Retrofitting driver assistance systems in the car

As a rule, most (new) vehicles already have one or more driver assistance systems installed. These can be, for example

• Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
• Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
• Brake assist system (BAS)

They support and relieve you as a driver in critical traffic situations and help you to drive safely.

If you want to know which driver assistance systems are installed in your car, you can check the vehicle registration document. If you buy a vehicle with a driver assistance system already installed, the installation of the driver assistance system has normally already been approved. If the driver assistance system was only installed after the vehicle was first registered, you should ask for a copy of the operating license for the vehicle part or proof of modification approval when you buy the vehicle.

However, you can also have your car retrofitted with driver assistance systems yourself. By retrofitting the assistance system, you are making a technical modification to your car. This may invalidate your vehicle's operating license.
The operating license expires, for example, if the installation

• the vehicle type approved in the operating license is changed,
• a hazard to road users is to be expected or
• the exhaust or noise behavior is impaired.

In any case, you should contact your

• your garage,
• the TÜV or
• your vehicle registration office.

to find out whether the general operating license for your vehicle remains valid or expires.
In order to be allowed to continue driving after the installation of a driver assistance system, you should make absolutely sure that

• an operating license for vehicle parts for the driver assistance system is available,
• the installation instructions of the operating license of the driver assistance system are observed during installation and
• a modification approval is carried out by a technical inspection body or a technical service if the installation instructions prescribe this.

You can contact these technical test centers for this:

• TÜV
• DEKRA
• GTÜ
• KÜS
• FSP

Please report the changes made to your vehicle to your responsible vehicle registration office so that they can be noted in your vehicle registration document.

Note:
If you have retrofitted your car with a driver assistance system, you should always have all the documents relating to the installation in your vehicle with you. You must present these to the police in the event of a traffic stop. The installation documents include

• the general operating license for the driver assistance system and
• the certificate of any necessary modification approval by the technical inspection authority.