A method for requesting and for processing traffic information, in which a traffic-information query is transmitted by a mobile transceiver, and at least one traffic message is provided by a service provider via a base station, the traffic message being transmitted as a brief coded message. Information about the version of the stored data or data groups in the memory allocated to the mobile transceiver, and/or the manufacturer of the stored data or data groups and/or the issue date of the stored data or data groups is transmitted to the base station in the traffic-information query, so that in the return message of the traffic information, the base station can undertake the coding in such a way that the coded data can be well utilized on the basis of the stored data in the vehicle. In this manner, even given changing data, it is ensured in all events that the mobile transceiver is able to interpret the coded traffic messages.