Agreement to lend a car, with authorisation to drive (Germany)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
An agreement for lending your car in Germany to someone else, such as family or friends, with an authorisation to drive it, including abroad. It records the check of the driving licence (§ 21 of the German Road Traffic Act, StVG), the insurance and whether the driver is covered, the period, purpose and permitted countries, and sets out who pays for fuel, tolls, fines, damage, the insurance excess and any loss of no-claims discount. The authorisation at the end, with a short English summary, serves as proof at checks. In German, to print and sign.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Registered keeper of the vehicle
- Registered keeper's date of birth
- Registered keeper's address
- Person authorised to drive
- Date of birth of the person authorised to drive
- Authorised driver's address
- Make and model
- Registration plate
- Chassis number
- Insurer
- Policy number
- Comprehensive (own-damage) cover on the car
- Excess under the comprehensive cover (in euros)
- Period from
- Period to
- Purpose
- Territory
- Licence number
- Driving licence categories
- Date the original driving licence was checked
- Odometer reading
- Fuel level
- Number of keys
- Where the car is to be returned
- Visible damage
- Other terms
- City
- Date
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Do you need written permission in Germany to drive someone else's car?
- German law requires no written permission for driving in Germany. But the agreement settles who pays fines, damage and extra insurance costs, and the authorisation to drive at the end serves as proof at checks abroad, at borders or at a garage or ferry desk. The driver carries it in the car together with the registration certificate Part I.
- What must the keeper check in Germany before lending the car?
- The driving licence, in the original: a keeper who lets someone drive without the required licence or despite a driving ban commits an offence (§ 21(1) no. 2 StVG). That is why the agreement records the licence number, categories and the date it was checked. Also ask your motor insurer whether the driver falls within the drivers your policy covers; otherwise the policy terms may impose an extra premium or a contractual penalty.
- Who is liable in Germany if the driver of a lent car causes an accident?
- Towards the injured parties the keeper is liable even without fault (§ 7(1) StVG), and the motor liability insurance pays their loss. Between the two of you the agreement settles who bears the damage to the lent car, the excess under the comprehensive cover and the loss from a lower no-claims class; for intent or gross negligence the driver is fully liable.
- What should be considered when a lent car is driven from Germany abroad?
- Enter the permitted countries in both the agreement and the authorisation. The authorisation is in German with a short English summary. Ask your insurer or a motoring club beforehand whether the destination country requires more, such as a translation or the Green Card as proof of insurance. The driver also needs a licence that is valid in that country.
- May the keeper name the driver when a German witness questionnaire arrives?
- Yes, the keeper may truthfully state who was driving, and may refuse to answer only where a close relative was driving or the answer would incriminate the keeper (§§ 52 and 55 StPO via § 46 OWiG). If the driver is not identified, the authority may order a logbook to be kept (§ 31a StVZO). Naming the wrong person is no way out: since 1 July 2026 it has been an offence to deceive, or try to deceive, the authority about who was driving when an offence carrying penalty points was committed, or to offer or arrange such a false naming (known as Punktehandel, § 4c StVG).
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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