In order to apply for a driving licence, it is necessary to show proof of an eye exam as well as a first aid course consisting of 9 units of each 45 minutes.

[9] The learner driver's training usually takes place in legally authorised and mostly privately owned, for-profit driving schools.

The driving school handles all the necessary paperwork for the students, such as: applying for a licence, registering for tests etc.

To prepare for the written theory test, students usually obtain a study package from the driving school which can consist of software programmes, textbooks and sample-exam papers.

Schools usually take responsibility for their students' success and thus keep track of class attendance and hand out sample exams for practising.

During the road test, the driving instructor is present in the car with the assisting features of the driving-school car deactivated or connected to audio signals and a warning light (if the instructor has to intervene, the test will result in failure).

Should the student, for any reason, not be allowed to hold the licence at the time of a successful test (for example, because they have not yet reached the minimum age), the licence will be sent to the Kraftfahrzeug-Zulassungsbehörde (compare DMV DVLA) of the student's place of residence where it can be picked up as soon as the person becomes eligible.

Automobile associations have given the opinion that this is due to the low quality of the education at driving schools as it benefits their income if students take additional lessons after failing.

[10] For cars, people aged seventeen do not get a standard driving licence after passing all required tests.

The cost of obtaining a licence for driving a car is on average 3,000€ (US$3,300 in January 2024) but varies widely according to an individual's skill, city and region.

The total includes fees for: authorities and exams, learning materials, driving lessons and tuition.

In Germany, the European driving licence classes as defined in EU law are applied.

If a driver's licence issued before this date has been transferred, the purpose limitation of class L is usually cancelled by entering the code number 174.

Although the driving licence is an official document issued by authorities, it has very limited validity as an identity card.