Bike Training for Kids in Frankfurt: The Police Radfahrausbildung in Grades 3 and 4 and What to Bring
In Hessen the Radfahrausbildung is aimed at grades 3 and 4 of public primary schools, subsidised private primary schools and special-needs schools. Teachers cover the theory in class, and police traffic educators run the practical part, in Frankfurt through six Jugendverkehrsschulen split by district, one of them the Verkehrsgarten in the Grüneburgpark. Children bring their own bike and helmet, and the course ends with a test and a Fahrradpass as proof of taking part. A new joint decree of the Hessian education and interior ministries was published on 1 June 2026 and revises the 2009 one, so ask your school for the current number of sessions.
How Bike Training Works in Hessen
German primary schools teach children to cycle in traffic, and Hessen does it in grades 3 and 4. The Hessian education ministry says the Radfahrausbildung is aimed at all public primary schools, subsidised private primary schools and special-needs schools. Schools get a workbook called Die Radfahrausbildung and test sheets each year. Teachers cover the theory in class, usually in Sachunterricht, and police traffic educators take the practical part.
The Frankfurt police say the same in their traffic education page: teachers explain why a roadworthy bike and good visibility matter, the instructors repeat this at the start, check the bikes and helmets the children bring, and then practise mounting, starting, hand signals and braking in the school yard before moving to public roads where possible. The course ends with a test, ideally in real traffic depending on the children’s motor skills, and the children receive a Fahrradpass as proof they took part.
A change to check: the 2026 decree
The ministry page still cites the 2009 joint decree of the education and interior ministries. On 1 June 2026 the two ministries published a new joint decree, “Mobilitätsbildung, Verkehrserziehung und Schulwegsicherheit”, in the Staatsanzeiger 23/2026 (page 515). The regional mobility agency ivm reports that it thoroughly revises the earlier decree (the 2009 decree, published in the Amtsblatt in 2010) and covers the role of schools, the police contribution to traffic education and bike training, school-route safety and school mobility plans. The figures below come from the 2009 decree and may differ in the new text, so confirm the details with your school.
Under the 2009 decree, according to a reprint by the teachers’ association DSLV Hessen:
| Item | What it said |
|---|---|
| Who | Pupils in the 3rd and 4th school year |
| Practice with the Jugendverkehrsschule | Five double lessons, usually three in a protected area and two in real traffic |
| Parents | Informed in writing, must agree to practice in public traffic, taking part is encouraged |
| End | Theory and practical checks, with a final ride in real traffic |
| If unsure | Instructors tell the teacher, the school tells the parents |
| Certificate | Participation certified in a uniform, non-judgmental way |
One Frankfurt primary school describes how this looks on its own website: practice usually begins in the second half of grade 3 and runs into the first half of grade 4, starts in the school yard, moves to calm streets and a park, then to the school district, and ends with a written test and a ride test. Your school’s timetable will differ.
Who Teaches It in Frankfurt
The police page lists six Jugendverkehrsschulen, each covering a set of districts. Gallus, Niederrad, Oberrad, Sachsenhausen and Schwanheim sit with number IV, Bockenheim, Höchst and Nied with III, and number V, the Verkehrsgarten in the Grüneburgpark, is listed for the Innenstadt. Classes are scheduled through the school.
| Who | What for | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Polizeipräsidium Frankfurt, Verkehrserziehung (D 630) | Radfahrausbildung in grades 3 and 4, Jugendverkehrsschulen | Aschaffenburger Straße 19, 069 755-46308, Mo-Do 7:30-16:00, Fr 7:30-15:00, e-mail verkehrserziehung.PPFFM@polizei.hessen.de |
| Städtische Verkehrspolizei, Straßenverkehrsamt | Kindergarten, pre-school and first-grade traffic education, Schulwegtraining | Same building (Haus des Jugendrechts Süd), e-mail amt36.verkehrserziehung@stadt-frankfurt.de |
| Verkehrswacht Frankfurt am Main | Materials for school traffic education | Borsigallee 24b, 069 507 67 01 |
The city’s page explains that the city’s own traffic educators teach children in kindergartens, pre-school classes and first grades, run the Schulwegtraining that prepares children to walk to school on their own, and, with seven staff, look after around 100 primary schools and more than 500 kindergartens. The Verkehrswacht Frankfurt supplies materials for the grades 3 and 4 training under police supervision. If your child is younger, the walk to school alone page and the Laufbus page cover the earlier steps.
What to Bring
- A bike that works. The Hessian education server has an online learning path for pupils with a section on the parts of a roadworthy bike and a bike checklist. Go through brakes, lights, bell and reflectors yourself before the first lesson.
