The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) is a higher federal authority within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport, headquartered in Flensburg. It performs key tasks in the areas of licensing, monitoring, and statistics for road traffic and is known nationwide as the operator of the Driver Aptitude Register (FAER), colloquially known as the "Flensburg points file." In addition to its headquarters, the KBA maintains a branch in Dresden, a testing laboratory in Harrislee, and a test track in Leck.
Its core tasks include type approval and type testing for vehicles and vehicle parts at national, European, and international levels, market surveillance, and the coordination of recalls in the event of safety-related defects. The KBA also maintains several central registers, including the Central Vehicle Register (ZFZR), the Central Driver's License Register (ZFER), and the Tachograph Card Register (FKR). These databases are essential for administration, the police, courts, and manufacturers.
The KBA also compiles comprehensive traffic and registration statistics and operates a research data center that provides anonymized vehicle and traffic data for scientific purposes. Internationally, the authority acts as the German contact point for the exchange of vehicle and owner data via the EUCARIS system and is part of several European enforcement networks.
Citizens can obtain information from the driver fitness register free of charge from the KBA – either in person in Flensburg, online with their ID card, or by mail. Thus, the authority not only fulfills regulatory and technical tasks but also serves as a central interface between road safety, administration, and the public.
Translated by Google •
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