Scan a German vehicle registration document
Scan it, take the data, carry on: you upload the file you already hold — a customer's phone photo, a flatbed scan from the counter, a PDF out of the archive. Fahrzeugschein24 straightens crooked, sideways and dark shots on its own and returns up to 65 entries as clean data, as a rule within one to two seconds — each with a confidence indication and the spot on the document it came from.
Capture with what you already have
No special hardware, no app to install: a finished file is enough, uploaded in the dashboard or handed over by your own software through the API. Back come named fields for the job card, the quote or the vehicle file.
Fahrzeugschein24 is built for one form: the German vehicle registration certificate Part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I) and the older Fahrzeugschein. That is why even the narrow boxes come through reliably — registration number, manufacturer and type key numbers, technical details. The field overview shows what you get back; text recognition shows how recognised text becomes named fields.
Every format that turns up in day-to-day work
A phone photo from the customer
The customer photographs the document and sends it through your form, portal or chat. iPhone photos in HEIC go straight through, with nothing to convert.
A scan at the counter
Flat document, even light, usually TIFF or PDF. The reading direction is determined automatically, even without orientation information.
A PDF from your records
Out of the document system, an email attachment, the archive. The first page is the one that gets read, so a file with the registration at the front goes through untouched.
Straight from your software
Your system already holds the file and passes it on without anyone opening it again. What comes back is what a manual upload returns.
An everyday photo becomes a clean page
- Turned the right way upShot in portrait, scanned sideways, forwarded upside down: the reading direction is settled before anything is read.
- StraightenedHandheld photos are rarely square to the sheet. That slant is evened out, and rotation only happens when the position of the document is unambiguous.
- BrightenedA shadow from your own hand, evening light, a reflection on the laminate: brightness and contrast are levelled so the small print stays legible.
- Cut out of its surroundingsThe form is separated from desk, hands and folder edges. The image details you can switch on for every entry come from that cut-out document.
Files the service takes as they are
| Format | Where it usually comes from | Note |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Phone photo, forwarded picture, customer portal | The most common case by far |
| PNG | Screenshot, scanning software | Lossless, so the files are larger |
| HEIC/HEIF | Standard format on iPhones | Accepted as it is, no conversion needed |
| TIFF | Flatbed and document scanners | Reading direction is settled even without orientation information |
| BMP | Older scanning and counter systems | Uncompressed, so keep an eye on the file size |
| WebP | Web forms, pictures handled in the browser | Treated like any other photo |
| Document management, archive, email attachment | The first page is the one that is read |
One photo in, vehicle data out
Uploaded: registration.jpg (phone photo)
Read:
Registration number HH AB 1234
First registration 14.03.2019
VIN WVWZZZ1KZAW000000
Manufacturer VOLKSWAGEN
Model GOLF
Fuel BENZIN
Rated power 110 kW
Permissible mass 1,880 kg
Keeper Mustermann, ErikaCheckable case by case, processed in Germany
Every entry carries a confidence indication and the place it was read from, and you can switch on the matching image detail in your account settings. A questionable value is settled in seconds, without opening the file. Anything that cannot be read reliably stays empty — nothing is invented to fill it.
The VIN is also compared against its check digit, and entries that contradict each other are reported rather than quietly resolved. From the Business plan upwards, a check for signs of manipulation is included: a pointer for your own review, not an official confirmation of authenticity.
The uploaded file is processed for the reading and is not stored, neither the original nor the prepared version. Operation and processing take place in Germany; the Art. 28 GDPR data processing agreement is there to download without asking, and the rest is on the security page and in the privacy policy.
Questions about scanning registration documents
Is a phone photo good enough, or does it have to be a proper scan?
A phone photo is normally fine. Held at a slant, rotated, unevenly lit, desk in the background — that is what the automatic preparation is for. What matters is that the whole form is in the picture and in focus.
Which documents and file formats are read?
The German vehicle registration certificate Part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I) and the older Fahrzeugschein; the page on reading the registration certificate lists the entries. JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, BMP, WebP and PDF up to 20 MB go through, and with a multi-page PDF the first page is read — if the registration sits further back, split that page out beforehand.
How quickly do I get a result?
As a rule within one to two seconds. That applies to an upload in the dashboard and to a call from your own software through the API alike.
How do I tell whether a value is correct?
Every value shows how sure the reading was and where on the document it stands, with the matching image detail alongside it if you switch that on. The VIN is checked against its check digit, and contradictory entries are flagged.
Are the uploaded pictures stored?
No. The file is processed for the reading and is not stored. What remains are the entries that were read and the usage records for your account. Processing takes place in Germany, and the Art. 28 GDPR data processing agreement is available without asking.
How many registration documents can I scan per month?
Free costs 0 EUR and includes 15 extractions a month without a credit card. Above it are Starter at 19, Business at 149, Scale at 599 and Enterprise at 1,999 EUR net per month, fraud detection included from Business upwards — a pointer for your own review, not an official confirmation of authenticity. See the pricing page.
Start with a document of your own
Upload a photo, a scan or a PDF and see within one to two seconds which fields come back. The free plan costs 0 EUR and includes 15 extractions a month, no credit card.
Create a free account