Preparation
Finding a traffic psychologist: how do you recognise real qualifications?
How to recognise qualified traffic-psychological counselling: degree, training, § 71 FeV, questions for the first meeting and clear warning signs.
Home / Guides
Guides: Criminal offences
Specific questions, specific answers: explained step by step, with checklists and sources. For the big picture, see MPU basics.
Law & deadlines
Calculating the ban period: when should you apply for reissue?
How to calculate your ban period under § 69a StGB with a worked example, and how to plan your reissue application, abstinence and MPU properly.
How the MPU works
How long does the MPU take? The assessment day and the whole procedure
The MPU itself takes 3–4 hours; the procedure until you get your licence back often far longer. Guide values for each phase and what drives the timing.
Preparation
MPU preparation online or in person: which suits you?
Online or in-person MPU preparation? A neutral comparison with a table: pros and cons, who each format suits and which criteria really count.
How the MPU works
MPU documents: a checklist of what to bring to your appointment
ID, proof of abstinence, medical reports, certificates: use this checklist to check, by reason, whether your MPU documents are complete.
Law & deadlines
Moving house during the MPU: which driving licence authority is responsible?
Moving during an MPU or reissue procedure: which authority becomes responsible, what happens to your file and deadlines, and what to clarify at once.
General
Medication and fitness to drive: when does the MPU become an issue?
Medication and the MPU: when long-term medication raises doubts, what the medication privilege covers and which medical findings you need.
Preparation
Taking the MPU voluntarily in advance? What is really possible without an order
Can you take an MPU without an order? Why the expert report is tied to the authority's question and what early counselling in advance can do for you.
General
The MPU as a relative: how partners and family can really help
Your partner, child or parent has to take the MPU? How you can really help in daily life, what you should avoid and where your support reaches its limits.
How the MPU works
The MPU in another language: is it possible with an interpreter?
German is not your first language? Where language matters in the MPU, what to ask the assessment centre in advance and how to prepare well.
General
Saving on MPU costs: where it is realistic and where it is not
Where you can really save on the MPU without risking your chances: compare prices, avoid mistakes, spread the costs. With guide values for 2026.
Cannabis
MPU after combined use: what applies to alcohol and cannabis together?
Alcohol and cannabis together: why combined use can lead to an MPU after the first drive, what proof you need and how to prepare.
Law & deadlines
Not submitting a negative MPU report: what happens then?
The MPU report goes to you, not the authority. What happens if you do not submit a negative report, and when this still has consequences.
Criminal offences
MPU after coercion or insult in road traffic: what are you facing?
Tailgating, brake-checking, verbal abuse: when coercion or insult in road traffic leads to an MPU, what assessors check and how you prepare.
Proof of abstinence
How much does a proof of abstinence cost? Urine and hair compared
Urine test approx. €60–120, hair test approx. €120–200: what a proof of abstinence for 6 or 12 months costs, with sample calculations and saving tips.
Law & deadlines
Medical report or MPU: what is the difference?
Medical report under § 11 (2) FeV or MPU under § 11 (3) FeV? Who prepares it, when the authority orders which, and how the two are connected.
Law & deadlines
Course under § 70 FeV: when does it replace a repeat MPU?
A course under § 70 FeV can replace a repeat MPU if the expert report recommends it and the authority agrees. The 4 conditions at a glance.
How the MPU works
Medical examination at the MPU: what does the doctor check?
At the MPU, the doctor checks findings, liver values such as GGT and CDT and your consumption in 30–40 minutes. What to expect and what to bring.
Law & deadlines
Missed the MPU deadline or ignored the order: what happens then?
If you do not submit the MPU report on time, you risk revocation under § 11 (8) FeV. What the rule means and how to respond correctly.
Preparation
MPU hypotheses A1 to V3: which group does your case fall into?
Assessors assign every MPU case to a hypothesis, such as A2 or D3. What the groups mean and which evidence each of them requires.
Alcohol
MPU after an accident under alcohol or drugs: what to expect
An accident under alcohol is a criminal offence from 0.3 ‰. When an MPU follows, what applies to drugs and leaving the scene, and how to prepare.
How the MPU works
MPU questionnaire: what is asked and how to fill it in correctly
The MPU questionnaire takes 30–40 minutes and asks about the offence, consumption and your life. How to fill it in honestly and without contradictions.
Points
Checking your points in Flensburg: how to get your points total
Check your points with the KBA for free: online with the ID app, by post or in person. What the statement shows and when an MPU looms at 8 points.
Proof of abstinence
MPU without proof of abstinence: when is it possible and when not?
When you can take the MPU without proof of abstinence: controlled drinking, points, offences. And when abstinence is required, explained by hypothesis.
How the MPU works
How many people pass the MPU? BASt figures and what they mean
According to BASt, in 2025 58% of 70,135 MPU reports said „fit“, 4.3% „fit after a course“, 38% „unfit“. What the figures mean by reason.
