When is an MPU ordered?
The legal basis is the German Driving Licence Regulation (Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, FeV), mainly §§ 11, 13, 13a and 14. The authority asks for an MPU whenever facts suggest that you might not be fit to drive safely. The most common reasons are:
- Driving with 1.6 per mille blood alcohol or more — also on a bicycle or e-scooter
- Repeated offences under the influence of alcohol
- Drugs at the wheel, including cannabis above the legal limit or repeated cannabis offences
- 8 points in the driving aptitude register in Flensburg
- Criminal offences in traffic or offences showing high aggression
Sometimes the MPU is ordered while you still have your licence, with a deadline. More often it is required after a court has revoked the licence, when you apply for a new one (Neuerteilung).
How the assessment day works
The MPU takes place at an officially accredited assessment centre (Begutachtungsstelle für Fahreignung), for example TÜV, DEKRA or other providers accredited by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt). It usually takes a few hours and has four parts:
- Questionnaires about your personal history, health and the incident
- Medical examination by a doctor, including lab values where relevant (for example liver values or drug screening)
- Performance tests on a computer: reaction, concentration and stress tolerance — required in many cases
- An interview with a traffic psychologist, usually 45 to 60 minutes — the decisive part
In the free first consultation we look at your case and give you an honest assessment.
What the psychologist really wants to know
The psychologist does not want to hear learned phrases. He or she checks whether you understand why the offence happened, what you have changed since then and why this change will last. The basis are the official assessment criteria (Beurteilungskriterien) used by all centres in Germany.
Typical questions are: How did it come to the offence? How was your life at that time? What have you changed — and how exactly? How do you deal with difficult situations today? What would you do if the old situation came back? Honest, concrete and consistent answers are what counts.
Possible results of the MPU
- Positive: the assessors confirm that you are fit to drive again. You submit the report to the authority.
- Negative: doubts remain. You do not have to submit the report and can take a new MPU later.
- Course recommendation: in some cases you can remove remaining doubts by attending an officially recognised course (§ 70 FeV).
Because you commission the assessment yourself, you receive the report first and decide whether to pass it on. This is one more reason to take the MPU only when you are really prepared.
How to prepare
Good preparation starts with your file: what exactly does the authority know about you? Then you work through your personal story, build a stable change and practise the interview situation. At MPU Point this happens in one-to-one video sessions with an experienced traffic therapist and ends with a realistic MPU simulation.