Why wait until 18?
Accompanied driving (BF17)
Driving school at 16 ½, driving a car at 17.
Many cool things can only be done from the age of 18, but a driver’s license is not one of them!
Did you know that you can have it at 17? Yes, really! You can start driving school at the age of 16 ½. You can take the theory test at the earliest when you are 16 years and 9 months old and the practical test at 16 years and 11 months. If you pass this test, you will receive your driving license at the age of 17 – but you can only drive with an adult accompanying you. In fact, you will first receive a test certificate, which you must always carry with you when driving.
When you turn 18, that’s it with the accompanying person. The driving license office will then issue you with an official EU driving license. Your insurance from 18 will also be cheaper if you have already done accompanied driving from 17. Cool, right? So, what are you waiting for? Come along, get to know us and off you go!
What conditions the accompanying person must fulfill
The idea behind BF17 is that you as a young person can benefit from the experience of adults. This concept has been around since 2011 and has paid off: according to studies, BF17 graduates are involved in significantly fewer accidents.
It doesn’t matter whether they are your parents, acquaintances or employees from your training company. The important thing is that you act as a role model. In order to check this, the legislator has tied certain requirements to the accompanying persons. Anyone who meets them can easily become your BF 17 chaperone.
By the way, you can name as many accompanying persons as you like. There is no limit in this respect. The more you name, the more flexible you are. Important: make sure that you fill out a separate supplementary sheet for each accompanying person on your application.
Prerequisites
- Minimum age: 30 years
- Driving license: At least 5 years uninterrupted possession of a category B driving license
- Entries in the central register: Maximum 1 point at the time of application
Frequently asked questions
No. If you opt for BF17, you will undergo the same training as those who only want to obtain their driving license at the age of 18.
As the driver, you are fully responsible for driving your vehicle. The fact that you are a minor does not change this. You are therefore liable for any violations of the StVO, not the person accompanying you.
The 0.5 per mille limit applies to accompanying persons with regard to alcohol. As mentioned above, they should act as role models - it would therefore even be advisable to abstain completely from alcohol. Of course, this also applies to the use of other intoxicating substances, e.g. cannabis products or other drugs.
There are minor additional costs. Both the test certificate and the information that the road traffic office obtains from the central register in Flensburg about the accompanying persons specified in the application cost a little money. Little cost for a lot of benefit.
No. You can only start training for a category A2 motorcycle license at the age of 17.5. However, there is an alternative, the category A1 driving license for light motorcycles with an engine capacity of up to 125 cc. You can start training for this category at the age of 15.5. You can then drive from the age of 16.
The driving license office will apply for your driving license itself one month before your 18th birthday. As soon as you turn 18, you usually have to pick it up from the driving license office yourself and without being asked. You will need to present your valid driving test certificate.
As the regulations on this often change, it makes sense to clarify the regulations before your trip.
There is no restriction on the number of accompanying persons. Most people name two people - but for your flexibility it makes sense to get as many others on board as possible. Someone who is often free in the evenings, someone who is often free at the weekend, someone at work, etc.
