Return-to-base checks
Trips with no return to base and no follow-up order show up as a flag on the car, before an inspection finds them.
Nuremberg · Fürth · Erlangen · As of November 2026
Running a Mietwagen business in Nuremberg: licence, return-to-base rule and the taxi debate in the city council
A Mietwagen business in Nuremberg needs a licence from the Ordnungsamt (fee €200), an operating base inside the city with a planning permit for "passenger transport with Mietwagen", parking no more than a five-minute walk away and proof of competence, such as the €240 IHK exam. After that, every Uber or Bolt trip is subject to the return-to-base rule in § 49(4) PBefG.
Keep your fleet compliant and in view
Last updated:
Mietwagen licence in Nuremberg
What does a Mietwagen business in Nuremberg need for its licence?
A Mietwagen is a hired car with driver, booked in advance, and running one commercially needs a licence (often called Konzession) under the Passenger Transport Act, PBefG. In Nuremberg the Ordnungsamt grants it after checking reliability, professional competence and financial standing, for at most five years (§ 16(4) PBefG).
For the application
- an informal application stating the legal form, ID copies of the owner or managing directors and the operations manager; for companies, a current commercial register extract and the notarised articles
- the number of licences you apply for; the cars must be available by the end of the procedure
- certificate of good conduct and trade register extract "for submission to an authority"; if you live in Nuremberg, the Ordnungsamt can request both for you
Competence and money
- proof of professional competence, for example the exam at IHK Nürnberg für Mittelfranken (the regional chamber of commerce)
- operating capital of at least €2,250 for the first and €1,250 for each further car (German legal figures)
- clearance certificates from the health insurer, city treasury, tax office and employers' liability insurance association
For each car
- registration certificate stating the use "Mietwagen", the latest roadworthiness inspection report (not for new cars) and the acceptance report under BOKraft, the federal operating rules for passenger transport vehicles
Source: City of Nuremberg, Ordnungsamt: Mietwagengenehmigung beantragen (checked 11 Nov 2026)
| Authority | Ordnungsamt, Verkehrsgewerberecht, Innerer Laufer Platz 3, 90403 Nuremberg |
|---|---|
| Fee | €200 for granting the licence |
| How to apply | send the documents, e.g. via the upload assistant; the office then contacts you |
| Operating base | must be within Nuremberg city limits |
| Validity | at most 5 years |
Example
Operating capital for your fleet size
| 6 cars: €2,250 + 5 × €1,250 | €8,500 |
|---|---|
| 12 cars: €2,250 + 11 × €1,250 | €16,000 |
| 25 cars: €2,250 + 24 × €1,250 | €32,250 |
Calculated from the German legal minimums listed on nuernberg.de. The page does not say whether further fees apply per car beyond the €200; ask the Ordnungsamt.
Based in Fürth or Erlangen? Nuremberg's Ordnungsamt only handles businesses whose base is inside Nuremberg. Otherwise you apply to the district office or independent city where your base is (IHK Nürnberg).
Operating base
What does Nuremberg require from your operating base?
Nuremberg looks closely at the base: you need a planning permit for the use "passenger transport with Mietwagen" and plans that show real work happens there. This matters, because it is exactly where every car has to return after a trip without a follow-up order.
- proof of ownership or a lease for the premises and parking spaces
- a dimensioned floor plan with the purpose of each room: order dispatch, break rooms, rest rooms, sanitary facilities
- a dimensioned site plan of the parking spaces, no more than a 5-minute walk from the base
- a risk assessment under the Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV), sized for the maximum number of people on site: one driver per car plus dispatch staff
- where relevant, proof of charging infrastructure for electric cars at the parking spaces
- an operations manager who lives plausibly close, is paid appropriately and states which other businesses in which cities they also manage
Source: City of Nuremberg, Ordnungsamt. The planning application goes to the building control authority, Bauhof 5, or online.
In short
A 20-car business has to show parking for 20 cars within a five-minute walk and plan rooms for up to 20 drivers plus dispatch. Cutting corners here turns into a return-to-base problem later.
This kind of plausibility is exactly what the council motion on the Hamburg model wants checked more closely (see below).
Operator exam
How does the taxi and Mietwagen exam at IHK Nuremberg work?
The Fachkundeprüfung (competence exam) is the usual proof of professional competence. It has two written parts of one hour each and, where needed, an oral part of about 30 minutes. The owner or the person appointed to run the business must take it.
