An MPU expert report (MPU-Gutachten) has no legal expiry date. In practice, however, driving licence authorities (Fahrerlaubnisbehörden) usually only accept a report for about 1 to 3 years (guideline value). If you have a positive report, you should therefore submit it to the driving licence authority (Führerscheinstelle) promptly. All other deadlines relating to the ban, deletion of entries and your application are explained on the page MPU deadlines.
How long is an MPU expert report valid?
Legally, an MPU expert report is not valid for a fixed period, because the law does not provide for an expiry date. What matters is whether the authority still considers the report meaningful for your current fitness to drive.
As a guideline, authorities in practice usually accept a report for 1 to 3 years. The background: the report answers the authority's question at a specific point in time. The longer ago that was, the more likely the authority is to ask whether the assessment still applies. There is no binding limit, however, so practice can differ depending on the authority and the case.
If your report was issued some time ago, ask your driving licence authority whether it will still accept it before you submit your application.
What results can an MPU expert report have?
An MPU expert report can be positive, negative or come with a recommendation for a follow-up course (Nachschulung). Which result it will be depends on whether the assessment centre (Begutachtungsstelle für Fahreignung) can answer the authority's question about your fitness to drive positively.
| Result | Meaning | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | The doubts about your fitness have been dispelled | Submit the report to the driving licence authority |
| Follow-up course recommended | The result is borderline; a course can turn it into "fit" | Complete a recognised course under § 70 FeV, then submit |
| Negative | The doubts remain | Do not submit, analyse the causes, prepare again |
The courses under § 70 FeV (Driving Licence Regulation, Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung) are officially recognised courses for restoring fitness to drive. If the report recommends such a course, it can turn a borderline result into "fit". How the assessment that leads to this result works is described on the page MPU procedure.
Do you have to submit a negative expert report?
No, you do not have to submit a negative report. Presenting it to the driving licence authority is voluntary, and only the report that is submitted counts for the authority.
A negative report that is not submitted remains unknown to the authority. Only the assessment centre and you yourself know about it. This gives you the opportunity to start again without a note of the failed attempt in your file.
That does not mean, however, that you should ignore the negative report. It contains valuable information about what went wrong. Read the reasoning carefully and use it for your further preparation. You can find more on this under Failed the MPU.
What do you do after a negative expert report?
After a negative report, you should first analyse the causes and only then plan a new appointment. There is no fixed waiting period between two attempts, but a quick second attempt without real change often leads to the same result.
Common reasons for a negative report are:
- Playing things down: your statements do not match the case file or the lab values.
- Rehearsed answers: model phrases come across as implausible.
- No real insight: the explanation of why it happened in the first place is missing.
- Contradictions between the questionnaire, the interview and the values.
- Abstinence started too late, or preparation underestimated.
Real reflection and working through the issues makes sense, for example through counselling (Beratung) or traffic therapy (Verkehrstherapie). What matters is substance instead of "learning answers": the assessor wants to see that you have understood the causes and changed your behaviour in a stable way. How a new attempt can succeed is described in the guide MPU for the second time.
What happens if your positive expert report becomes too old?
If your positive report becomes too old, the authority may no longer recognise it as sufficient evidence. Because there is no legal expiry date, this assessment is up to the authority.
This can usually be avoided by planning the order of steps correctly. Submit the application for the reissue of the licence (Neuerteilung) early, as a guideline about 3 months before the ban period (Sperrfrist) ends. Then the order for the MPU, the MPU itself and the submission of the report are close together in time. The exact process is explained in the guide Applying for the reissue of your driving licence.
Medical questions are a special case. Here, reports from medical specialists usually should be no older than 3 months. This applies to the medical findings, not to the MPU report itself, but it shows how important up-to-date documents are to the authority.
What happens when you submit a positive expert report?
When you submit a positive report to the driving licence authority, your driving licence is reissued on that basis. For the reissue, the authority charges about €140 to €260 as a guideline.
If the reason was a revocation because of points, your points total in the driving aptitude register (Fahreignungsregister, "Flensburg") is set to 0 after you pass the MPU. The report is therefore not only evidence, but also a fresh start. This makes it all the more important not to put this result at risk by waiting a long time, because with every month the risk increases that the authority no longer considers it current.
How do you plan the timing of your MPU sensibly?
It is best to plan the timing of the MPU backwards from the end of the ban period and from the required abstinence period. A report produced long before a possible reissue is of little use to you.
These points help with planning:
- Check the ban period: when is the earliest you may get a driving licence again? Under § 69a (1) StGB (German Criminal Code, Strafgesetzbuch; Abs. 1 = subsection 1), the ban lasts 6 months to 5 years.
- Factor in the abstinence period: if required, 6 or 12 months run before the MPU. This is usually the factor that determines the timing.
- Plan in preparation: typically 10 to 12 sessions over 2 to 3 months.
- Submit your application: as a guideline about 3 months before the ban ends; the authority then orders the MPU.
- Submit the report promptly: present a positive report without unnecessary delay.
You can find further key dates, such as the deletion periods (Tilgungsfristen) in the driving aptitude register, under MPU deadlines.
What you can do now
- Check the date of your expert report, and for older reports ask the driving licence authority whether it will still be accepted.
- Submit a positive report promptly, so that your driving licence can be issued.
- If a course is recommended, plan in a recognised course under § 70 FeV.
- If the result is negative, evaluate the reasoning and find suitable preparation.
Frequently asked questions
Does an MPU expert report expire after one year?
No, an MPU expert report has no legal expiry date. In practice, however, authorities usually only accept it for about 1 to 3 years. If in doubt, ask your driving licence authority.
Does the authority find out about a negative expert report?
No, not as long as you do not submit it. Submission is voluntary, and only the assessment centre and you know about a negative report. For the authority, only the submitted report counts.
When can I take the MPU again after a negative expert report?
There is no fixed waiting period between two attempts. However, a new attempt only makes sense once you have worked through the reasons for the negative result. Memorised answers do not help with this.
What does "follow-up course recommended" mean in the expert report?
The result is borderline, and the assessment centre recommends a recognised course under § 70 FeV. After successful participation, the result can be considered "fit".
