Which driving licence do you need for a telehandler?

There are two different things that are regularly mixed up.

Driving on public roads requires a driving licence in accordance with the German Driving Licence Regulation (FeV) — which class depends on the design-related maximum speed and the weight of the machine.

Operating on company premises does not require a driving licence, but a qualification in accordance with DGUV Principle 308-009 and a written assignment by the employer.

Anyone who mixes the two up comes to the wrong conclusions. This guide separates them clearly.

An overview of types, attachments and all obligations during use is provided by the telehandler guide.

Under road traffic law, telehandlers are classed as self-propelled working machines. The required class depends on the design-related maximum speed (bbH) and the permissible gross vehicle weight (zGM):

Machine	Required class (road)
Self-propelled working machine up to 25 km/h bbH	L
Up to 40 km/h bbH, agricultural or forestry use	T
Over 25 km/h bbH, up to 3.5 t zGM	B
Over 25 km/h bbH, over 3.5 t zGM (normal case for 40 km/h machines)	C1 or C

On closed-off company premises, no driving licence is required — there, only occupational safety law applies, with qualification, assignment and minimum age.

High-speed machines with 40 km/h bbH are popular because they can drive themselves between sites. This is exactly where the most common misjudgement lies: since practically every telehandler weighs well over 3.5 tonnes, class B is not sufficient. Outside agricultural and forestry use (class T), C1 or C is required. In addition, there are registration and insurance obligations.

Anyone who does not meet these requirements has the machine delivered: Luibl brings every telehandler directly to the site by its own low-loader — then the question of a driving licence for the road does not arise at all.

Regardless of any driving licence, occupational safety requires a qualification for all-terrain telescopic forklifts in accordance with DGUV Principle 308-009 — colloquially the "telehandler licence". It is divided into levels:

• Level 1: fixed telehandlers in their basic function (lifting, stacking, transporting)
• Level 2a: rotating telehandlers (roto) as well as use with winch or load hook as a crane replacement
• Level 2b: transporting people in the work basket — here DGUV Principle 308-008 also applies

The qualification is provided exclusively by external, recognised training providers: educational institutions, inspection organisations and manufacturer-affiliated academies. Prerequisites are usually a minimum age of 18, physical and mental suitability and the subsequent written assignment. All details on levels, duration and cost range: Telehandler licence under DGUV 308-009.

The same legal situation applies to every rental machine as to your own machines: the operator needs the qualification in accordance with DGUV 308-009 and the assignment from their employer.

At handover, they also receive a machine-specific briefing from Luibl on the specific model — controls, load chart, special features. This briefing supplements the qualification but does not replace it. Luibl does not offer training itself, but on request names recognised providers in your region. The enquiry is made via the page Training.

Whether a fixed telehandler with 4 to 19 metres lift height or a roto telehandler with 15 to 39 metres: Luibl Rental delivers throughout Europe by its own low-loader.

Rent a telehandler now → · Renting a telehandler: costs → · Send an enquiry →

The driving licence is only half the answer — the vehicle itself must also comply with road traffic law.

Self-propelled working machines up to 20 km/h may be exempt from compulsory registration under certain conditions; they then do not need an official number plate, but they do need an insurance plate for third-party liability.

Above 20 km/h, compulsory registration applies: official number plate, operating permit or EC type approval, general inspection (HU) and motor vehicle liability insurance. This is exactly what affects the popular 40 km/h machines.

Attachments change the legal situation. A bucket or forks mounted at the front can change dimensions, axle loads and visibility in such a way that driving on public roads is only permitted with a cover, a protective device or not at all. If in doubt, the attachment is transported separately.

Anyone who wants to avoid this chain has the machine delivered — transport by low-loader completely bypasses registration, number plate and driving licence class.

For operating on site, three things must come together, and all three are the responsibility of the employer:

1. Minimum age of 18. Young people may only operate telehandlers as part of vocational training and under supervision.
2. Physical and mental suitability. Eyesight, ability to react and state of health must suit the activity; whether and which occupational health check-ups are offered or required results from the risk assessment.
3. Written assignment. It names the person, the type of machine and the area of use. Without it, the machine may not be driven even with a valid certificate of qualification — this point is regularly checked first during inspections and after accidents.

In addition, there is instruction on the specific machine: every machine has its own operating logic, its own load charts and its own safety devices. For rental machines, Luibl provides this machine-specific briefing at handover.

"With class B I can drive anything up to 3.5 tonnes." Correct — except that hardly any telehandler weighs less than 3.5 tonnes. Even compact machines are above that.

"On the construction site the road is private, so nothing applies." A public traffic area is any area that is actually generally accessible — including the construction site access road that is not closed off. Only an effective closure turns it into non-public premises.

"Class T covers everything." Class T applies to agricultural and forestry purposes. Commercial construction traffic does not fall under it, even if the same machine is driven.

"The forklift licence is enough." It applies to industrial trucks in accordance with DGUV Principle 308-001. Telehandlers require their own qualification in accordance with DGUV Principle 308-009.

Temporary agency workers. The agency provides the qualification; the assignment and instruction on the specific machine are owed by the hirer — i.e. the company in which the work is carried out. This division is regularly overlooked and becomes apparent at the latest after a damage event.

Subcontractors on your own construction site. Anyone who rents a machine and leaves it to a subcontractor remains responsible for the selection: it must be checked and documented that its operators are qualified and assigned. A verbal assurance is not sufficient for this.

Foreign driving licences. EU and EEA driving licences remain valid in Germany within the scope of their classes. This does not apply across the board to the occupational safety qualification: certificates from other countries must correspond in content to DGUV Principle 308-009; if in doubt, the company requires additional qualification from a recognised provider in Germany.

Apprentices and interns. Under the age of 18, operation is only permitted as part of vocational training, for training purposes and under the supervision of a competent person.

In all four cases, the same principle applies: the machine may be rented, but the responsibility for the person at the controls never is.

Do you need a driving licence for a telehandler?

On company premises, no — there, the qualification in accordance with DGUV Principle 308-009 counts. On public roads, yes: depending on speed and weight, class L, T, B or C1/C.

Which driving licence class applies to 40 km/h telehandlers?

For agricultural and forestry use, class T. Outside of this, because of the weight of over 3.5 t, usually C1 or C — class B is not sufficient.

What is the telescopic forklift licence under DGUV 308-009?

The occupational safety qualification for operating telehandlers, divided into Level 1 (fixed), 2a (rotating and crane operation) and 2b (transporting people). It is provided by external, recognised providers.

May I drive a telehandler on the road with class B?

Only if the machine is faster than 25 km/h and at the same time weighs no more than 3.5 t — which practically never applies to telehandlers. For machines up to 25 km/h, class L is sufficient, which is included in B.

Is the rental company's briefing sufficient as a qualification?

No. The machine-specific briefing at handover supplements the qualification in accordance with DGUV 308-009 but does not replace it.