Guide · New in 2026

New assessment criteria 2026: what changes for the MPU

In 2026 two important foundations of the MPU changed: the assessment criteria that assessors use to decide, and the guidelines on fitness to drive. Here I explain what is new, what it means for you and what stays the same.

Book your free first callAs of November 2026

Two rulebooks, both new

Rulebook	What it is	What happened in 2026
Assessment criteria (Beurteilungskriterien, 5th edition)	The reference book of traffic psychologists and traffic physicians (DGVP and DGVM) that assessors base their judgement on.	Published in early March 2026. According to the DGVP, it should be fully applied by the end of August 2026 at the latest.
Guidelines on fitness to drive (Begutachtungsleitlinien)	The guidelines of the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt). They are binding through the Driving Licence Regulation.	The chapters “Alcohol and cannabis” and “Narcotics and medicines” were rewritten and have applied since 19 August 2026.

Why the changes were made

The main reason is the Cannabis Act of April 2024. Since then cannabis is no longer a narcotic under the Narcotics Act, and the Driving Licence Regulation has its own section for cannabis, § 13a. The 4th edition of the criteria from 2022 no longer fitted. So it was revised earlier than planned.

What is new, according to the publisher

Drugs and cannabis: the criteria were substantially revised, restructured and given flow charts. Many criteria were reworded, for example on the intensity of cannabis use and on working through your history of use and traffic incidents.
Alcohol: the alcohol criteria were also clearly revised, including the requirements for toxicological proof.
Medication and medical cannabis: the chapter on long-term medication and medication misuse now takes the Medical Cannabis Act into account.
Lab analyses (CTU): more detailed explanations of detecting cannabis in blood, detection and effect limits, and requirements for laboratories.

What this means for you

If your case involves cannabis, different standards apply today than two years ago. Information from older forums or books may be out of date.
Have your abstinence proof done by a lab that works to the current standard, and ask there whether anything has changed for you.
If you take medical cannabis or other medication long-term, bring your prescription and medical documents. These cases are now explicitly considered.

With me: If your case is affected by the changes, we discuss it in the free first call. I tell you honestly when a question is a legal one and you need a lawyer.

What stays the same

The basic idea of the MPU does not change. The assessors still want to understand how your incident came about, what has changed for you since and whether that change is stable. The principles of the assessment are still set out in Annex 4a of the Driving Licence Regulation. Answers learned by heart do not help under the new criteria either.

Common questions

Are there new MPU assessment criteria in 2026?

Yes. The 5th edition of the assessment criteria by DGVP and DGVM was published in early March 2026. According to the DGVP, it should be fully applied by the end of August 2026 at the latest.

What changes with the new assessment criteria?

According to the publisher, mainly the criteria on drugs and cannabis were restructured and reworded, the alcohol criteria were clearly revised and medical cannabis is newly taken into account.

Since when do the new guidelines apply?

The rewritten chapters “Alcohol and cannabis” and “Narcotics and medicines” have applied since 19 August 2026. The old versions of these chapters are no longer valid.

Why were the assessment criteria changed?

Mainly because of the Cannabis Act of April 2024 and the new § 13a of the Driving Licence Regulation. The 4th edition from 2022 no longer fitted.