apply for a driving license

• Resident in Hamburg with main or secondary residence.
• Completion of the 14th year of life
• legal capacity

• ID card or passport
• when applying for an extended certificate of good conduct, the original written request from the employer
• When applying for a certificate of good conduct for official purposes, the address of the authority with file number and purpose is required
• if necessary, further documents to prove certain information, for example proof of fee exemption

• Certificates of good conduct can be applied for both at the registration office of the main and secondary residence.
• The certificate of good conduct is always sent to the registered address of the place of residence where it was requested.
• People without a permanent address or the homeless should contact the Hamburg Service Hamburg-Mitte.
• If the applicant does not live in Germany: You can apply directly to the Federal Central Register in Bonn (Tel.: +49 228 99410-40) or via the German Embassy abroad.
• The online application is only offered by the Federal Office of Justice.
  The Hamburg Service cannot provide any information or advice on online applications - neither by telephone nor in person.

You can apply for all types of certificates of good conduct online, in person and - under certain conditions - in writing at a Hamburg office for residents' affairs.

If you want to apply for the certificate of good conduct online:

• Go to the website for applying for a certificate of good conduct and follow the instructions.
• As proof of identity, you need an electronic identity card, an electronic residence permit or an eID card, each with an activated PIN, a card reader, the AusweisApp2 and, if necessary, a digital recording device (e.g. scanner or digital camera) to upload proof.
  If you have forgotten your PIN, you can order a new one online at: https://www.pin-ruecksetzbrief-bestellen.de/
• The certificate of good conduct you have applied for will then be sent to you by post.
• If the application is unsuccessful, you will be informed either immediately online or at a later date.
• If you apply for the certificate of good conduct to be presented to an authority, it will be sent directly to the authority. For a certificate of good conduct that contains entries, you can request that it first be sent to a district court of your choice so that you can examine it there. You can then decide whether to forward it to the authorities or to destroy it.

If you would like to apply for the certificate of good conduct in person or in writing:

• You make an appointment in advance at a location for residents' affairs (formerly the customer center) of your choice.
• Submit an application for a certificate of good conduct. You must prove your identity. An official identification document is used for this purpose.
• You may have to prove that you are a citizen of another EU member state.
• The authority then forwards the application to the Federal Office of Justice.
• From abroad, the application can be made in writing - with officially confirmed personal data and signature - directly to the Federal Office of Justice.
• The certificate of good conduct you have applied for will be sent to you by post.
• If you apply for the certificate of good conduct to be presented to an authority, it will be sent directly to the authority. If you suspect that the certificate of good conduct contains entries, you can request that it first be sent to a district court of your choice so that you can examine it there. You can then decide whether to forward it to the authorities or to destroy it.

Any person who has reached the age of 14 will be issued with a certificate of good conduct upon application. This reflects the content of the Federal Central Register.
This certificate of good conduct can be issued for your own purposes (private criminal record certificate) or for submission to a German authority (official certificate of good conduct).

If you need the certificate of good conduct for personal purposes - for example to present it to your employer - it is a simple certificate of good conduct.

You need an extended certificate of good conduct if you want to work with children and young people - for example in a school or a sports club - or with people in need of care or people with disabilities.

The certificate of good conduct for official purposes is only for submission to an authority - for example, if a driver's license is to be issued. The certificate of good conduct is then sent directly to the authority that requested it from you and, in addition to criminal court decisions, also contains certain decisions by administrative authorities - for example the revocation of a professional license. If you suspect that the certificate of good conduct contains entries, you can request that it first be sent to a district court of your choice so that you can examine it there.

If you have the citizenship of one or more other EU member states in addition to German, you will receive the document you have applied for as a European certificate of good conduct. In addition to the German certificate of good conduct, it contains the notification of entries in the criminal record of the home member state in the transmitted language if the home member state provides for transmission under its own law.