Return monitor
After every trip, Domflotte checks whether the car went back to base or had a follow-up order. You see gaps before an inspector or a competitor does.
Cologne briefing
Mietwagen companies in Cologne: checks, a Federal Court ruling and a minimum fare in court
Cologne is actively checking Mietwagen (private hire cars with driver) for the return-to-base rule: 730 vehicle checks and 366 fine proceedings in 2025. Germany's Federal Court of Justice upheld that rule in a Cologne case in June 2026, and the city's minimum fare for Mietwagen is on shaky ground after an interim court decision. You stay compliant by seeing every Uber and Bolt trip in your fleet and recording orders in a way you can prove.
Timeline
What has happened in Cologne? The key dates
From a test booking at Breslauer Platz to an emergency ruling on the minimum fare: these are the events shaping business for Cologne Mietwagen operators.
Test booking at Breslauer Platz
A subcontractor's car waits at Breslauer Platz, next to the main station, from 10:10 until at least 10:22 after dropping off a passenger. A test booking via Uber is accepted and cancelled straight away. This becomes the case the Federal Court later decides.
Cologne Regional and Higher Regional Courts
The Landgericht Köln (81 O 13/24) grants the taxi cooperative's claim; the Oberlandesgericht Köln (6 U 106/24) dismisses the appeal.
Focused city check
168 Mietwagen inspected, 98 with findings, 50 fine proceedings for return-rule violations.
The city's annual review
730 vehicle checks, 366 fine proceedings, 185 registered bases inspected. Since early 2025, 140 illegal vehicles were removed from the platforms.
General order on a minimum fare
The city publishes a minimum fare for Mietwagen, effective 1 June 2026.
Federal Court upholds the return rule
The Mietwagen company's appeal is dismissed (I ZR 123/25). It is liable for its subcontractor's violation.
Cologne Administrative Court: interim decision
The court finds the minimum fare order likely unlawful (18 L 1226/26).
Sources: BGH press release no. 100/2026 · City of Cologne, 23 Jan 2026 · General order of 14 Apr 2026 (PDF, German) · VG Köln, 24 Jul 2026
„Nach Ausführung des Beförderungsauftrags hat der Mietwagen unverzüglich zum Betriebssitz zurückzukehren, es sei denn, er hat vor der Fahrt von seinem Betriebssitz oder der Wohnung oder während der Fahrt einen neuen Beförderungsauftrag erhalten.“
In short: after each trip, the car must return to base without delay, unless it received a new order from the base or home before the trip, or a new order during the trip.
Rückkehrpflicht
The return-to-base rule: what the Federal Court ruling means for you
The Breslauer Platz case is a Cologne case, and it involves the very model many local operators use: Uber X trips, partly through subcontractors. The Federal Court confirmed that a competitor can sue for an injunction and that the company is liable for its subcontractor. The court had no serious doubts about the rule's constitutionality, and without a cross-border element, EU law does not apply.
In practice: the risk doesn't only come from city inspectors. Competitors run test bookings too.
Orders only via the base
A Mietwagen may only carry out orders received at the operator's registered base (Betriebssitz) or home.
§ 49(4), sentence 2 PBefG
Keep records for one year
Record the receipt of every order, on paper or electronically (apps included), and keep the record for one year.
§ 49(4), sentence 4 PBefG
Exceptions only with approval
For municipalities covering a large area, the licensing authority can allow another parking location; a minimum distance of 15 km from the main base applies.
§ 49(5) PBefG · Statute (German)
Checks in Cologne
What the City of Cologne looks at
The city's 2025 review shows that checks don't only happen on the street. Alongside the 730 vehicle checks, the city matched data with the platforms: on 1 November 2025 it checked 1,598 vehicles with Cologne plates, corrected 57 records and provisionally blocked 8 vehicles.
The registered base itself is under scrutiny as well: 185 bases were inspected. Five companies had no proper base, and proceedings to revoke their permits were started.
Example
What checking by hand costs
| Cars in the fleet | 12 |
|---|---|
| Trips per car per day | 14 |
| Trips per day in total | 168 |
| Checking each trip in the Uber and Bolt portals | 1 min |
| Dispatcher time | 2.8 h/day |
Minimum fare
The Cologne Mietwagen minimum fare: where things stand
The legal basis is § 51a PBefG, which lets the licensing authority set minimum fares (Mindestbeförderungsentgelte) for Mietwagen in its district; operators may not charge less. Cologne published a general order (Allgemeinverfügung) on 14 April 2026. From 1 June 2026:
- At least the base and per-kilometre price of the Cologne taxi tariff, minus 20%.
- Discounts by operators or platforms may not push the fare below that floor.
- Exempt: patient transport with a health-insurer agreement, and orders received at least one hour before the trip starts (provably).
- Violations: fines of up to €10,000 under the order.
