Car registration soon possible via insurance

Drivers can save a lot of time and trouble in the future. One of the goals advertised by the traffic light government, the reduction of bureaucracy, is now being promoted by a new law. From September 2023, motorists who want to register a new car can do this through their insurance company and thus save themselves a visit to a registration office.

In order to register a new car, a personal visit to the registration office or a car dealer was almost unavoidable. Although online offers were also set up there, the effort involved in internet-based registration via the so-called i-Kfz was so high that only 7% of Germans used the offer. For identification, holders had to show an electronic identity card in connection with a card reader or an ID app. The majority of the new applicants therefore continued to prefer to arrange personal appointments. With often long waiting times.

Innovations from autumn 2023

That should change now. From September 1, 2023, motorists can contact their car insurers to register their car in addition to the registration offices. In March of this year, the Federal Council approved a corresponding government draft law.

DThe advantage of this innovation is that new car owners are already in contact with their car insurance company before they register their car. Because for a new registration you need a cover note from the insurance company in Germany. Due to the new law, the insurance companies can now offer to carry out the registration in one step with the car insurance. This saves owners a lot of work and an additional trip to the registration office.

Anja Käfer-Rohrbach, General Manager of the insurance association GDV: "We strive to make entering the required data as easy as possible and data that is already available to the insurer does not have to be entered a second time."

Simplified online admission

At the same time, the online registration will be renewed by the insurance companies and should make the process easier. Instead of using an electronic identity card, customers now identify themselves using a "qualified, electronic signature", the so-called video identification process. A normal passport is sufficient, the image of which is compared with the user's face by software. The only technical requirement is a working camera on a computer or smartphone.

The innovations promise to make buying a car and the associated hurdles faster, easier and less bureaucratic. According to Käfer-Rohrbach, the procedure should not take longer than 15 minutes in the future.

Effects of the law

VIt is assumed that the new regulation will have a major impact on new registrations. The Federal Ministry of Transport estimates that in the future every second car will be registered online by car insurance companies or other service providers. However, the Federal Council warns that the risks must be carefully examined. In particular, the increasing risk of misuse is classified as worrying. For example, badges could be stolen from the post office and the number of vehicles on the road with unstamped license plates could increase. Nevertheless, the innovation offers more advantages than disadvantages, especially for car owners, and provides relief.

Meanwhile, the outlook for auto dealerships and professional registration services looks less rosy. Admission via the conventional channels will still be possible, but the additional route is not really worthwhile for owners. Companies will have to find new ways of continuing their business model.