What the exam covers
- passenger transport law, including fare setting for taxis and Mietwagen
- financial position and profitability of a taxi or Mietwagen business
- road safety, accident prevention and environmental basics for vehicles
- topics needed for cross-border transport
No exam needed if you have at least three years in a managerial role at a taxi or Mietwagen company that ended no more than two years ago. You apply to the IHK in writing for recognition; a professional interview is part of it.
Source: IHK Nürnberg für Mittelfranken
| Exam 2026 | Registration deadline |
|---|---|
| 4 February | 4 January |
| 7 May | 7 April |
| 8 July | 8 June |
| 18 November | 18 October (passed) |
- Fee: €240 for first attempt and retake (official IHK fee)
- Requirement: residence in the administrative region of Middle Franconia
- The fee notice comes with the invitation about 2 weeks before; withdrawing after that costs 50 %, an unexcused absence 100 %
Source: IHK Nürnberg, registration form 2026 (PDF, German). The IHK publishes 2027 dates separately.
Taxi vs Uber in Nuremberg
What has Nuremberg city council asked for on Mietwagen and taxis?
On 5 December 2025 the SPD, CSU and Alliance 90/The Greens groups on the city council filed a joint motion titled "Mobility only through fair competition between Mietwagen and the taxi trade – Hamburg model and enforcement options". It is a motion for the relevant committee to deal with, not a decision. As of 11 November 2026 we found no outcome in official sources.
The motion itself states that blanket enforcement of the return-to-base rule is not feasible for either the municipalities or the police. It therefore asks the administration to:
- set out which checks currently happen when a Mietwagen or taxi licence is granted or renewed, especially regarding the base (whether it exists, how it is equipped, its size),
- report on the Hamburg model and clarify whether introducing it in Nuremberg would be legally possible and what resources it would need,
- draw up a concept for unannounced spot checks, for example around large public events, covering the return-to-base rule and the ban on picking up or waiting for passengers at the roadside.
Source: Joint motion of 5 Dec 2025 (PDF, German, published by the SPD council group in Nuremberg)
What is the Hamburg model?
The Hamburg model is a stricter licence check: the authority examines whether a business can actually afford to meet every legal requirement, from a real operating base to shift and staff planning to wages and payroll costs.
What this means for your business: if you can show revenue, wage costs and trips per car, and you know where your cars are after each trip, you are ready for stricter checks and spot inspections, whatever the committee decides. A minimum fare under § 51a PBefG is not part of the motion.
Rückkehrpflicht
Does the return-to-base rule apply to Uber and Bolt trips in Nuremberg?
Yes. Uber and Bolt are not banned in Nuremberg, but every Mietwagen trip through the apps falls under § 49(4) PBefG, the Rückkehrpflicht: orders must come in at the base, without a new order the car goes back after the trip, and you record each incoming order, app-based records included, and keep it for one year. Germany's Federal Court of Justice confirmed the rule on 3 June 2026 (I ZR 123/25). BGH press release 100/2026 (German)
With 10, 20 or 40 cars you cannot see day to day who simply waits at the trade fair centre or the airport after a drop-off. A spot check of the kind the council motion asks for would show exactly that.
"After carrying out the order, the Mietwagen must return to the operating base without delay, unless it received a new order before the trip from its base or the operator's home, or during the trip."
Our translation of § 49(4) sentence 3 PBefG
Deadlines
Which deadlines apply to Mietwagen in Nuremberg?
Four deadlines shape daily operations: the licence, the driver's passenger transport permit (P-Schein), the roadworthiness inspection and keeping order records. Each expires on a different date per car or per driver.
| Deadline | Period | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Mietwagen licence | at most 5 years | § 16(4) PBefG |
| P-Schein (driver's passenger transport permit) | at most 5 years, renewable | § 48(5) FeV |
| Roadworthiness inspection (HU) | every 12 months | StVZO Annex VIII No. 2.1.2.2 |
| Order records | keep for 1 year | § 49(4) PBefG |
How Frankenflotte helps
How do you keep trips, revenue and the return-to-base rule in view?
With one overview of every Uber and Bolt trip in your fleet, instead of two portals, spreadsheets and WhatsApp groups.
Trips and revenue per car
Uber and Bolt together: trips and revenue per car and per driver, after commission, with cost per kilometre.
Deadlines on time
Alerts before the licence, inspection, insurance or P-Schein expire, for every car and every driver.
