Registering a new vehicle (change of holder)

Procedure

• An application for registration must be submitted to the registration authority. The application can also be made by a representative (e.g. car dealer) with a written power of attorney.
• If a preferred license plate is desired, reservations can be made in person, in writing or by telephone, and as an online service via the Internet, even before registration.
• By the registration of the vehicle on the new vehicle owner a new Zulassungsbescheingung part I (in former times: Fahrzeugschein) is issued. It may also be necessary to issue a registration certificate Part II (formerly: Fahrzeugbrief).
• In the event of a change of owner within Bremen, the current license plates can continue to be used for registered vehicles. In such a case, an existing fine dust sticker also retains its validity.

Appointments can be reserved online at any time via www.service.bremen.de/dienststelle/termine or by telephone Mon-Fri from 07:00-18:00 on the following telephone numbers:

Vehicle Registration Authority: (0421) 361-88668 or (0421) 115

Citizens Service Center-North: (0421) 361-88644 or (0421) 115

Tip:
License plates can be produced during the registration process. Private providers have set up shop for this purpose near the Behördenzentrum Stresemannstr. 48 and the BSC-Nord. The cost of the plates is not included in the fees. The license plates are stamped by the registration authority, i.e. provided with stickers for the main inspection and the registration district.

Legal bases

• § 13 Kraftfahrzeugsteuergesetz (KraftStG)
• § 6a Abs. 8 Straßenverkehrsgesetz (StVG) iVm § 1 Gesetz zur Beitreibung von Gebühren- und Auslagenrückständen bei der Zulassung von Fahrzeugen im Land Bremen (Beitreibungserleichterungsgesetz Kfz-Zulassung – BEG HB)
• Gebührenordnung für Maßnahmen im Straßenverkehr (GebOSt)
• § 15 Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV)

More information

• If the ZB II is in the possession of a third party (e.g. leasing bank), it must be sent to the licensing authority. The change can only be made once the document has been received by the authority. As a rule, the ZB II is available at the licensing authority 2 to 3 weeks after it is requested. After completion, it is returned to the sender. The costs for storage and return are usually borne by the holder.
• Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance (FZV) regulate which vehicles are subject to registration.
• An amendment to the Motor Vehicle Tax Act came into force on July 1, 2010. The following changes apply to registrations from July 1, 2010:
  - When registering a vehicle, a SEPA direct debit mandate is required for the collection of vehicle tax. A SEPA direct debit mandate issued for the first taxation is also valid for subsequent years.
• Motor vehicle tax exemption or reduction due to severe disability:
  Severely disabled people with the "H", "BI" or "aG" mark on their severely disabled person's pass continue to be exempt from motor vehicle tax. They do not have to submit a direct debit authorization based on the proof in their ID card.
  Further information can be obtained from the main customs office in Bremen.
• Electronic insurance confirmation (eVB):
  You can obtain the confirmation of insurance for motor vehicle liability insurance from the insurance company of your choice. In most cases, you can request the insurance confirmation by telephone from your insurance company.
• Since March 1, 2008, the insurer can provide you with an insurance confirmation with a 7-digit alphanumeric VB number, which the registration authority uses to retrieve the insurance data electronically from the central database of the German Insurance Association.