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Minimum fares · § 51a PBefG · City tracker
Minimum fare for Uber and Bolt private-hire cars: does it apply in your city?
As of 15 November 2026, a minimum fare for Mietwagen (private-hire cars with driver) applies only in Heidelberg, Dortmund and, according to the Bremen Senate, the district of Lörrach. Munich and Essen have suspended enforcement, and a Cologne court halted the rule for the applicants. Berlin and Bremen are assessing one; Münster and Hanover are debating or have announced one.
This page tracks the status per city with the date and a link to the official source: the city's general order (Allgemeinverfügung), the gazette, a court decision or a parliamentary answer. It also explains what § 51a of the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG) allows, why a floor may only cover the city's own territory, what happens to platform discounts and which fines the cities name.
Find trips below the floor
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Last updated: 15 November 2026 · Not legal advice
- in force
- suspended / halted
- planned / under debate
- assessment / study
- no rule found
In short
- A minimum fare for Mietwagen only exists where the licensing authority has set one by general order. There is no nationwide minimum fare.
- It may only cover trips inside the authority's own district. Munich and Cologne lost in court on this point; Essen on an unclear calculation.
- Platform discounts, special prices and cashback must not push the fare below it.
- Fine: up to €10,000 per offence (German legal figure), aimed at the operator.
Where does a minimum fare for Uber and Bolt apply? The city table
For each city, the table shows what the competent authority or a court has officially published. Where we found nothing official, the table says so. Always check the linked source before a pricing decision, because the situation changes quickly. Euro amounts are German legal figures.
| City | Status | Rule | Date | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heidelberg | In force | Mietwagen fares at most 7.5% below the taxi tariffCity general order | since 1 Aug 2025 | heidelberg.de, press release |
| Dortmund | In force | Base and per-km price of the Dortmund taxi tariff, at most 15% below; only trips whose start, destination and whole route lie inside the cityExempt: medical trips under a health-insurer agreement, orders received provably ≥ 1 hour ahead | since 1 Sep 2026order dated 9 Jul 2026 | Gazette no. 30/2026, dortmund.de |
| Lörrach district | In force | Minimum fare introduced, according to the Bremen SenateWe have not seen the order's text in an official source, so no amount is given. | since 1 Apr 2022 | Bremen parliament, Drs. 21/873 S |
| Munich | Suspended | €5.13 base, €2.43/km up to 7 km, €2.25/km beyond (VAT incl.)Court: § 51a PBefG only covers the authority's own district; the order also covered trips into the surrounding county. | in force from 4 Jul 2026; court 6 Oct 2026; enforcement suspended 9 Oct 2026 | stadt.muenchen.de, VG München M 23 S 26.5077 |
| Essen | Suspended | Taxi tariff (base and per-km price) minus 7%Gelsenkirchen court: calculation not clear enough. The city suspended enforcement against all operators until a revised version is published. | in force from 1 Jan 2026; court 1 Apr 2026; suspended 2 Apr 2026 | essen.de, VG Gelsenkirchen 7 L 141/26 |
| Cologne | Halted by court | Cologne taxi tariff (base and per-km price) minus 20%Cologne court: likely unlawful (council not involved, area beyond city limits). Protects the successful applicants; we found no official general suspension. | from 1 Jun 2026; urgent ruling 24 Jul 2026 | general order, VG Köln 18 L 1226/26 |
| Münster | Under debate | Council motion for a floor on the Dortmund model; the administration instead proposes stricter checks of Mietwagen applicationsCouncil decision scheduled for 9 Dec 2026 | motion 23 Jun 2026; draft 21 Oct 2026 | council draft V/0526/2026 |
| Hanover | Announced | Floor between public-transport (ÜSTRA) fares and the taxi tariff planned by general orderWe found no order actually issued. | announced March 2025 | hannover.de |
| Berlin | Assessment | Licensing office LABO is assessing minimum fares for app-booked Mietwagen trips with an expert firm; no timetable yet | Senate answer 15 Jun 2026 | Berlin parliament, Drs. 19/26193 |
| Bremen | Study | Expert study commissioned as the basis for a floor; not yet available, amount open | commissioned 26 Aug 2025; Senate 4 Aug 2026 | Drs. 21/873 S |
| Leipzig | No rule in force | 2025 order (taxi tariff plus 12%) withdrawn retroactively; no new rule up to gazette 21/2026 | withdrawn 27 May 2025; checked to 14 Nov 2026 | E-Amtsblatt 11/2025 |
| Hamburg | No rule found | no official rule found (as of 15 Nov 2026) | checked 15 Nov 2026 | hamburg.de (BVM) |
| Frankfurt am Main | No rule found | no official rule found (as of 15 Nov 2026) | checked 15 Nov 2026 | frankfurt.de |
| Düsseldorf | No rule found | no official rule found (as of 15 Nov 2026) | checked 15 Nov 2026 | duesseldorf.de |
| Stuttgart | No rule found | no official rule found (as of 15 Nov 2026) | checked 15 Nov 2026 | stuttgart.de |
City missing? Then we found no official publication. The competent body is the licensing authority that issued your Mietwagen licence.
