Guide · Timeline
When should I start preparing for the MPU?
In short: as early as possible. Many deadlines are already running before the MPU is even ordered, and abstinence proof cannot be made up for later. Here you can see what happens when.
The ban period
If a court has taken away your licence, it also sets a ban. Under § 69a of the German Criminal Code it lasts between six months and five years. While it runs, no new licence may be issued.
If your licence was withdrawn because of 8 points, you can get a new one six months after the withdrawal at the earliest (§ 4 Road Traffic Act).
My advice: Use this time. Anyone who only starts after the ban has ended often loses several more months.
Apply in good time
You apply for the new licence at the licensing authority. The application is called “Neuerteilung” (re-issue). The authority then checks whether an MPU is needed and gives you a deadline for it. TÜV Hessen writes that you can apply three months before the ban ends. Ask your authority from when it accepts applications.
If you do not submit the assessment in time, the authority may conclude under § 11 (8) of the Driving Licence Regulation that you are unfit to drive.
Abstinence: the longest part
With drugs, abstinence usually has to be proven for twelve months; in exceptional cases six are enough. With alcohol, proof is not always needed. But anyone who has to give up alcohol completely should usually be able to prove this for one year (TÜV Hessen).
A urine programme only counts from the start of the contract, never retroactively. That is why the abstinence proof often sets the timeline.
A possible timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Right after the incident | First call; if needed, stop using and start the abstinence proof |
| In the first months | Preparation: understand your story and consolidate the changes |
| Before the ban ends | Apply for re-issue, view your file |
| After the order | Choose an assessment centre, simulate the interview, book the appointment |
| MPU day | Medical examination, computer-based performance tests, psychological interview, usually 3 to 4 hours |
With me: When the best time is for you and how long you need depends on your case and where you are now. We clarify that in the free first call.
Why starting late gets expensive
- Abstinence proof must have no gaps. If months are missing, the MPU is delayed.
- The assessors want to see that your change is stable. That takes time and cannot be learned in a few days.
- A failed MPU costs the fee again and usually a few months.
Common questions
When should I start preparing for the MPU?
As early as possible, ideally right after your licence is withdrawn. Abstinence proof in particular takes time and does not count retroactively.
When can I apply for a new licence?
TÜV Hessen mentions three months before the ban ends. Ask your licensing authority from when it accepts applications.
How long does the MPU itself take?
According to TÜV NORD and TÜV Hessen usually 3 to 4 hours, with a medical part, performance tests and a psychological interview.
How long do I have to prove abstinence?
For drugs usually twelve months, in exceptional cases six. For alcohol not always; where abstinence is required, usually one year.
Further reading
- MPU preparation in Albanian
- Abstinence proof for the MPU
- MPU because of alcohol
- MPU because of points
- Failed the MPU: what now?
- MPU because of drugs and cannabis
- Questions in the MPU interview
- Questions to ask any MPU counsellor
- How much does an MPU cost in total?
- MPU because of criminal offences
- MPU glossary: the most important terms
- New assessment criteria 2026: what changes for the MPU
- MPU in NRW: where you can take the assessment
- Good and bad answers in the MPU interview
- Driving licence from Albania or Kosovo and the MPU
