The application goes through the road traffic office at Höherweg 101 - in person, with an appointment and with five pieces of evidence. Here it says what you bring with you, in what order you get it and how much it costs.
Höherweg 101Only by appointmentFee 45,90 €Processing ~12 weeks
Status: 17.08.2026 · Information checked against duesseldorf.de, all information provided without guarantee.
Checklist.
Everything for the office at a glance
The list of documents, opening times and fees come verbatim from the Düsseldorf Road Traffic Office. The last block collects the points at which learner drivers regularly need a second appointment.
You have to bring that with you
The Road Traffic Office's list for classes AM, A1, A2, A, L, T, B and BE.
ID cardID card or passport.
Biometric photoAt least 35 × 45 mm, without headgear, not older than 2 years.
Eye test certificateNot older than 24 months.
First aid certificateTraining at an officially recognized body, at least 9 teaching units.§ 19 FeV
Your driving schoolName and address. For external driving schools, the testing center must also be named.
Where and when
Checked on August 17, 2026 against duesseldorf.de.
What documents do I need at the Düsseldorf Road Traffic Office?
For classes AM, A1, A2, A, L, T, B and BE, the Düsseldorf Road Traffic Office requires five things: ID card or passport, a biometric photo, the eye test certificate, proof of first aid training and the name and address of your driving school.
Bring everything with you in the original. Copies, cell phone photos or screenshots are not enough at the counter, and a missing sheet means a new appointment - the most expensive mistake on this site given the current schedule.
ID card or passport
Biometric photograph, at least 35 × 45 mm, without headgear, not older than 2 years
Eye test certificate, not older than 24 months
Proof of first aid training§ 19 FeV
Name and address of your driving school - additionally the testing center for external driving schools
Source: Service portal of the state capital Düsseldorf, “Driving license – initial issuance” service, accessed on August 17, 2026.
Where do I submit the application and do I need an appointment?
Yes, nothing works without an appointment: your personal visit is required and is only possible after making an appointment in advance. Bookings are made online via termine.duesseldorf.de; the application cannot be made by telephone.
You can hand in the application at the road traffic office at Höherweg 101 or at any citizens' office in the Düsseldorf city area. There is one exception: applications for the code number B96 are only accepted by the road traffic office.
The opening hours of the driving license office are Mon, Wed, Fri 7:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and Tue, Thurs 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The appointment determines when you get there anyway - plan your journey generously anyway, the office is a little east of the Oberbilk center.
Source: Service portal of the state capital Düsseldorf, “Driving license – initial issuance” service, accessed on August 17, 2026.
How much does the driving license application cost in Düsseldorf?
The fee for issuing a driving license for the first time in Düsseldorf is €45.90. Payment is only made cashless - with a debit card, credit card, Google Pay or Apple Pay.
There are no exemptions or discounts for this application. The fee is due regardless of whether you later pass the exams.
It has nothing to do with the price of your driving school: it goes to the city, not to us. In the cost guide, we calculate item by item how the total costs of the driving license are made up of the driving school price, MOT fees and official fees.
Source: Service portal of the state capital Düsseldorf, “Driving license – initial issuance” service, accessed on August 17, 2026.
When do I have to submit the application?
As early as possible, but at the latest around three to four months before your desired date for the practical exam. You can submit the application up to six months before the day on which you reach the minimum age for your class.
This means that the waiting time can be completely planned out: If you submit the application early, you can do theory and the first practice lessons in the meantime instead of waiting for a piece of paper at the end.
For Class B, this specifically means: You can pre-register at the driving school from the age of 16½ - for Class B as well as for BF17. The application to the office can run in parallel.
Source: Service portal of the state capital Düsseldorf, “Driving license – initial issuance” service, accessed on August 17, 2026.
How long does processing take at the traffic office?
The Düsseldorf Road Traffic Office estimates an average of 12 weeks for the initial issue - during this time the required inquiries are made to the authorities involved.
These weeks are the reason why “how long does it take to get a driver’s license” rarely fails at driving school. You may have started the training itself long ago; You will only take the practical test once your driving license is ready to be issued.
The authority expressly requests that you refrain from inquiring about the processing status - it doesn't speed things up and ties up the management. Instead, contact us if you have an urgent appointment: We plan the practice around the official location.
Source: Service portal of the state capital Düsseldorf, “Driving license – initial issuance” service, accessed on August 17, 2026.
Where do I take the eye test for my driving license?
At any officially recognized eye testing center - in practice, i.e. at the optician, the ophthalmologist or the company doctor. You don't need an appointment with most opticians; the test itself only takes a few minutes.
