According to the Federal Institute for Road and Transport Research (Bundesanstalt für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen, BASt), of the 70,135 MPU expert reports (MPU: medical-psychological assessment, Medizinisch-Psychologische Untersuchung; expert report: Gutachten) in 2025, 58% concluded „fit to drive“ (geeignet) and 4.3% „fit after a follow-up course“ (nachschulungsfähig). 38% of those assessed were classified as „unfit to drive“ (ungeeignet). If you add those eligible for a follow-up course, around 62% of the expert reports led to a route back to the driving licence.
Where do the figures come from?
The figures come from the BASt annual statistics „Assessment of fitness to drive 2025“ (Begutachtung der Fahreignung 2025), published in July 2026. For these statistics, BASt evaluates the results of the officially recognised operators of assessment centres for fitness to drive (Begutachtungsstellen für Fahreignung). In 2025 there were 15 active operators.
The statistics count the medical-psychological assessments carried out in a year and sort them by groups of reasons and outcome. They are therefore the most reliable publicly available source on the question of how many people pass the MPU. Figures published by individual providers about their own clients cannot be compared with them.
What do „fit“, „fit after a follow-up course“ and „unfit“ mean?
The three outcomes describe how the expert report assesses fitness to drive. They are the basis for the decision of the driving licence authority (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde).
- Fit to drive (geeignet): the expert report is positive. You submit it to the driving licence authority (Führerscheinstelle), and the driving licence can be issued.
- Fit after a follow-up course (nachschulungsfähig): the result is borderline. The expert report recommends an officially recognised course to restore fitness to drive under § 70 FeV (Driving Licence Regulation, Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung). After attending, fitness to drive can be regarded as restored.
- Unfit to drive (ungeeignet): the expert report is negative. You do not have to submit it; submission is voluntary. A new attempt is possible.
The „fit after a follow-up course“ category only exists for certain groups of reasons, mainly for alcohol and drug questions. It does not appear in the statistics for medical reasons.
How do the results differ by reason?
The results differ considerably depending on the reason. Repeat offences and combinations of several problems lead to a negative expert report more often than first-time cases. The following table shows selected groups of reasons from the BASt statistics for 2025.
| Group of reasons 2025 | Number | fit | fit after course | unfit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol, first offence | 21,984 | 55% | 8.1% | 37% |
| Alcohol, repeat offence | 6,611 | 47% | 6.1% | 47% |
| Alcohol + traffic/criminal offences | 2,478 | 47% | 4.0% | 49% |
| Drugs, cannabis, medication | 12,376 | 58% | 4.5% | 38% |
| Traffic offences | 12,003 | 61% | 0.3% | 38% |
| Criminal offences | 3,873 | 60% | 0.3% | 40% |
| Physical and mental impairments | 340 | 70% | – | 30% |
| All reasons | 70,135 | 58% | 4.3% | 38% |
According to BASt, deviations due to rounding are possible. The difference for alcohol is striking: for a first offence, 37% of the expert reports were negative, for a repeat offence 47%. This fits with the fact that assessors set stricter requirements in repeat cases, for example longer abstinence. You can find more on the reasons on the page MPU for alcohol.
Which reasons are most common?
Alcohol questions are the most common. Taken together, they accounted for 44% of all assessments in 2025, i.e. 31,073 cases. 31% of those assessed had come to attention for alcohol for the first time.
Drug, cannabis and medication questions together accounted for 21% (14,889 cases). Traffic offences without alcohol or drugs accounted for about 20%. Physical, mental and neurological-psychiatric impairments were rarely the reason for an MPU, at 0.5%.
How have the figures developed?
According to BASt, the number of assessments has fallen for the fourth year in a row. In 2025 it was 6.8% lower than in the previous year.
| Year | Assessments | of which alcohol | of which drugs/cannabis/medication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 87,180 | 31,404 | 31,078 |
| 2023 | 82,261 | 31,753 | 26,889 |
| 2024 | 75,257 | 32,242 | 18,899 |
| 2025 | 70,135 | 31,073 | 14,889 |
The decline is mainly due to drug, cannabis and medication cases. They fell by 21% from 2024 to 2025, after a drop of 30% the year before. BASt does not give a cause for this. In terms of timing, the decline coincides with the new rules on cannabis in § 13a FeV since 2024. Alcohol questions declined slightly in 2025 for the first time since 2022, by 3.6%.
The outcome rates, by contrast, are stable. In 2024, 56.2% of the expert reports concluded „fit“, 4.4% „fit after a follow-up course“ and 39.4% „unfit“; in 2025 the figures were 58%, 4.3% and 38%.
What do the figures say about your chances?
The figures say something about the average of all those assessed, but little about your individual case. Whether your expert report is positive depends on whether you meet the requirements of your question, not on a rate.
When reading them, you should be aware of three limitations of the statistics:
- No information on preparation: the statistics do not show whether someone was prepared or not. Statements such as „with preparation, X % pass“ cannot be derived from them.
- No information on repeat attempts: the statistics do not distinguish between the first and a further attempt by the same person.
- No insight into individual cases: very different cases fall within one group of reasons, for example a one-off 1.6‰ or 2.4‰ with a history.
What is certain: around 4 in 10 expert reports are negative. Typical reasons for a negative expert report are playing things down, answers learned by heart, contradictions between the questionnaire, your account and the lab results, or abstinence started too late. The page MPU preparation explains how the interview is assessed.
Note: No one can guarantee that you will pass the MPU. Anyone who promises a guarantee of passing is not reputable. What matters is a genuine, documented change.
What should you do if the expert report is negative?
If the expert report is negative, you do not have to submit it to the authority. It is important to understand the reasons precisely, for example from the reasoning in the expert report, and to work on them in a targeted way. There is no fixed waiting period between two attempts. The guide MPU on the second attempt shows how to plan a second attempt. More on dealing with a negative result is on the page Failed the MPU.
What you can do now
- Identify your group of reasons: alcohol first or repeat offence, drugs, points (Punkte), criminal offence?
- Inspect your file (Akteneinsicht) to know the question and the facts of your case.
- Start your evidence early if abstinence or controlled drinking is required.
- Know the typical mistakes and stay honest and consistent with the file in the interview.
- Look for support that works without promises of guarantees, and find suitable preparation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the failure rate for the MPU?
According to the BASt statistics for 2025, 38% of those assessed were classified as „unfit to drive“. A further 4.3% received the recommendation to attend a course under § 70 FeV. For repeat alcohol offences, the proportion of negative expert reports was significantly higher at 47%.
Does „fit after a follow-up course“ count as a pass?
Not directly, but it is not the end. The expert report recommends an officially recognised course under § 70 FeV. After attending, fitness to drive can be regarded as restored.
How many people take an MPU each year?
According to BASt, the officially recognised assessment centres carried out 70,135 MPUs in 2025. The number has fallen every year since 2022, when it was 87,180.
Are there figures on how many people pass with preparation?
The official BASt statistics do not distinguish by preparation. Percentages for prepared participants usually come from providers and refer to their own clients; they cannot be compared with the BASt statistics.