Sources: § 51a PBefG · City of Cologne general order, 14 Apr 2026 (PDF, German)
As of 16 October 2026: an interim decision
In an emergency ruling of 24 July 2026 (18 L 1226/26), the Cologne Administrative Court found the order likely unlawful: the Lord Mayor decided without adequate involvement of the city council, and the order's area reached beyond the city limits.
One Mietwagen company and one ride-hailing platform succeeded. Another company's application was out of time, and two further cases were still pending. The ruling can be appealed to the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Bottom line: this may still change. Check with your licensing authority or a lawyer what applies to your company.
Whatever the outcome, being able to show exactly when each order came in protects you on the return rule and on pre-booked trips alike.
How Domflotte helps
One view instead of two portals, WhatsApp and spreadsheets
Domflotte is built for Cologne operators with 6 to 20 cars, where the owner or a single dispatcher has to keep track of everything.
Uber and Bolt in one place
Connect Uber Fleet and Bolt Fleet: every trip by every driver in one list, with revenue per driver and per car.
Forward orders to drivers
Take orders from direct customers at your base and pass them to the right driver, all recorded centrally.
Deadline alerts
Vehicle inspection (HU), insurance and Konzession (operating licence): Domflotte warns you before a deadline runs out.
Return monitor · TodayExample
| Time | Vehicle | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 08:42 | K-DF 104 Uber · Ehrenfeld → base | Returned |
| 09:15 | K-DF 211 Bolt · new order during trip | Follow-up |
| 09:31 | K-DF 307 Uber · 14 min parked in city centre, no order | Check |
| 09:48 | K-DF 118 Direct customer · forwarded to driver | En route |
| — | K-DF 222 Inspection due in 21 days | Deadline |
Setup
Up and running in about 48 hours
Nothing to install. Once set up, you see revenue per driver and per car, cost per kilometre and upcoming deadlines at a glance.
Upload cars and drivers
Add your fleet once, with your base, cars and drivers.
Connect Uber Fleet and Bolt Fleet
Link the platform accounts. Trip data then flows in automatically.
Use the dashboard
Return alerts, orders and deadlines in one interface.
In practice
700+
operators already run their fleets with this software
- Timesheets: from about 5 hours a week to under 1 hour a month.
- A van that was losing a few hundred euros every month was spotted.
- Cash fraud uncovered by matching dashcam data against drivers' Uber online status.
Price
from $5.99 per driver/month
- Return monitor for every car
- Uber and Bolt connection
- Setup in about 48 hours
- 2-day free trial, no credit card
FAQ
Questions from Cologne Mietwagen operators
What did the City of Cologne check at Mietwagen companies in 2025?
According to the City of Cologne, there were 730 vehicle checks in 2025, focused on the Rückkehrpflicht (return-to-base rule). 366 Bußgeldverfahren (fine proceedings) were opened against Cologne Mietwagen, not all of them for the return rule. At the focused check on 21 and 22 November 2025, 168 cars were inspected and 50 fine proceedings were opened for return-rule violations. The city also inspected 185 registered bases.
Does the return-to-base rule still apply in Cologne after the Federal Court ruling?
Yes. On 3 June 2026 the Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Court of Justice, case I ZR 123/25) upheld an injunction won by a Cologne taxi cooperative against a Mietwagen company running Uber X trips partly through subcontractors. One car had waited at Breslauer Platz after a trip. The company is liable for its subcontractor's violation.
Is there a minimum fare for Mietwagen in Cologne?
The City of Cologne published an Allgemeinverfügung (general order) on 14 April 2026: from 1 June 2026, Mietwagen fares were to be no more than 20 percent below the base and per-kilometre price of the Cologne taxi tariff. In an interim decision of 24 July 2026 (18 L 1226/26), the Cologne Administrative Court found the order likely unlawful. The decision initially only benefits the successful applicants, further cases are pending, and an appeal to the Higher Administrative Court of NRW is possible. Check your own position with the licensing authority or a lawyer.
Which trips are exempt from the Cologne minimum fare order?
The order exempts patient transport with a fee agreement with a health insurer, and trips whose order demonstrably reached the Mietwagen company at least one hour before the trip started. Discounts by operators or platforms were not allowed to push the fare below the minimum.
How long do I have to keep trip orders?
Under § 49(4) PBefG you must record the receipt of every order at your registered base or home, on paper or electronically (app-based systems included), and keep the record for one year.
How does Domflotte help and what does it cost?
Domflotte brings your Uber and Bolt trips into one place, checks the return to base after every trip, forwards orders to your drivers and warns you before deadlines such as vehicle inspection, insurance and Konzession expire. Pricing starts at $5.99 per driver per month. Setup takes about 48 hours.
Next step
See your Cologne fleet at a glance
We'll show you what Domflotte looks like with your cars and your base.
- 1We'll get back to you this week.
- 2A short call about your fleet, platforms and base.
- 3Setup in about 48 hours.
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