Driver file with expiry alerts
Problem: the P-Schein expired and nobody noticed.
Driving licence, P-Schein and all hiring documents per driver in one place, each with its expiry date. The software warns you before, not after.
Driver administration for Mietwagen fleets
Hiring Mietwagen drivers in Germany: checklist, P-Schein and driver file
Before a new Mietwagen driver takes the first trip, you need: the licence and a valid P-Schein (passenger transport licence) checked in the original, the Sofortmeldung (social security notice) by day one, a written notice on carrying ID, and signed contract terms on paper. A P-Schein lasts five years at most, so track its expiry date.
Run your driver files digitallyReply this week
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01Checklist
Which documents do I need to hire a Mietwagen driver?
You need two kinds of proof: the right to drive passengers (driving licence and P-Schein) and the paperwork German employment law requires in passenger transport. Order matters: some items must be in place before the first trip, others on the first working day or shortly after.
| Document | When | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Class B driving licence: original seen, copy with expiry date on file | before the first trip | § 21 StVG |
| P-Schein (passenger transport licence, model 4): check the original; the driver carries it | before the first trip | § 48(3), (7) FeV |
| Sofortmeldung: name, social security number, employer number, start date | no later than the start of work | § 28a(4) SGB IV |
| Written notice of the duty to carry ID, handed over with proof | before the first shift; keep while the driver works for you | § 2a(2) SchwarzArbG |
| Written terms, part 1: parties, pay, working time and breaks | first working day at the latest | § 2(1) NachwG |
| Written terms, part 2: start, place of work, duties, probation, overtime | by the 7th calendar day | § 2(1) NachwG |
| Written terms, part 3: holidays, termination procedure, the rest | within one month | § 2(1) NachwG |
| Working time: start, end and duration of each day | from day 1, within 7 calendar days | § 17(1) MiLoG |
A written employment contract that contains all the required details replaces the separate statement (§ 2(5) NachwG). After hiring, you also link the driver to your Uber and Bolt fleet accounts; only then does he or she receive ride requests.
02P-Schein
What are the requirements for a P-Schein?
The P-Schein is the German licence for carrying passengers (Fahrerlaubnis zur Fahrgastbeförderung) under § 48 FeV. Anyone driving a Mietwagen (private hire vehicle with driver) whose trips need a licence under the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG) needs it on top of the normal driving licence. Only drivers holding class D or D1 are exempt.
- At least 21 years oldMust have turned 21 (§ 48(4) no. 2).
- Class B for two yearsHas held a class B licence for at least two years, or did so within the last five years (no. 5).
- Certificate of conduct and driver registerA certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority and a current extract from the driver fitness register (no. 2a).
- Physical and mental fitnessMedical certificate under Annex 5 FeV (no. 3).
- EyesightProof under Annex 6 no. 2 FeV (no. 4).
- FachkundeFor taxis and Mietwagen, proof of professional knowledge, e.g. a certificate from an approved body (no. 7).
Source: § 48(1), (2) and (4) FeV, checked 15 Nov 2026.
For you as an employer: in the interview, don't just ask whether the applicant has a P-Schein; ask when it expires. A P-Schein that runs out in three months is a date that belongs in your calendar, not only in the driver's.
03Renewal
Renewing a P-Schein: what does the driver need, and when?
On application, the P-Schein is extended by up to five years at a time. The driver proves fitness, eyesight and reliability again (§ 48(5) FeV).
Check the expiry date
The date is printed on the passenger transport licence. The new validity runs from the day the old P-Schein expires, not from the application date (§ 48(6) with § 24(1) sentence 2 FeV). Applying early costs no validity.
Collect the documents
Medical certificate under Annex 5, proof of eyesight under Annex 6 no. 2, a certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority (§ 30(5) BZRG) and a current extract from the driver fitness register.
Extra proof from age 60
Renewal beyond the driver's 60th birthday requires additional proof of fitness under Annex 5 nos. 2 and 3 (§ 48(6) FeV).
Apply at the licensing authority
Fees, the document list and appointments come from the responsible driving licence authority (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde), in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich as in smaller towns. Doctor, certificate and appointment together usually take weeks rather than days.
Important: from the expiry date on, the driver may not carry passengers, and you may not allow it (§ 48(1) and (7) FeV). For the driving licence itself it is more serious: a keeper who lets someone drive without a licence commits a criminal offence (§ 21(1) no. 2 StVG).
04Contract
What must a Mietwagen driver's employment contract contain?
At least the essential terms listed in § 2(1) NachwG (Germany's Evidence Act), in writing, signed and handed to the driver. Since the amendment of 23 Oct 2024, many employers may send the terms in text form, e.g. by email. That relief expressly does not apply to the sectors in § 2a SchwarzArbG, which include passenger transport.
On the first working day
Names and addresses of both parties, composition and amount of pay with due dates, agreed working hours, breaks, rest periods and any shift system.
By the 7th calendar day
Start date, end date if fixed-term, place of work, job description, probation, on-call work and overtime rules.
Within one month
Holidays, training, company pension, termination procedure including written form, notice periods and the deadline to sue, and a reference to applicable collective agreements.
Source: § 2(1) sentences 6–9 NachwG, checked 15 Nov 2026.
If you pay drivers a share of revenue, that model belongs in the pay terms. Check it against the German statutory minimum wage: €13.90 gross per hour since 1 January 2026 and €14.60 from 1 January 2027 (§ 1 MiLoV5; German legal figures).
