Security code in the registration certificate: the 7-character code

Which code is needed for the deregistration?

For online deregistration you need the security code of the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I (registration certificate part I), known in everyday German as the Fahrzeugschein. It consists of exactly seven characters and is hidden under a label or a scratch-off area.

Do not confuse it: the Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II (registration certificate part II, the vehicle title known as Fahrzeugbrief) also has a code. That one has twelve characters and is needed for registrations, but not for deregistration. So leave the field in the vehicle title untouched if you only want to deregister.

What does the code field on the registration certificate look like?

The field looks different depending on the issuing authority and the form manufacturer. Two variants are common: a silver scratch-off area directly on the paper, or an affixed security label with the code underneath its cover layer.

Registration certificates issued before 2015 generally have no such field. If the vehicle has been re-registered since then or the keeper's address has changed, you will usually already have a newer copy with a code.

Special case Borgard sticker: the print number is not the code

Many registration authorities use security stickers made by the manufacturer Borgard. These labels have a small viewing window in which an eight-digit number is visible. This number is merely the print number of the sticker and not a security code. Anyone who enters it will inevitably receive a rejection.

The correct code is concealed under the cover layer of the label and only becomes visible once you carefully remove it. A simple rule of thumb helps: count the characters. Seven characters match the registration certificate, eight characters point to the print number.

Uncovering the code and transferring it without errors

Place the document on a firm, smooth surface and work with a fingernail or a plastic card. With a label, slowly peel off the cover layer from one corner; with a scratch-off area, remove the silver layer in short strokes.

• Only use the currently valid registration certificate; older copies have invalid codes.
• Write down all seven characters, including leading zeros.
• Check similar characters carefully: 0 and O, 1 and I, 5 and S, 8 and B.
• Do not add any spaces or special characters that are not on the document.

Why only the latest registration certificate counts

With every transfer of registration, change of keeper and change of address, the authority issues a completely new registration certificate part I with a new code. The code of an older copy is then no longer stored in the register.

If you have several registration certificates, use the copy with the most recent issue date. This happens more often than you might think, for example when the old certificate was accidentally left in the glove compartment after a move.

30-second self-check before entering the code

Before you transfer the code into the form, a quick cross-check is worthwhile. Most errors in the registration certificate check can be ruled out with three questions.

If everything is correct, enter the code and check it once more on screen, character by character, against the document. This second check only takes a moment and prevents a deregistration from failing because of a single swapped character.

• Does the code have exactly seven characters, and does it not come from a viewing window?
• Does it come from the registration certificate and not from the vehicle title?
• Is it the certificate with the most recent issue date?