The simple chainsaw license shows that its holder knows how to skillfully use the dangerous device. Stop wondering about costs, qualified providers, modules and teaching content. This guide provides well-founded answers to important questions about chainsaw driving licenses for self-promoters.
What is a chainsaw license and how much does it cost?
A chainsaw license for self-promoters costs from 49 euros for a one-day course plus from 250 euros for a chainsaw and protective equipment. It is mandatory for private individuals who cut firewood outside of their own property. The course consists of a theoretical (Module A) and a practical part (Module B).
- The chainsaw license for self-promoters costs from 49 euros for a one-day course plus from 250 euros for the chainsaw and protective equipment.
- The course consists of a theoretical part (Module A) in the morning and a practical part (Module B) in the afternoon.
- A simple chainsaw license is mandatory for all private individuals who cut firewood outside of their own property (known as self-promoters).
How much does a chainsaw license cost?
The chainsaw license is not uniformly defined throughout Germany. As a result, the learning content and process can be designed differently, depending on the provider you choose. It is important to note that the course fees only make up part of the actual costs. A chainsaw and full protective equipment are absolutely necessary to take part. Some providers provide the equipment on loan for a corresponding fee. In most cases, the organizers expect you to come with your own saw and protective equipment. We have looked around the market and put together the following chainsaw license costs for you:
| Course fee | Costs | Equipment | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| hardware store | from 49 EUR | Chainsaw | from 70 EUR |
| Forest Office | from 100 EUR | Helmet with hearing and face protection | from 24 EUR |
| Cut protection trousers | from 60 EUR | ||
| Cut protection gloves | from 14 EUR | ||
| Safety shoes | from 78 EUR | ||
| Equipment rental fee | on request |
Optional: petrol canister with 3-5 liters of petrol, biodegradable chain oil (€14.00 on Amazon), high-visibility vest or warm jacket in a striking color and a small first-aid pack that can be worn on the body.
This overview makes no claim to representative completeness. Rather, the table aims to provide you with an approximate guide to the costs associated with a chainsaw license for self-promoters.
Free and useful – “Help in the Forest” app
Does the practical part of the training for a chainsaw license take place in the middle of the forest? Then you should be prepared with a charged cell phone and the “Help in the Forest” app. In an emergency, the app shows your own position as well as the nearest rescue points that the RTW and fire department know and can go to.
The “Help in the Forest” database is currently still being developed. Rescue points in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anh alt are recorded. If you are later out and about in the forest as a self-promoter with your chainsaw license in your pocket, the active app should also not be missing.
Where can you get a chainsaw license?
You can get a chainsaw license in almost every city
Courses for a chainsaw license are offered almost everywhere in Germany. Thanks to numerous providers, a long, time-consuming and expensive journey to acquire the certificate is now a thing of the past. For example, training courses are offered by:
- Forest offices
- Nurseries
- Fire departments
- Hardware stores, especially Obi and Bauhaus
- Chainsaw manufacturers
- Garden and landscape companies
An excellent source for certified course providers is the homepage of the Board of Trustees for Forestry and Forest Technology e. V (KWF). Here you can either search by your zip code or in an alphabetical list of certified instructors. The hardware store chain OBI offers a comparable search mask for Germany. At Hagebau, the course offering is still being developed with participating markets in Dortmund, Frechen, Hagen, Münster and Solingen (as of 2020). Hornbach currently does not offer any courses for chainsaw licenses.
Tip
In order to separate the wheat from the chaff among the chainsaw license providers, there are two important quality features. The training course should be carried out according to KWF-certified standards (Board of Trustees for Forest Work and Forestry Technology), marked with the appropriate seal of quality. Another meaningful indication of a high level of quality is the certification according to DGUV information 214-059 (German statutory accident insurance for training for working with a chainsaw).
Can you buy a chainsaw license?
