Aim: The access to the specialized addiction treatment system is limited when general practitioners do not identify alcohol dependence in patients. We tested how well physicians' diagnoses match results of a standardized diagnostic interview. Method: The German sample of the Europe-wide APC-Study comprises N= 1 356 patients and their diagnoses based on judgements of N =76 German general practitioners and self-reports in the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Diagnoses from both sources were compared using weighted regression analysis. Results: German general practitioners identified as many cases as the CIDI-interview, with small overlap. General practitioners identified mostly male and higher-aged patients. Cases with psychiatric comorbidities, risky consumption patterns or disability in everyday activities were diagnosed equivalenty. Conclusion: Standardized diagnostic methods may enhance the identification of younger and female alcohol-dependent primary care patients.