What does § 51a PBefG allow?
§ 51a(1) of the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG) lets the licensing authority set fare rules, in particular minimum fares, for Mietwagen services "operated in its district", to protect public transport interests. Under § 51a(4), a minimum fare must not be undercut. Source: § 51a PBefG
A Mindestbeförderungsentgelt is therefore a per-trip price floor that a city or district sets for private-hire cars with driver. Taxis run on a fixed tariff, Mietwagen have so far set their own prices. Cities justify the floor as protection for the taxi, which counts as part of public transport.
Every order published so far is based on the local taxi tariff: base fare plus per-km price, minus a discount (Heidelberg 7.5%, Essen 7%, Dortmund 15%, Cologne 20%), or as fixed amounts (Munich).
Which trips are exempt?
In Cologne, Essen and Dortmund the floor does not apply to medical trips covered by a health-insurer fare agreement, or to orders that provably reached the Mietwagen company at least one hour before the trip. Munich also exempted orders provably received at least one hour in advance.
"Provably" is the key word. Without a timestamp of the order arriving at the company's base, the exemption fails in an inspection. Recording orders and keeping them for one year is already required by § 49(4) PBefG, which also contains the Rückkehrpflicht: the duty to return to base after each job unless a new order has come in.
Can a city set a minimum fare for trips into the surrounding area?
No. On 6 October 2026 the Munich administrative court held that § 51a(1) PBefG only allows a licensing authority to set minimum fares for Mietwagen trips that take place entirely within its own territory. It rejected applying the taxi rules for the wider service area by analogy. Because Munich's order also covered trips into the county and could not be split, the court found it likely unlawful as a whole. Source: VG München, decision of 6 Oct 2026, M 23 S 26.5077
The Cologne court argued similarly on 24 July 2026: the law allows a rule for the city of Cologne at most. Dortmund then drafted its order so that only trips with start, destination and whole route inside the city count. Trips crossing the city boundary have no floor there.
For your planning, that means airport runs into a neighbouring district or trips to a suburb may be treated differently from trips within the city. Average prices will not show you that difference.
What does a minimum fare mean for Uber and Bolt discounts?
Discounts must not push the fare below the floor. Cologne's order expressly names discounts, top-up payments, bonuses and cashback, whether granted by the Mietwagen company or a platform (no. 5). Essen and Dortmund say the floor must not be undercut "taking into account any reductions (discount, special-price, cashback and similar promotions)".
For you as the operator, what counts is the amount the passenger actually pays, not the list price in the app. Sources: Cologne order, Dortmund gazette 30/2026
Which fines do the cities name?
Up to €10,000 per offence (German legal figure). Cologne (no. 6), Essen (no. 4), Dortmund (no. 5) and Munich (no. 8.4) classify a fare below the floor as an administrative offence under § 61(1) no. 4 PBefG; § 61(2) allows a fine of up to ten thousand euros.
The offence is committed by whoever, "as an operator", intentionally or negligently charges too little. In Cologne, operators or platforms granting prohibited discounts are also liable (no. 6.2). Munich also required digital records of every trip with plate number, start, destination, kilometres and price (no. 7).
How do you check whether your trips fall below the floor?
By checking every single trip, with distance and the price actually paid, against your city's rule. The weekly Uber or Bolt statement shows totals, not this comparison. That is what Mindestfahrpreis is built for: net earnings per trip and car after commission, with every trip below the local floor flagged.
Example
Is this 6 km trip below the floor?
| Base fare (fictional tariff) | 4.50 |
|---|---|
| Per-km price 6 km × 2.50 | 15.00 |
| Taxi tariff for the route | 19.50 |
| Discount 15% (example rule) | −2.92 |
| Minimum fare | 16.58 |
| Passenger pays via platform | 14.90 |
| Shortfall | −1.68 |
| Your revenue after 25% commission (example) | 11.18 |
All values fictional, in units of local currency. Your city's tariff, discount and platform commission will differ.
