Since 2005, the registration certificate has been the official document for clarifying the ownership of a motor vehicle and the fulfillment of the technical operating requirements. The person entered in the registration certificate is the keeper of the corresponding vehicle and therefore not necessarily the owner or even the possessor, even if this can be assumed in most cases.

The advantages are the greater protection against forgery, EU-wide legibility and standardization as well as the higher information content. In Germany, the registration certificate part II consists of a document printed on one side on forgery-proof special paper in the format 21 × 30.48 cm (formatted 21 × 29.7 cm).