The invention relates to a device for starting an internal combustion engine, especially of a motor vehicle, with a starter motor which can be connected via a starter relay to a voltage source and engaged with the engine to start it, and an electronic device for triggering the starter relay. The electronic device (30) takes the form of an electronic relay (32) fitted on or in the starting device (10) which can be triggered via a logic signal input (48) of an electronic engine control device (50) in the motor vehicle.