You cannot buy a chainsaw license online without a course
The great interest in chainsaw licenses unfortunately brings dubious providers onto the scene. The scammers suggest that self-promoters can simply buy the chainsaw license certificate. The crooks are particularly active on free online classifieds portals in order to lure gullible buyers into a trap. Sometimes sneaky providers also appear on Ebay or Amazon. Anyone who buys a chainsaw license online without taking part in the course risks their own he alth and serious conflicts with the forester or forest owner.
What knowledge do chainsaw license modules provide?
There are no nationwide standards regarding the content of a chainsaw license course. As a result, the training process varies from provider to provider. In practice, a one-day course has proven to work well for a simple chainsaw driving license. This is divided into a theoretical part in the morning (Module A) and a practical part in the afternoon (Module B). The following table provides a brief overview of what knowledge each module imparts:
| Module A | Module B |
|---|---|
| Protective equipment components | Basics of handling |
| Parts of a chainsaw | Cutting Techniques |
| Care and maintenance | Cutting exercises |
| Protection regulations for woodwork |
In hardware stores, the courses usually take place on Saturdays and begin with the theoretical part (Module A), which lasts from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. After a lunch break, we go out into the outdoor area, where the participants devote themselves to the practical part (Module B) from 12.30 p.m. to around 5 p.m. Forestry offices, chainsaw manufacturers or gardening companies are more flexible in scheduling appointments and, upon request, also hold a chain saw license course on weekdays or after work.
Excursus
No need to cram exam questions
You don't have to take a theory test to get a chainsaw license
There is no test for the simple chainsaw license. As a participant in the course, you do not have to answer any exam questions or take a practical test. You will be spared the nervous fluttering and heart palpitations you experience when getting your car driving licence. This means you don't have to get a template in advance to cram exam questions for your chainsaw license. Instead, at the end of the training you will be given a certificate that confirms your knowledge of using the chainsaw.
For courses that go beyond Module A and Module B, most providers carry out a final test. In this context, some exam questions have to be answered and practical exercises have to be carried out. Of course, this is an advanced chainsaw license, as is mandatory for professional woodwork.
What are the participation requirements?
Previous knowledge is not required to take part in the course. Even if you hold a chainsaw in your hands for the first time in your life during the training, you can register. This applies under these conditions:
- Minimum age 18 years (except for trainees in a green profession)
- Physically and mentally fit to use a chainsaw
- sober (no alcohol and no drugs)
- own or rented chainsaw
- complete protective equipment
Physical fitness is one of the prerequisites because a chainsaw weighs several kilograms and woodworking is always strenuous. Mental fitness is required because the chainsaw is a dangerous tool. The practical exercises in Module B are not possible without complete protective equipment. If you take part in the course without any firm intention of becoming a self-promoter, you can rent protective equipment from some providers.
Is a chainsaw license mandatory?
A DIY enthusiast on his own property does not need a chainsaw license
In principle, obtaining a chainsaw license is not mandatory in any federal state. This applies equally to North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Hesse and every other federal state. If you use a chainsaw on your own property, it is up to your individual assessment whether you take part in the course. Furthermore, every private forest owner can decide whether to require self-promoters to have a chainsaw license or not. The following overview summarizes when a chainsaw license is always mandatory:
- as self-promoters in public forests
- in all PEFC (certification for sustainable forest management) certified forests
- whoever, as a private third party, operates a chainsaw in the forest or garden of strangers, friends or relatives
- basically for all commercial users
If in doubt, asking will shed light on the matter. You can get a reliable answer to the question of whether a chainsaw driving license is required directly from the forest owner concerned. This is usually the local forestry office.
Felling down trees with a chainsaw license – is that possible?