- A helmet that fits. Not a legal duty, but the police check what children bring. The Bundesgerichtshof confirmed in 2014 that cyclists are not required to wear one.
- The signed consent form for practice in public traffic.
- A parent for the road session, if you can. The police say they are glad when parents watch or ride along.
The Rules Your Child Learns
The pavement rule in § 2 Absatz 5 StVO changes with age:
| Age | Rule |
|---|---|
| Up to 8 years | Must use the pavement, and may use a segregated cycle path instead. A suitable supervising person, in particular one aged 16 or older, may ride alongside on the pavement |
| Up to 10 years | May use the pavement |
| Over 10 years | The normal cycling rules apply |
Before crossing a road, children and their companion must dismount. Pedestrians must not be endangered or obstructed. The Deutsche Verkehrswacht adds that a first children’s bike is treated as a toy and may only be used on pavements, and that many children start to ride around their fourth birthday. For details and examples see our pavement rules guide. If a bike accident does happen, the page on parental liability is worth reading.
Moving to Frankfurt in the Middle of Primary School
If you arrive in grade 3 or 4, tell the class teacher straight away so your child is in the timetable. If you arrive after the course, or your child’s school is not named on the ministry page, call the police traffic education on 069 755-46308 and ask what they can offer. The police page also mentions courses for unaccompanied minor refugees in the Verkehrsgarten, but that is a separate programme.
Step by Step
- Grade 2 or earlier.Make sure your child can ride, brake and steer one-handed. Practise in a quiet spot.
- Start of grade 3.Ask the teacher when the Radfahrausbildung takes place and who is the police contact.
- Check the bike.Brakes, bell, lights, reflectors, tyre pressure and saddle height.
- Buy a helmet that fits and let your child wear it before the first lesson.
- Return the consent form for practice in public traffic.
- Join a road session if you can.
- After the test.Keep the Fahrradpass, read any notes the school passes on and keep practising.
Compliance Note
This page explains the Hessian Radfahrausbildung as described by the Hessian education ministry, the Frankfurt police and the city in October 2026. A revised joint decree was published on 1 June 2026, so the number of sessions and the form of consent may differ from the 2009 figures used here. This is not legal advice. Your school and the police traffic education have the final word on dates and procedures.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
Is the Radfahrausbildung compulsory in Frankfurt?
The official pages do not say whether a child can be excused. The Hessian education ministry describes it as a programme for grades 3 and 4 of all public primary schools, subsidised private primary schools and special-needs schools in Hessen, and the schools receive a workbook and test sheets every year. It is organised through the school as part of traffic education. Under the 2009 decree, practice in public traffic needed the parents' written consent, so you will receive a form. Because a revised decree was published on 1 June 2026, ask the school how participation and consent are handled now.
My child is at an international or private school. Is the course included?
The ministry page names public schools, subsidised private primary schools (zuschussberechtigte Ersatzschulen) and special-needs schools. A private school that does not receive state subsidies is not named, so it may or may not take part. Ask the school directly whether it cooperates with the Frankfurt police traffic education, and if not, call the police service on 069 755-46308 to ask what is possible for a class or a child.
Does my child need a helmet?
The law does not require one for cyclists. The Bundesgerichtshof said in 2014 that wearing a helmet is not prescribed for cyclists. The Frankfurt police do check the bikes and helmets the children bring at the start of the course, and the police say it matters that children train with their own equipment, so send a helmet that fits.
My child cannot ride yet and is in grade 3. What should I do?
Start practice before the course. The Deutsche Verkehrswacht notes that many children begin around age four and that a first children's bike counts as a toy that may only be used on pavements. Learning to pedal and steer at the same time comes first, then watching traffic. Practise in a quiet, safe place, ideally with other children. The Frankfurt police describe the first units of the Radfahrausbildung as practice of basics such as mounting, starting, hand signals and braking in the school yard, together with a check of motor skills. A child who cannot yet ride safely should practise beforehand and the parents should tell the teacher.
What happens if my child does not pass the test?
The 2009 decree says that if the instructors see insecurity that argues against independent cycling in traffic, they tell the teacher, the school informs the parents, and errors are discussed afterwards in a protected area. The Frankfurt police describe the same practice: they send notes to parents and children through the school. Participation is certified in a uniform, non-judgmental way.
Where can my child practise in traffic afterwards, and from what age may they ride on the road?
§ 2 Absatz 5 StVO says children up to the age of eight must ride on the pavement, and may use a segregated cycle path instead. Children up to ten may use the pavement, and from ten the usual cycling rules apply. A supervising person, suitable in particular if at least 16, may accompany a child under eight on the pavement. Before crossing a road, the child and the accompanying person must get off the bike, and pedestrians must not be endangered or obstructed. Our page on the pavement rules by age explains the details.