Do I need a forklift license?

Forklift License Costs

The cost of a forklift license depends on the course duration. Typically, a course lasts two days, bringing costs to 150 - 300 euros. Multi-day courses cost accordingly more.

Private Use of Forklifts

More precisely, you should ask: Do I need an internal operation license for industrial trucks? Similar to the question about excavator licenses, you must distinguish between private and commercial use. If you use a forklift privately on your own property, you can operate a forklift without a special forklift license. However, it's recommended—just as with commercial use of forklifts—to attend training on operating forklifts.

Commercial Use of Industrial Trucks

For commercial use of forklifts, a license is required. This applies to electric forklifts, gas forklifts, and diesel forklifts. This is not a driver's license like the one for operating vehicles in public traffic, but rather a license certificate prescribed by the employers' liability insurance association for accident prevention. Regulation 68 of the employers' liability insurance associations applies. The training requirements are found in the BG Principles 308-001 (formerly BGG 925) of German statutory accident insurance. Accordingly, anyone who operates a forklift in their professional work must complete comprehensive theoretical and practical training with a final practical exam.

Where Can I Get a Forklift License?

You can take the exam at TÜV, DEKRA, employers' liability insurance associations, or driving schools. Courses vary in length, and so-called "one-day courses" should be avoided. To ensure safe operation, theoretical and practical training should take more than one day. Rather, forklift operator training is structured in different levels, each requiring several days. These are shown in the following diagram from TÜV:

Overview of forklift operator training (Source: TÜV SÜD Akademie)

You can see that the basic course is followed by further training steps that specifically train on machines in the workplace. Additionally, knowledge and skills must be refreshed annually through annual training. This refresher takes half a day and is required by German statutory accident insurance (DGVU) in §4 of the Accident Prevention Regulation: "Principles of Prevention." So you don't just need to pass the industrial truck certificate once—you must prove your fitness to operate forklifts in the workplace every year.

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Requirements for the "Forklift License":

• Minimum age of 18 years
• Physical and mental fitness to operate industrial trucks with operator seat and standing platform

If you meet these requirements, you can obtain a license for your work with a forklift. We also recommend that all private users of forklifts attend a basic training course before use. This ensures safe operation and removes any obstacles to renting a forklift from klarx.