Alcohol
Getting your licence back after alcohol: the roadmap in 8 steps
From withdrawal to reissue after drink-driving: 8 steps with a timeline, ban period, abstinence, application and MPU. How to plan realistically.
Law & deadlines
An EU driving licence instead of the MPU? Why it almost never works
Why an EU licence almost never replaces the MPU: residence principle (185 days), § 28 FeV, ban period and the risk of driving without a licence.
Alcohol
Drinking log for the MPU: what goes into it and how do you keep it?
What a drinking log is for when you choose controlled drinking for the MPU, what belongs in it and what a simple table structure can look like.
Law & deadlines
Shortening the ban period through a follow-up course: does it really work?
When a court can lift the ban period early under § 69a (7) StGB, what role a follow-up course plays and why this is not an MPU.
Proof of abstinence
Relapse during abstinence: what matters now for your MPU
A positive value or a missed appointment in your abstinence programme? What it means for your MPU, why covering up hurts and how to restart properly.
Proof of abstinence
The PEth value explained: what does it mean for your MPU?
PEth below 20 ng/ml counts as abstinence. What the blood value measures, which period it covers and how it differs from EtG in urine and hair.
Preparation
MPU second attempt: your roadmap after failing
Failed? How to plan your second MPU attempt: evaluate the expert report, fix the causes, secure your proof, and only then register again.
How the MPU works
Nervous before the MPU? Practical tips for your assessment day
Procedure, what to bring and how to behave in the interview: how to go into your MPU day calmly and well prepared, and handle trick questions with ease.
Preparation
How to recognise reputable MPU preparation: a checklist with 8 features
Pass guarantees, model answers, ready-made proof? This checklist helps you tell reputable MPU preparation apart from expensive promises.
Alcohol
MPU after 1.6 per mille: your step-by-step plan with timeline
After drink-driving at 1.6‰ or more, an MPU is likely. Here is your plan in 7 steps, from file inspection to expert report, with a timeline table.
How the MPU works
Practising the MPU performance test: how to prepare for the reaction test
What the MPU performance test on the Vienna Test System or Corporal checks, what the percentile rank means and how to practise with simulators.
Law & deadlines
MPU during the probationary period? What new drivers really face
In the probationary period, new drivers usually face a remedial course (ASF), not an MPU. When they still need an MPU and what the 0.0‰ limit means.
Law & deadlines
How long is an MPU expert report valid? Deadlines and practice
An MPU expert report has no legal expiry date, but in practice it is usually only accepted for ~1–3 years. What this means for you.
Preparation
MPU questions in the psychological interview: what is really asked?
Typical MPU questions sorted by phase, trick questions, no-gos and what a good answer should cover: honest, concrete and free of contradictions.
Drugs
MPU for drugs: starting proof of abstinence correctly (checklist)
File inspection, accredited laboratory, tests without gaps: with this checklist you can start drug proof of abstinence for the MPU without costly mistakes.
General
MPU as a professional driver: how do you save your job?
Taxi, bus, lorry or patient transport: what the MPU means for professional drivers, which stricter rules apply and why you should start early.
Cannabis
Medical cannabis and driving: when are you allowed to drive?
Medication privilege under § 24a (4) StVG: when prescribed cannabis is allowed at the wheel, where protection ends and what to watch out for day to day.
Alcohol
Controlled drinking or abstinence: what is enough for the MPU?
When controlled drinking is enough for an alcohol MPU and when only abstinence will do – hypotheses A1 to A4 clearly explained, with the proof needed.
General
The „idiot test“: 8 MPU myths and what is really true
„Only stupid people fail“, „You can buy a pass“: we check 8 common myths about the „idiot test“ and show what really counts in the MPU.
Proof of abstinence
Hair analysis for the MPU: hair length, dyeing and what to watch out for
Max. 3 cm of hair per alcohol analysis, no dyeing, several samples for 12 months: how to plan hair analysis for your MPU proof of abstinence.
Law & deadlines
Applying for the reissue of your driving licence – when and how?
When to apply for the reissue of your licence, what happens from withdrawal to your new licence, and what costs and steps to expect.
Points
Driving aptitude seminar – how to reduce your points in Flensburg
The driving aptitude seminar removes 1 point – only with 1–5 points and once in 5 years. How to use it correctly and act before you reach 8 points.
Proof of abstinence
EtG test: can food or mouthwash cause a positive result?
Yes, food containing alcohol and mouthwash can trigger an EtG test. How to protect your abstinence programme from unnecessary positive results.
Cannabis
Cannabis legalisation and your driving licence: what has changed?
New THC limit 3.5 ng/ml, § 13a FeV, MPU usually only from the 2nd drive: what has applied to your licence since 2024 – and what stays the same.
How the MPU works
Choosing an MPU assessment centre: what really matters?
You are free to choose your MPU centre. How to compare TÜV, DEKRA & co. on price, appointment and location, and how to register correctly.
Law & deadlines
File inspection at the driving licence authority – how to go about it
Why file inspection is the basis of any MPU preparation, how to request it, what you learn from it – with a neutral sample letter to adapt.