The degradation behavior of ultraviolet-B light emitting diodes (UV-B LEDs) emitting near 310 nm has been investigated and a method to localize the degradation effects is presented. Measurements of the electro-optical characteristics of UV-B LEDs, during a 200 h constant-current degradation study, showed an initial fast decrease in the optical power accompanied by a decrease in the drive voltage and an increase in the capacitance. Furthermore, by using a specially designed contact geometry, it was possible to separate the degradation of the electrical properties of the p-layers and p-contacts from the degradation of the active region and n-side of the LED heterostructure. Our investigations show that the initial changes in capacitance and voltage can be attributed to changes in the p-side and at the p-contact of the LED, which can be explained by an activation of Mg dopants.