Identity card; notification of loss and recovery

  • Brief description

    If your German ID card cannot be found or has been lost, you must report the loss. If you find the document again later, you must also report this.

  • Description

    If you lose your identity card or temporary identity card, you are obliged to inform the identity card authority of your (residential) municipality immediately. An identity check is required there.

    The identity card authority must also be notified of any recovery and the previously lost identity card must be presented. As a new document is usually issued, this is essential, also to prevent problems when using these identity documents.

    If a criminal offense is involved, contact the local police station (see "Reporting a criminal offense to the police" under "Related topics").

  • Legal basis

  • Further links

  • Notes

    If a report is not made to the identity card authority or not made in good time, an administrative offense is committed which can be punished with a fine.

    If you wish to use your ID card as a travel document, we recommend that you apply for a new one. This is because even after reporting a recovery, the use of recovered documents can lead to travel difficulties because other countries do not recognize or confiscate the documents.

    To prevent misuse, the ID card holder must immediately report the loss (loss, theft) of the ID card to the blocking hotline (116 116) or to the ID card authority to block the online ID card function (see "Related topics").

    If you have also applied an electronic signature to the ID card, you must have the signature function blocked separately. To do this, please contact the provider from whom you purchased the signature certificate and report the loss to them. Neither the revocation hotline nor the ID card authority can block the signature function.


Responsible departments