offences that have been erased in the Federal Central Register but had to be entered in the Driving Aptitude Register. The prescribed investigations (information from the driving aptitude register, inspection of fines and criminal files) take some time. Therefore, it is recommended to submit an application for the granting of the driving license to  the driving license authority about 6 months  before the expiry of the blocking period. If you move to the area of responsibility of another driving licence authority in the meantime, the application must be submitted there.

In individual cases, you may have to provide an aptitude report in accordance with § 13 FeV (Medical-Psychological Report - MPU). This is necessary, for.B example, if you have driven a vehicle on the road with a blood alcohol concentration of 1.6 per thousand or repeatedly under alcohol.

If the withdrawal of the driver's license falls within the probationary period, you must attend an advanced seminar in accordance with § 2 a StVG. If you have participated in road traffic under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances, a special advanced seminar is prescribed.

The objection and specialist supervisory authority in the driving licence system is the State Administration Office, Department of Transport.