Massive waiting times for vehicle registrations: Citizens are frustrated!

Massive waiting times for vehicle registrations: Citizens are frustrated!

Waiting times for vehicle registrations in the Kassel district have increased to up to four weeks in the past few months. A fact that causes resentment among many citizens. The family of Anita Conrad from Vernawahlshausen also had to wait more than three weeks for their personal talks. These long waiting times are particularly noticeable in the Hofgeismar registration office, which is strongly empty due to the previously required registration. In comparison, the registration office in Uslar shows, where no appointment is necessary, as can be done differently.

The reason for the long waiting time? An increase in demand from mid -March to June, which led to the math task of the registration authorities currently in the queue. At the beginning of the year, the waiting time was still seven working days, and many citizens now hope that the announced personnel settings will have a positive effect from autumn. There are currently around 38.8 full positions in the registration offices in the Kassel district, many of which are part -time. The guarantee of sufficiently qualified employees remains a challenge, while the seasonal waves of access and deregistration create additional pressure for the late spring season.

online approval in the upswing

A promising solution could be the internet-based vehicle approval, which was launched under the I-KFZ project of the Federal Ministry of Transport. This digital system should significantly simplify and accelerate the vehicle registration for citizens, companies and municipalities. Since the new version of the Vehicle approval regulations on September 1, 2023, citizens have been able to register, sign up and re-register their vehicles online without having to take the long way to the registration office. The advantages are obvious: 24/7 accessibility, no waiting times, immediate use of the vehicle after approval and a fee -reduced service compared to traditional registration.

Currently around 20 percent of the citizens are already using the opportunity to do their registrations and deregistration online. This number has decomposed to 1960 registrations per month. In April 2025, a total of 1983 successful online applications were recorded. However, certain requirements must be met, such as possessions of a valid ID card or an EID card with an open online ID card function. In addition, vehicle documents that are issued according to certain data must also be provided.

The I-KFZ project in detail

The I-KFZ system has undergone a gradual expansion. Various registration processes have been possible online under various levels since 2015. The last stage, the complete automation, has been active since September 2023. For private vehicle owners, however, use is only possible for vehicles that were approved after January 1, 2015. The documented advantages also include the immediate provision of admission notices and postal submissions of admission certificates. Nevertheless, there are still some challenges such as higher fees for online approval and various delivery forms of the documents.

Overall, the situation for the registration office in Hofgeismar remains tense, and many citizens want a faster solution. If the personnel problem is addressed and digital registration options are further expanded, the situation could improve sustainably for everyone affected. While legal entities may also be made possible in the future to allow themselves online, the citizens in Hofgeismar are faced with a game of patience.