Guide · Drugs and cannabis

MPU because of drugs and cannabis

With hard drugs such as cocaine or amphetamine, the German driving licence regulation considers taking them enough to make you unfit to drive. Cannabis has had its own rules since 2024: an MPU is likely mainly if you do not reliably keep consumption and driving apart. To get your licence back, the authority usually requires an MPU in both cases.

Book your free first callUpdated: November 2026

Hard drugs

Under Annex 4 of the driving licence regulation, anyone who takes narcotics within the meaning of the German Narcotics Act (BtMG) is unfit to drive. Since 2024, cannabis no longer falls under this. It covers substances such as cocaine, amphetamine, ecstasy or heroin. If the authority is convinced that you are unfit, it can withdraw your licence without an assessment first.

For a new licence, the authority then orders an MPU (§ 14(2) of the driving licence regulation). In the case of dependence, you are usually only considered fit again after detoxification, treatment and one year of abstinence.

Cannabis: what applies since 2024

Since 2024, cannabis has its own section, § 13a of the driving licence regulation. Under it, an MPU is ordered mainly in these cases:

Case	What it means
Signs of misuse	Facts suggest that you do not reliably keep cannabis use and driving apart.
Repeatedly under cannabis	You were caught in traffic under the influence of cannabis more than once.
Earlier withdrawal	Your licence was withdrawn before for one of these reasons.
Open questions	It must be clarified whether misuse or dependence no longer exists.

The legal limit in traffic is 3.5 ng/ml THC in blood serum (§ 24a of the Road Traffic Act). Drinking alcohol on top of that is also an offence.

Do I have to abstain completely?

With hard drugs and with dependence: yes. The assessors then have to establish stable abstinence, proven by abstinence tests. How that works is explained in the guide on abstinence proof.

With cannabis and no dependence, the main question is whether you will reliably keep use and driving apart in future. The change has to be established. Whether you should abstain completely depends on your history. We clarify this in the first call.

What the assessors want to know

Since when, how often and in which situations did you use drugs?
What role did drugs play in your life, for example with stress, among friends or at parties?
How did the drive under the influence come about?
What have you changed since then, and how do you keep it up in everyday life?
What do you do if you are offered drugs again?

The assessors know your file, including the blood test results. Statements that do not match it do more harm than an honest “Yes, that is how it was”.

How I prepare you

My professional focus is addiction, drugs and relapse prevention. We look at your file together, work through your story honestly and practise the interview in a simulation. The drugs package comprises 12 sessions of 60 minutes.

In the free first call we clarify what to expect in your case. This does not replace legal advice.

Frequently asked questions about the drugs MPU

Cannabis is legal. Why could I still face an MPU?

Possession is allowed within limits; driving under the influence of cannabis is not. If facts suggest that you do not keep use and driving apart, the authority can order an MPU under § 13a of the driving licence regulation.

Is taking cocaine once enough to lose my licence?

Under Annex 4 of the driving licence regulation, taking hard drugs is usually a reason for unfitness in itself, even without driving under the influence. The authority makes the decision.

What is the THC limit?

3.5 ng/ml THC in blood serum. Alcohol on top of that is also an offence.

How much does preparation cost?

The “Drugs” package costs €1,390 for 12 sessions, including a simulation of the MPU interview. The first call is free.