The visual acuity of both eyes is tested. If you don't pass without visual aids, repeat the test with glasses or contact lenses; The visual aid will then be noted on your driver's license later. You didn't fail that way.
There is no nationwide fixed price for the eye test - each eye test center sets it itself. So ask beforehand how much it costs for you.
How long is the eye test for your driving license valid?
At the Düsseldorf Road Traffic Office, the eye test certificate must not be older than 24 months at the time of application. You then have to repeat the test.
In practical terms, this means: do the eye test when you are specifically planning the application - not a year in advance. Done too early is actually a problem here, and too late, of course.
Source: Service portal of the state capital Düsseldorf, “Driving license – initial issuance” service, accessed on August 17, 2026.
How long does the first aid course for your driving license take?
The course includes at least nine teaching units of 45 minutes each. In practice, this is one day - usually a Saturday or a long working day at DRK, Johannitern, Maltesern, ASB or a recognized private provider.
The training must take place at an officially recognized body or a public administration agency. A purely online course does not meet the requirement because practical exercises are part of the training.
The driving license regulations do not specify an expiry date for proof. If you have already completed the course for another class, you usually do not have to repeat it. The provider sets the price himself - it's worth comparing.
Legal basis: Section 19 FeV - training in first aid, at least nine teaching units of 45 minutes each at an officially recognized body.
Which passport photo do I need for my driving license?
A biometric photograph, at least 35 × 45 millimeters in size, without headgear and no older than two years. The same requirements as for the ID card.
There is a private company's passport photo machine in the admissions office at Höherweg 101 if you arrive without a photo. However, it only accepts coins and, according to the office, currently costs €10 - while the official fee itself is only paid in cash. So you would need both.
A selfie, a vacation photo or a cropped application photo will be rejected. Have it done in a photo studio or machine and say that it has to be biometric.
Source: Service portal of the state capital Düsseldorf, “Driving license – initial issuance” service, accessed on August 17, 2026.
Does the driving school make the application for me?
Nobody can save you from going to the office: the road traffic office expressly requires you to come to the office in person after making an appointment in advance. So you have to submit the application yourself.
What we do: We give you the complete list of documents at the initial consultation, compile our driving school data for the application, tell you when it makes sense to take the eye test, and keep the training so that the authorities' time does not become idle.
If you are unsure whether your documents are complete: bring them to us before you go to the appointment. Five minutes of checking is better than four weeks until the next free slot.
What if I am not registered in Düsseldorf?
Then Düsseldorf is not responsible, but the driving license authority of your main residence. To apply at Höherweg 101, you must have registered your main residence in Düsseldorf.
This doesn't matter at the driving school: you can be trained in Düsseldorf and be registered in Neuss, Ratingen or Hilden. Only the application then goes through the local authority, and their list of documents and fees may differ slightly.
Important for the application: In this case, tell us where you live early on so that we can give you the correct testing center and the appropriate driving school information.
Source: Service portal of the state capital Düsseldorf, “Driving license – initial issuance” service, accessed on August 17, 2026.
In what order do I do all of this?
First driving school, then book an appointment, then get the three certificates, then go to the office - in this order you wait the least. The reason: For the application you need the name and address of your driving school, and the official appointment is the bottleneck, not the eye test.
This is what the process looks like in practice:
1. Register at the driving school - this will determine your class, driving school dates and your starting time.
2. Book an appointment online at the road traffic office as soon as the start is certain.
3. Have an eye test at an optician, ophthalmologist or company doctor - no older than 24 months.
4. Take a first aid course, at least 9 teaching units§ 19 FeV
5. Have a biometric passport photo taken, at least 35 × 45 mm.
6. For the appointment: ID, photo, eye test, first aid certificate, driving school details, card for the fee.
7. Parallel theory lessons and the first practice lessons - the official time runs in the background.
To apply, you need our driving school details - so register with us first, then book the appointment. S.U.V. driving school, Mindenerstrasse 106in Düsseldorf-Oberbilk Mon–Fri 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
All information on documents, opening times, fees and processing times come from Service portal of the state capital Düsseldorf and were on 17.08.2026 checked. The information provided by the authority itself is always decisive; Fees and deadlines are subject to change. This page is a guide and not legal advice. All statements without guarantee.
Cookies
Cookies & privacy
Necessary cookies keep the site running. With your consent we also see, anonymously, what works and what does not — for that we use analytics and marketing tools (e.g. Meta Pixel). Changeable any time in the footer.
