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Low-emissions ZoneVehicle / Sticker Signs for the start of an low-emissions zone for which vehicles must be identified with a green sticker.
Coloured stickers showing the emission group of a vehicle were introduced in order to identify low-emission vehicles. Every vehicle in an low-emissions zone in Germany must display the required sticker on the windscreen, making it easy to monitor the low-emissions zone. The basis for the marking requirement is the 35th ordinance for the implementation of the Federal Immission Protection Act - Marking Ordinance (35. BImSchV). The stickers apply in every low emission zone in Germany.
Each city specifies which sticker is required to drive in its low-emissions zone with an extra sign below the traffic sign. Berlin requires the green sticker, which stands for the emission group with the lowest level of pollutants. Foreign-registered vehicles also require an emissions sticker. You can find more information on the Marking Ordinance below. What happens if I drive in the low-emissions zone without a sticker or a certificate of exemption?Driving without a green sticker or a certificate of exemption is an offence and results in a penalty of 80 Euro.Where can I obtain a sticker?Issuing offices are the motor vehicle licensing authority (Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten -LABO)), emissions inspection centres such as TÜV, DEKRA, GTÜ, FSP and KÜS, and workshops of the motor vehicle maintenance associationspecifically authorised for emission inspections. In Berlin there are around 850 of such workshops.The issuing office will check the car registration documents to decide which emission group the car belongs to and hence which sticker it qualifies for. The car itself therefore does not need to be presented. Autodienst Biesdorf GmbH (ADB), Alt-Biesdorf 64, 12683 Berlin, tel. +49(0)30-5143565, is also open on Sundays. Stickers can be ordered online from the emission sticker shop of the Berlin motor vehicle licensing authority under The sticker can be sent by post within a few days against the remittance of a fee of 6 euros. Foreign-registered vehicles also require a sticker. It can be ordered from the English website of the Berlin motor vehicle licensing authority under provided that the licensing authority can identify the necessary information for the assignment of the sticker from the car documents, e.g. from a manufacturer's certification. The required car documents or registration document must be scanned and attached to the email or photocopied and sent by post. It is recommended to order the sticker at least three weeks before arriving in Berlin, to ensure the delivery abroad. Summarised information for foreign tourists is available in a flyer. Is my sticker only valid in Berlin?The sticker is not only valid in Berlin but in all low-emissions zones throughout Germany. Around 80 German cities have already established low-emissions zones. The (website of the Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt – UBA) gives an overview of low-emissions zones in Germany.Does the validity of the sticker expire at any time?The validity is not restricted in time.However, you will need a new one if you re-register your car and the vehicle registration changes, as the number entered on the sticker must match the vehicle's registration number. A new sticker is also required when the registration number entered is no longer legible because, for example, the ink has faded. In this case, please contact the issuing office since the Marking Ordinance requires the registration number to be entered using non-fading ink. How much does the sticker cost?No standard charge has been specified for the sticker in the Federal Marking Ordinance or federal other regulations. Private issuing offices are therefore free to charge whatever they wish. The Berlin licensing authority charges 5,- € and in case of online ordering and shipment 6,- €.What does the Marking Ordinance regulate?The Marking Ordinance for the implementation of the Federal Immission Protection Act (35. BImSchV) regulates the marking of vehicles according to emission groups using windshield stickers as well as exemptions to the driving ban. It defines four emission groups, which apply to cars as well as to trucks. The ordinance thus allows for the introduction of low-emissions zones with driving bans based on emission levels.The Marking Ordinance itself does not specify any low-emissions zones. This can only be done by the relevant authorities of the federal states and municipalities on the basis of air quality plans if the pollutant threshold values have been exceeded and if road traffic is a major cause. How are emission groups defined?The four emission groups are based on the Euro norms for diesel-powered vehicles. Such vehicles can achieve reclassification to a higher emission group through retrofitting with a particulate filter.There are only two levels for vehicles with petrol engines.
More detailed differences may result due to the complexity of emission standards for petrol vehicles and in particular for diesel vehicles. A vehicle registered in Germany is assigned to an emission group according to its emission key number. Which emission group does my vehicle belong to?The assignment of a sticker to a vehicle registered in Germany results from the emission key number, which is recorded in the vehicle documents and, where applicable, may be issued when a particulate filter is retrofitted.Where can I find my key number in the German vehicle documents? Assignment of the key number to emission groups
2) Car with key number "27" (or "0427") and labelled "99/69/EC I" with a permitted total weight exceeding 2,500 kg is to be assigned a green sticker in accordance with Annexe 2, Section 1, Number 4 of the Marking Ordinance. This will be effected after verification that the car meets the requirements of Level PM 1 of Annexe XXVI StVZO. Vehicles with the exhaust standard Euro 5 or 6 and electric vehicles without combustion engine belong to emission group 4. Notes concerning the particle reduction levels PM and PMKThe German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO) regulate the technical requirements for the retrofitting of particle reduction systems.They also define assignment to the particle-reduction classes PM 01 to PM 4 (for cars) and PMK 01 to PMK 4 (for trucks). Fitted particulate filters must meet the specified requirements so that the vehicle is allowed to display the appropriate sticker. How are foreign vehicles assigned to the emission groups? |
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