Orders to drivers
Ride orders, including those from direct customers, go from your base to your drivers and are recorded in one place.
Fleet Nuremberg · NovemberExample
| Car | Trips | Net | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| N-FF 104 | 212 | $4,310 | all good |
| N-FF 211 | 188 | $3,720 | HU in 9 days |
| N-FF 318 | 201 | $3,410 | check return |
| N-FF 425 | 176 | $3,580 | P-Schein expiring |
Setup
How fast is your fleet set up?
In about 48 hours, in three steps.
Add cars, drivers and your base
Upload your cars with plates, your drivers and your base address once.
Connect Uber Fleet and Bolt Fleet
Link the fleet accounts. From then on, trips and revenue come in automatically.
Work from the dashboard
Revenue per driver and per car, cost per kilometre, return-to-base flags and deadlines at a glance.
700+
More than 700 operators already use this software
- Timesheets: from about 5 hours a week to under 1 hour a month.
- One operator found a van that was losing a few hundred a month.
- Cash fraud uncovered by matching dashcam data against drivers' Uber online status.
Price
from $5.99 per driver/month
- Uber and Bolt connection
- Setup in about 48 hours
- 2-day free trial, no credit card
FAQ
Questions from Mietwagen operators in Nuremberg
Is Uber banned in Nuremberg?
No. Rides via Uber or Bolt are allowed in Nuremberg when a licensed Mietwagen company carries them out under the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG). The law expressly allows orders to be recorded through app-based systems (§ 49(4) PBefG). The Mietwagen rules still apply, above all the duty to return to the operating base.
How much does a Mietwagen licence cost in Nuremberg?
The city of Nuremberg's service guide lists a fee of €200 for granting a Mietwagen licence. On top come the costs of a certificate of good conduct, a trade register extract, the IHK competence exam (€240) and, where needed, a planning permit for the base. Whether extra fees apply per additional car is not stated, so confirm this with the Ordnungsamt.
Where do I apply for a Mietwagen licence in Nuremberg?
At the city of Nuremberg's Ordnungsamt (public order office), transport trades section, Innerer Laufer Platz 3, 90403 Nuremberg. You send in the documents, for example through the upload assistant, and the office contacts you about next steps. The operating base must be inside Nuremberg city limits. For a business based in Fürth or Erlangen, the licensing authority at that base is responsible.
How much is the taxi and Mietwagen operator exam at IHK Nuremberg?
According to the 2026 registration form of IHK Nürnberg für Mittelfranken, both first attempt and retake cost €240. You must live in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. The exam has two written parts of one hour each and, where needed, an oral part of about 30 minutes. Withdrawing after the invitation has been sent costs 50 per cent of the fee.
How much capital do I need for a Mietwagen business in Nuremberg?
At least €2,250 for the first car and €1,250 for each further car. For 12 cars that is €16,000, for 25 cars €32,250. The Ordnungsamt also asks for clearance certificates from the health insurer, the city treasury, the tax office and the employers' liability insurance association.
Do I need a planning permit for my base in Nuremberg?
Yes. Nuremberg's Ordnungsamt requires a planning permit (Baugenehmigung) for the commercial use "passenger transport with Mietwagen". You also need a dimensioned floor plan showing the purpose of each room, a site plan of the parking spaces, which may be no more than a five-minute walk from the base, and a workplace risk assessment.
What is the Hamburg model being discussed in Nuremberg?
Under the Hamburg model, the authority checks when granting or renewing a licence whether a business can actually afford to meet all legal requirements, from a real operating base to shift and staff planning to wage costs. On 5 December 2025 the SPD, CSU and Green groups on Nuremberg city council asked the administration to examine introducing it. This is a motion, not a decision.
Does the return-to-base rule apply to Uber drivers in Nuremberg?
Yes. Under § 49(4) PBefG a Mietwagen must return to its operating base immediately after each trip unless it received a new order before or during the trip. Germany's Federal Court of Justice confirmed this on 3 June 2026 (I ZR 123/25). You must record when each order came in and keep that record for one year.
Next step
Your Franconian fleet, inspection-ready and with clear numbers
We show you what Uber and Bolt trips and revenue look like per car, where the return-to-base rule is at risk and which deadlines are coming up next.
- 1We get back to you this week.
- 2A short call about your fleet, platforms and base.
- 3Setup in about 48 hours.
Send your request
Leave your details — we'll be in touch this week.