We provide you with information regarding traffic and safety regulations in Germany, such as speed limits and controls or the rescue lane on German motorways.
Furthermore, numerous German cities have also set up Low Emission Zones. If you drive in one of these zones without a badge, you will be fined.
Speed limits and controls
If there are no other signs along the road indicating the speed limit, your speed is limited to
- 50 km/h in built –up areas
- 100 km/h for cars (without trailers) outside built up areas
- 130 km/h on the motorways (Richtgeschwindigkeit – recommended speed)
- 80 km/h for cars with trailers(including caravans) on any road including motorways
Radar traffic detectors: In Germany there arepermanently installed radar traffic detectorsthroughout the country. Sometimes you will see a "Radarkontrolle" sign warning you of the presence of radar control.There are alsomobile radar speed checks.
If you exceed the speed limit by 20 km/h or less, you may be fined from30to70€. Above that, the fines increase significantly and you will also receive points against your license in the German car registry.
According to the EU enforcement agreement, fines of70 €or more can be enforced in other EU-countries.
Toll Roads?
As it stands, there is currently no extra charge forpassenger cars on any road.
Trucks with more than twelve tons gross vehicle weight have to pay a toll for the use of the motorways and some highways.
On Sundays and public holidays, trucks with a permissible total weight of more than 7.5 t are not allowed to drive between 0:00 and 22:00. The ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays only applies to freight transport in the commercial sector.
Petrol/Fuel
The fuel is more expensive along the autobahn than on other roads. Especially free gas stations which do not always accept credit cards.
Low Emission Zones (“Umweltzonen”) in Germany
Numerous German cities have established environmental zones to reduce the emission of particulate matter in these specific cities. Consumers from other countries are also expected to respect these restrictions.
Within these low emission zones you are only allowed to drive with a badge that certifies the pollutant class of your car. Cars with the highest pollutant class are not entitled to the badge, and therefore, are not allowed to drive in these „Umweltzonen“.
If you drive without a badge within one of the „Umweltzonen“ you will be charged a fine of 80 €. This rule is also applicable for cars which are not registered in Germany.
Which cities have low emission zones in Germany?
To see which cities have low emission zones, look at the summary table published online by the German Federal Environmental Agency.
Where can I get the badge?
You can get the required badge at the rural district offices (Landratsamt); as well as at 30.000 garages in Germany and various organisations (e.g. DEKRA, TÜV).
In general, this badge is only available in Germany.
Can I also order the badge in my home country?
It is possible to order the badge online on this website.
Here, you can file an application for an environmental zone sticker for every vehicle registered in Berlin or another German registration-office, as well as for foreign vehicles. Your application will be processed immediately after submission. Due to different mail delivery times (especially to foreign countries) you should allow for 7 to 14 days to receive the sticker.
NB: When ordering online you must include a copy of the registration papers (e.g. COC-Paper) with the technical details of the vehicle as a pdf- or jpg-file.
If your car is registered in the Netherlands you can also order the badge on this homepage.
Ban of pollutive Diesel vehicles from German cities
Even if you have a green sticker for your car, it is possible that your car could be banned in cities if its nitrogen oxide levels exceed a certain limit.
Germany's highest administrative court has ruled that cities have the right to ban the most polluting diesel cars from their streets.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