The simple chainsaw license from the hardware store does not imply permission to fell trees. By investing a little more time, money and the willingness to stay overnight, self-promoters can obtain a chainsaw license that includes a license to fell trees. This permit extends to small trees with a diameter at breast height (BHD) of 20 to 25 centimeters. The Waldgut Roitzsch in Saxony-Anh alt is one of the KWF-certified providers as the location for the event. The engineering office for occupational safety Jacob GmbH is responsible for the training. This is how the process works in a nutshell:
- Friday: Arrival and theory module from 5 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.
- Saturday: Practical module from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Costs: 99 euros plus 20 euros for the certificate and one overnight stay
- Note: Chainsaw and protective clothing are provided, apart from work shoes
The theoretical and practical training goes beyond woodwork on lying wood. In addition, the participants learn how to assess trees and the tensions within them. The course instructor teaches felling techniques and explains the fall notch, breaking bar and breaking level. This knowledge enables the course participants to fell so-called small wood as self-producing firewood. The course is also recommended for private garden owners with small trees.
Ratgeber Motorsäge (Teil 1): Schwachholz richtig fällen
Why a chainsaw license with the KWF seal of quality?
This guide recommends attending a chainsaw course with the KWF seal of quality for good reason. There are no national or state standards on how to teach self-promoters how to use a chainsaw correctly. The Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Foresttechnik e. V. quality seal provides a remedy and provides security when selecting a competent provider. The following advantages are associated with a chainsaw license with the KWF seal of quality:
- Course instructor has proven his professional and pedagogical qualifications
- Course content according to national standards according to KWF, professional associations, accident insurance, forestry
- Learning content is guaranteed to convey all basic theoretical and practical knowledge
- Presentation of a uniform, nationally recognized certificate of participation
- Chainsaw license with your own ID number and online authenticity check
If you ever lose your chainsaw license with the KWF ID number, you will easily receive a new license. You are not forced to take part in a course again.
Frequently asked questions
Can you fell trees with a chainsaw license from Obi or Bauhaus?
No, that's not allowed. With a simple chainsaw license, private individuals acquire basic knowledge of how to use a chainsaw and work safely on lying wood. With the certificate in your pocket, you are not allowed to go into the forest and cut down trees. However, woodwork, such as cutting firewood, is permitted.
For which chainsaws do you need a license?
It doesn't matter which drive a chainsaw works with. Electric chainsaws are just as dangerous as devices with gasoline engines. The course provides you with important knowledge and skills in using a chainsaw, regardless of whether electricity or gasoline drives the engine.
Can you fail your chainsaw license?
If you take the basic chainsaw license course, failing is practically impossible. This applies under the premise that you meet the requirements: at least 18 years old, mentally and physically fit, chainsaw at hand and protective equipment at hand. You will not be bothered with oral or written exam questions. There is no practical exam to be taken beyond this.
I have my chainsaw license in my pocket. Can I cut firewood in the forest now?
The chainsaw license alone is not enough for you to cut your own firewood in the forest from now on. To do this, permission from the responsible forestry office or district manager is mandatory. As a rule, the public or private forest owner concludes a firewood contract with you as a self-promoter. You will be allocated a fixed amount of wood. Cutting firewood in the forest without the written or oral consent of the owner or forester is punishable as an administrative offense. With a little luck, as a first-time offender you will only receive a warning. In the event of a repeat offense, there is a risk of a hefty fine.
Are there chainsaw courses only for women?
In fact, some providers have recognized that women prefer to be alone in order to learn how to use a chainsaw. One of the pioneers is, for example, the Thuringia Forest, where courses have been held only for women since 2014. Since then, the offer has been steadily increasing, and not just in Germany. The Lower Saxony State Forests are exemplary with a two-day course just for women on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning at a price of 150 euros. If you value female instructors, turn to the mobile chainsaw school in Breisach.
Tip
A creative gift idea for hearty hobby gardeners is the “Lumberjack course with chainsaw license” experience voucher from Jochen Schweizer. The recipient can use the chainsaw for more than just a day under competent supervision. As a positive side effect, the certified course instructor at the end presents the coveted chainsaw license for self-promoters.