- 17:42 · 6.0 km · platform price 14.90net 11.181.68 below minimum fare
- 18:10 · 3.2 km · platform price 13.20net 9.90above minimum fare
- 18:31 · return to base12 minreturn open, no new order
- 19:05 · 12.4 km · booked at 16:58net 18.00booked ≥ 1 h ahead, timestamp stored
Example view with fictional data.
What exactly does Mindestfahrpreis show you?
Four building blocks that work together on minimum fares. Whether your city's floor is in force, halted or only planned, you know what each trip and each car earns net.
Each city, its own rule
If you drive in several districts, you see trips and earnings per city, including trips across the city boundary.
Order intake with timestamp
Orders arrive at your base and are passed on to drivers from there, so a booking made at least one hour ahead can be proven.
Return-to-base duty
The software shows when a car does not head back to base after a trip without a new order, before a BOKraft inspection (the operating rules for passenger transport) does.
How fast is the check set up?
In about 48 hours. You then see revenue per driver and per car, cost per kilometre and upcoming deadlines.
Upload cars and drivers
Your vehicles and drivers, for example as a list from your current spreadsheet.
Connect Uber Fleet and Bolt Fleet
Link your fleet accounts. Trips then flow in automatically.
Add your city's rule
We add your licensing authority's minimum-fare rule as soon as it applies.
Who already uses the software?
- 700+Mietwagen and taxi operators work with the platform behind Mindestfahrpreis.
- 5 h → < 1 hTimesheet work: from about 5 hours a week to under 1 hour a month.
- 1 vanfound that was losing a few hundred euros every month.
What does Mindestfahrpreis cost?
from $5.99 per driver/month
Setup in about 48 hours. Two-day free trial, no credit card required. For a quote for your fleet, use the form.
FAQ: minimum fares for private-hire cars in Germany
Is there a minimum fare for Uber in my German city?
As of 15 November 2026, a minimum fare for Mietwagen applies only in Heidelberg, Dortmund and, according to the Bremen Senate, the district of Lörrach. Munich and Essen have suspended enforcement, and in Cologne an administrative court halted the rule for the applicants. We found no rule in force for Hamburg, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart or Leipzig.
What is a Mindestbeförderungsentgelt?
A Mindestbeförderungsentgelt is a minimum fare that a Mietwagen (private-hire car with driver) operator may not undercut. Under § 51a(1) of the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG), the licensing authority may set one for Mietwagen services in its district, and § 51a(4) says it must not be undercut. Cities so far link it to the local taxi tariff, usually minus a discount.
How high is the Uber minimum fare in Munich?
Munich's order set a base fare of €5.13, €2.43 per km up to and including 7 km and €2.25 per km beyond, VAT included (German legal figures). Since 9 October 2026 the city no longer enforces it, because the Munich administrative court found it likely unlawful in urgent proceedings. The city left open whether it will appeal.
Does Cologne have a minimum fare for Mietwagen?
Cologne set the Cologne taxi tariff (base and per-km price) minus 20% as the floor from 1 June 2026. In an urgent ruling of 24 July 2026 the Cologne administrative court called it likely unlawful; the ruling protects the successful applicants. We found no official notice that the city suspended enforcement for everyone.
Is there a minimum fare for Uber and Bolt in Berlin?
No. As of 15 November 2026 Berlin has no minimum fare for Mietwagen. According to the Senate's answer of 15 June 2026, the licensing office LABO is assessing one with an expert firm and will set the timetable after its data analysis.
Do Essen and Dortmund have a minimum fare?
Dortmund does: since 1 September 2026 the Dortmund taxi tariff applies, and Mietwagen may undercut it by at most 15%, only for trips entirely inside the city. Essen has not enforced its order of 13 October 2025 (taxi tariff minus 7%) against any operator since April 2026, until a revised version is published in the city gazette.
Can Uber and Bolt use discounts to go below the minimum fare?
No. The orders in Cologne, Essen, Dortmund and Munich expressly cover discounts, special prices and cashback; what counts is what the passenger finally pays. In Cologne a platform that grants such discounts also commits an offence.
What is the fine for a trip below the minimum fare?
Up to €10,000 per offence (German legal figure). The orders in Cologne, Essen, Dortmund and Munich rely on § 61(1) no. 4 and (2) PBefG. The offence is committed by the operator who intentionally or negligently charges less than the minimum fare, so every single trip counts.
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