Federal authority for vehicle registration, type approval, market surveillance and official motor vehicle statistics
Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt
Fördestraße 16, 24944 FlensburgNew on Amplifa
About the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt
The Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) is a higher federal authority headquartered in Flensburg, subordinate to the Federal Ministry of Transport. It is not a manufacturing company but performs sovereign tasks in motor vehicle affairs: it grants type approvals and General Operating Permits (ABE), carries out conformity assessments of production and products, and, as the market surveillance authority, monitors vehicles, systems, components and separate technical units – including recalls and sanctions. In addition, the KBA operates central registers such as the Driver Fitness Register, issues tachograph cards and produces national and European official statistics on vehicle registrations, motor traffic, driving licences and vehicle inspections. The KBA is part of the European Statistical System (ESS) and aligns its statistical production with the European Statistics Code of Practice. For companies in the vehicle and supply industry, the KBA is the competent approval and surveillance authority in Germany.
- Site
- Flensburg
- Processes
- Vehicle registration and type approval, Market surveillance (product testing, recalls, sanctions), Conformity assessment (system and product assessments), Issuance of General Operating Permits (ABE), Official statistics (vehicle registrations, motor traffic, driving licences, vehicle inspections), Driver Fitness Register, Issuance of tachograph cards, Research Data Centre / Public Use Files
- Materials
- System Assessment (CoP-Q), Product Assessment (CoP-P), General Operating Permit, Electronic Certificate of Conformity
- Certificates
- European Statistics Code of Practice (ESS), ISO 9001
- Founded
- 1951
- Industries
- Public Administration, Transport/Transportation, Vehicle Registration System, Statistics
- 01
Application submitted by manufacturer
- 02
Type approval / ABE issued by KBA
- 03
Conformity assessment (system and product assessments)
- 04
Market surveillance (product testing, recalls, sanctions)
- 05
Official statistics and register management
Services and Procedures
System Assessment (CoP-Q)
Monitoring of a manufacturer's production processes after type approval has been granted.
Product Assessment (CoP-P)
Monitoring of the conformity of approved products with the product presented for type testing.
General Operating Permit
Issued, for example, for NOx reduction systems for retrofitting diesel vehicles and buses pursuant to § 22 StVZO.
Electronic Certificate of Conformity
Digital service for providing certificates of conformity on demand.
Location
Flensburg
DEHeadquarters
Industries
Additional services
Quality of Official Statistics
The KBA is part of the national and European Statistical System (ESS) and aligns its statistical production with the European Statistics Code of Practice. Compliance is verified through regular ESS peer reviews; the KBA took part in the 2006–2008 and 2013–2015 rounds and incorporates the results of the current round into its quality management system.
| Evidence | Flensburg |
|---|---|
| European Statistics Code of Practice (ESS) | |
| ISO 9001 |
History
- 1951
Foundation of the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt; it celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2026.
- 2006
Participation in the first peer review of the European Statistical System (2006–2008).
- 2013
Participation in the second peer review round of the ESS (2013–2015).
- 2016
Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on 23 May 2016.