Driver’s license: If I don’t have it with me, it will not be taken away

The ordinary German always has his papers in the car – vehicle registration and driver’s license. He has to do that too, because that’s how it is prescribed. Those who forget it commits an administrative offense. Sometimes it is not clever.

First of all: what happens if you get into a traffic control but have no driver’s license with you? Then you have to pay a warning money of ten euros and possibly show the driver’s license on the area. The penance is comparatively small. If you park the tire on the footpath, you are already at least 55 euros. The penance is also so low because most road users do not act on purpose, but simply forgot the papers.

But what can happen in the worst case if you have the driver’s license in your pocket? Then the police can confiscate him during a check. If the driver’s license – i.e. the cardboard or the card – was collected, you can no longer drive. Until you get the appearance back. The “punishment” comes immediately before the legal process is completed.

When suspected drugs at the wheel, the police regularly insert the card. The person concerned must then go on foot until the blood results arrive. This can take up to three months. The loss is of course particularly annoying with one – hopefully! – Negative result of the test. So if you only had some striking eyes or looked dozy, but did not take any drugs. You can’t expect any compensation.

If the driver’s license is not available during the control, the police cannot take it with them either. Connection is only possible in the event of a physical appearance, the intangible right behind it cannot be confiscated.

In principle, the police could alternatively strive for a judicial security. However, this is very complex for the civil servants and will therefore not be the normal procedure. Especially since the person concerned has the opportunity to defend himself against ensuring ensuring with statement, objection and lawyer. All of this has suspensive effect, so that the blood results will probably arrive before the negotiation.

But even if the driver’s license was rightly collected, it has advantages if this does not happen immediately – for example on a alcohol. If the card is gone, you can get a problem with the legal process – whenever the procedure takes longer than the punishment. Then you get right in the end, but not back the months without a car. Anyone who is dependent on the vehicle because of their job can hope for an understanding judge. Then there is the possibility to schedule the blocking time so that the workplace is not endangered.

It is advisable to carry a copy of the driver’s license with you. Unlike widely assumed, there is no general copy of the copy of ID. It is important, however, that the copy as such is recognizable and could not go through as a deception. A normal black and white copy should fit. However, one should not forget that in many situations you need the real rag. A copy is not enough to get a rental car given.

Addition: For some readers, the impression has arisen that everything can be allowed – without consequences – if you only do not carry the original driver’s license with you. Of course that’s not true. A judge will order the appearance of the certificate in particular in the event of severe offenses such as a drunk trip with an accident and injuries.

The difference is: Without immediate confiscation of the driver’s license, the person concerned is open to the person concerned – if the driver’s license is already gone, the legal process is open to him – only then he has no driving license. In the event of lighter offenses, it may happen that permission is not collected before the procedure has expired.