05Driver file
What belongs in the driver file, and which deadlines keep running?
The driver file (Fahrerakte) is a driver's personnel file: every document from hiring to exit, together with the dates when something expires. Signing the contract is only the start; these deadlines keep running:
- 5 years max.
- How long a P-Schein is valid before it must be renewed (§ 48(5) FeV).
- 15 years
- Validity of driving licences issued since 19 January 2013. Older licences must be exchanged on the schedule in Annex 8e (§ 24a FeV).
- 7 calendar days
- Deadline to record start, end and duration of each day's working time (§ 17(1) MiLoG).
- 2 years min.
- How long you keep working-time records, including after the driver leaves (§ 17(1) MiLoG).
- while employed
- How long you keep the written ID notice and show it during inspections (§ 2a(2) SchwarzArbG).
- 1 Jan 2027
- The minimum wage rises to €14.60 gross per hour. Recalculate revenue-share models (§ 1 MiLoV5).
When a driver leaves: remove the driver from your Uber and Bolt fleet accounts, take back the car and keys, run the final pay. Close the file, but keep the working-time records archived for at least two years.
06Software
How does driver administration software help with 6 to 50 drivers?
It replaces binders, spreadsheets and WhatsApp photos with a digital driver file that reminds you of deadlines itself. With five drivers you can keep it all in your head. With twenty drivers, shift changes and open applications, you can't.
Recruiting pipeline
Problem: applicants get lost between the job ad and the contract.
Every applicant from first contact to first shift in one list, with the missing documents per person. You hire faster.
Uber Fleet and Bolt Fleet connected
Problem: the new driver is hired but not driving yet.
Link the driver to your fleet accounts. Ride requests are forwarded to them, and trips and revenue land on their profile.
Automatic timesheets
Problem: working hours are retyped from chat messages.
From the first working day, timesheets are created automatically, and payroll builds on them.
| Driver | P-Schein valid until | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Driver 03 · A. Demir | 12 Jan 2027 | expires soon |
| Driver 07 · M. Kaya | 30 Apr 2027 | valid |
| Driver 11 · S. Wolf | 2 Sep 2029 | valid |
| Applicant · J. Brandt | proof missing | being hired |
Fictional names and data.
07Setup
How fast is the setup?
About 48 hours. After that you see drivers, deadlines, and revenue per driver and per car in one place.
- Step 1
Upload drivers and cars
Add your driver list and vehicles once, with licence and P-Schein dates.
- Step 2
Connect Uber Fleet and Bolt Fleet
Link the fleet accounts. Trips and revenue then flow in automatically.
- Step 3
Deadlines and applicants in view
Expiry alerts, missing documents and the applicant pipeline on one dashboard.
08Price
What does it cost?
700+
Mietwagen and taxi operators already run drivers, cars and platform data with this software instead of spreadsheets and WhatsApp groups.
“Timesheet work cut from about 5 hours per week to under 1 hour per month.”
Price
from $5.99 per driver/month
- Digital driver file with expiry alerts
- Recruiting pipeline for applicants
- Automatic timesheets
- Setup in about 48 hours
- 2-day free trial, no credit card
09Questions
FAQ: drivers, P-Schein and driver files
What do I need to renew a P-Schein?
The driver proves physical and mental fitness under Annex 5 FeV and eyesight under Annex 6 no. 2 again. Add a certificate of good conduct for submission to an authority and a current extract from the driver fitness register (§ 48(5) FeV). From age 60, the authority requires extra proof of fitness under Annex 5 nos. 2 and 3.
When should a P-Schein be renewed?
Well before the expiry date, because from that day the driver may not carry passengers. The new validity runs from the day the old P-Schein expires, not from the application (§ 24(1) sentence 2 FeV, applied via § 48(6) FeV). Applying early costs no validity.
How much does it cost to renew a P-Schein?
The cost is made up of the authority fee, the medical examination, the eye test and the certificate of good conduct. Amounts differ by authority and doctor, so we don't quote a figure here. The responsible driving licence authority will tell you its current fee.
Can a driver drive a Mietwagen without a valid P-Schein?
No. Anyone carrying passengers in a Mietwagen that needs a PBefG licence must hold the passenger transport licence, and the vehicle keeper may neither order nor allow the transport without it (§ 48(1) and (7) FeV). Only drivers with class D or D1 are exempt.
When is the Sofortmeldung due for a new driver?
No later than the start of employment, so before the first shift. Employers in passenger transport report the start date to the pension insurance data centre (Datenstelle der Rentenversicherung), with name, social security number, employer number and start date (§ 28a(4) SGB IV).
Is an employment contract by email enough for Mietwagen drivers?
No. For the sectors in § 2a SchwarzArbG, including passenger transport, text form is excluded. The essential terms must be set out in writing, signed and handed over, with the first details on the first working day at the latest (§ 2(1) NachwG).
Which documents belong in a driver file?
Copies of the driving licence and P-Schein with expiry dates, the Sofortmeldung, the signed ID notice, the employment contract or written terms under the NachwG, and the working-time records. Keep working-time records for at least two years (§ 17(1) MiLoG).
How much does the driver administration software cost?
From $5.99 per driver per month. Setup takes about 48 hours, and there is a 2-day free trial with no credit card.
10Next step
Run hiring and driver files digitally
We'll show you what driver files, deadlines and applicants look like with your own drivers.
- We'll get back to you this week.
- A short call about your fleet and drivers.
- Setup in about 48 hours.
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