Apply for a rental car permit

• The entrepreneur or the persons appointed to manage the company must be reliable.
• The entrepreneur or the persons appointed to manage the company must be professionally qualified.
• The company must be secure and financially viable.
• The registered office or branch of the company must be in Germany (as defined by commercial law).

You must apply for the rental car permit at the responsible office. You can download an application form from the Internet, depending on what your competent authority offers.

Tip: You can also obtain application forms from specialist publishers and trade associations:

 Verband des Verkehrsgewerbes Baden (opens in a new tab)
 Association of the Württemberg Transport Industry (opens in a new tab)

The competent authority carries out a hearing procedure. As part of this, it requests opinions from other bodies, including

• Municipalities,
• trade supervisory authorities,
• the Chamber of Industry and Commerce
• the relevant trade unions and professional associations

After the deadline for comments has expired, it makes a final decision on the application and informs the applicant of the outcome in writing.

• Proof of personal reliability (not older than three months at the time of application), e.g:
  - Extract from the commercial or cooperative register (certified copies)
  - Copy of the articles of association and list of shareholders
  - for legal entities: Proof of authorization to represent the company

• Proof of financial standing (not older than three months at the time of application):
  - Clearance certificates from the tax office
  - Clearance certificate from the responsible municipality
  - Clearance certificate from the social insurance:
  from health insurance funds with which you insure or have insured employees and
  for yourself, if you are or were voluntarily or privately insured.
  - Clearance certificate from the Employer's Liability Insurance Association for Transport and Traffic (not older than three months at the time of application)
  - Certificate of equity and, if necessary, additional certificate (not older than twelve months at the time of application). The amount of equity capital depends on the number of vehicles intended for use: For the first vehicle, you must provide proof of equity amounting to EUR 2,250, and EUR 1,250 for each additional vehicle.
  
• Proof of professional suitability:
  - Examination certificate from the IHK (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) or
  - Certificate of professional qualification from the IHK for at least three years of managerial activity in a rental car company or
  - Certificate of the recognized equivalent final examination (e.g. merchant examination in rail and road transport with a focus on passenger transport)

• If you appoint other persons to manage the company, you must submit the following documents for them:
  - Certificate of good conduct
  - Information from the central trade register
  - Extract from the central traffic register
  - Proof of professional suitability
  - Proof of employment (employment contract)

Note: The competent authority may request further documents.

Advertising is permitted on all body parts of rental cars.

Further information on this can be found in the general decrees (AV) of the regional councils, e.g. the AV of the Stuttgart regional council on the approval of advertising on cabs and rental cars dated January 11, 2008.

Hire cars must be equipped with an odometer (not a taximeter!) and an alarm system. Exceptions are possible.

 § Section 15 (1) of the Passenger Transportation Act (PBefG) (granting and refusal of approval) (opens in a new tab)
 § Section 49 (4) of the Passenger Transportation Act (PBefG) (transport with rental cars) (opens in a new tab)