MPU FAQ – Frequently asked questions about the medical-psychological assessment (MPU)

The assessment criteria clearly state that if abstinence is required, it must be proven convincingly with suitable evidence. Abstaining from alcohol can be proven with urine tests or hair analyses. With urine tests, this is possible through an abstinence control programme in which 4 or 6 unannounced urine tests take place over a period of 6 or 12 months. Alternatively, you can also prove your abstinence with hair analyses (4 hair analyses to prove 12 months of alcohol abstinence; 2 hair analyses to prove 12 months without drugs). Further information can be found on the pages Alcohol MPU and Drug MPU.

If you were caught with drugs and therefore have to take an MPU, you always need proof of abstinence to pass the MPU. This means you have to consistently refrain from using drugs. As a rule, you need proof covering one year. If the drug problem was not particularly pronounced, 6 months of verifiable abstinence may be sufficient, e.g. if you “only” used THC occasionally. Further information on abstinence for drugs can be found under Drug MPU.

For an MPU due to alcohol, it depends on how pronounced your alcohol problem was. Important indicators include how much and how often you drank, your blood alcohol level on the day of the offence, your reasons for drinking and whether you ignored negative consequences caused by your drinking. The case file of a drink-driving offence alone does not tell you for certain whether and for how long you need to collect alcohol screenings. Controlled drinking may also be an option for you. You should get advice from a traffic psychologist on this question. Further information on abstinence for alcohol can be found under Alcohol MPU.

Your proofs of abstinence are valid for four months. The period between the end of your control programme and your MPU should not exceed four months. If the gap does become longer, it is important that you can close it, for example with a hair sample. Only in justified exceptional cases can the four-month rule be deviated from. We are happy to advise you on this.

The MPU is carried out by experienced assessors (traffic physicians and traffic psychologists). The assessment is divided into three parts: before the interviews, you answer a few questions about your health and yourself.

After that, you take a performance test in which concentration, perception and reaction are tested.

The medical part of the medical-psychological assessment consists of a very general physical examination. The physical requirements for driving safely are checked.

The focus of the medical examination depends on the specific reason for the assessment. If drink-driving is the reason for your MPU, blood will be taken during the medical examination. If the MPU is related to drugs, further laboratory results (e.g. urine screenings) are required.

In the psychological interview, you are given the opportunity to explain the background and circumstances that led to your fitness-to-drive assessment. To dispel the authority's concerns, an open and honest attitude is required. The psychological interview focuses on the topics that are important for conclusively answering the question raised by the driving licence authority. Be sure to reflect intensively on past events once again. It is particularly important that you have recognised the background and causes and can show that you have already changed something to prevent similar traffic offences in the future.

With an MPU report, the driving licence authority wants concrete questions about your fitness to drive answered. The authority wants to know whether you can take part in road traffic sufficiently safely and in accordance with the applicable road traffic regulations. The report is meant to answer the authority's question(s) specifically and ultimately serves as the basis for the decision in your case, i.e. whether or not you get your driving licence back.

You are free to choose at which assessment centre for driving aptitude you want to be assessed. You only need to tell your driving licence authority which assessment centre you have chosen. The BASt (Federal Highway Research Institute) regularly publishes a list of all accredited assessment centres. You can choose an assessment centre near where you live from this list.

To successfully dispel the driving licence authority's concerns, it is extremely important that you have recognised and reflected on the reasons and causes of your offences and make clear that you have also made changes. Four very important success factors you should consider. Qualified, specialist counselling is often helpful for clarifying the questions about causes and meaningful changes. Sometimes, however, it is also possible to prepare on your own.

We discuss this topic in detail elsewhere on our blog: MPU without preparation.

Further information on the MPU costs of MPU preparation.

You do not have to submit the report to your driving licence authority. However, if you do not submit a report, the authority will close your case with a formal rejection and you will not get your driving licence back for the time being.