A drive device for a light-emitting component including a reference source, which generates a current specification signal specifying a desired current through the light-emitting component, a current mirror circuit, which generates a current equal to a fraction of the actual current through the light-emitting component, and a regulating device having a first input and a second input, the first input being connected to the current mirror circuit and the second input being connected to the reference source. In this case, the regulating device generates a regulation signal that regulates the current through the light-emitting component in such a way that the deviation between the desired current and the actual current becomes minimal.