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Every two years, and the sticker says which month
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- When: a new car goes for its first periodic inspection (Hauptuntersuchung, HU) after 36 months, then every 24 months. The sticker on the rear plate and registration document part I show the month it is due.
- Where: at any officially recognized inspection organization or testing station, which is why Germans say “TÜV” for the inspection itself. The emissions test is part of it.
- If you are late: more than two months over costs €15, more than four months €25, more than eight months €60, and the office can take the car off the road.
Every registered car in Germany is inspected at the keeper’s expense at fixed intervals. The inspection checks that the car is safe, that its emissions are within limits and that it still matches its approval. You cannot register a used car, re-register one after a move, or bring one in from outside the EU without a valid inspection, which is why the sticker is the first thing a buyer looks at.
When the inspection is due
| Vehicle | First inspection | Then every |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger car, new | 36 months after first registration | 24 months |
| Passenger car, bought within seven months of first registration | the second inspection is still 36 months after first registration | 24 months |
| Passenger car, imported | counted from the German approval or the first German inspection | 24 months |
| Motorcycle | 24 months | 24 months |
| Taxi or rental car with passenger transport | 12 months | 12 months |
| Source: Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung, Annex VIII, number 2.1 and 2.3, retrieved 4 November 2026. | ||
The clock starts in the month the plate was issued and ends with the month shown on the sticker. The sticker sits on the rear plate and must stay clean and visible. The same month and year are printed in registration document part I, so you do not have to read the sticker.
What is checked
The inspection covers road safety, environmental performance and compliance with the car’s construction and operating rules. The emissions test (Abgasuntersuchung, AU) is a part of the inspection, not a separate appointment: for newer cars it reads the on-board diagnostics, for older ones it measures the exhaust. A workshop recognized for emissions tests may do that part up to one month before the inspection, and the inspector then takes the result.
The inspection is carried out by an officially recognized expert at a testing station or by an inspection engineer of an officially recognized monitoring organization, such as TÜV or DEKRA. Prices are not set by law. Each organization publishes its own.
The result
- No defects, or minor defects: you get the sticker. Minor defects have to be fixed within one month, without a re-check.
- Significant defects: no sticker. You fix them and come back for a re-inspection within one month of the inspection day. Miss that month and the whole inspection is repeated.
- Dangerous defects: no sticker, and the car should not be driven until repaired.
The inspector hands you the written report. Keep it at least until the next inspection: the registration office may ask for it when you re-register the car, and a buyer will want to see it.
If you miss the date
The sticker expires at the end of the month it shows. From then on, the registration office can restrict or stop the use of the car. The late fee rises with the delay, and it is charged to you as the keeper:
| Overdue by | Amount |
|---|---|
| More than 2 and up to 4 months | €15 |
| More than 4 and up to 8 months | €25 |
| More than 8 months | €60 and 1 Point |
| Re-inspection not done on time | €15 |
| Driving despite a ban | €60 |
| Source: Bußgeldkatalog-Verordnung, numbers 186.2, 187 and 187a, retrieved 4 November 2026. | |
If you buy a car whose sticker has run out, the inspection comes before the registration office appointment: the office checks for a valid inspection and will not re-register the car without one. The same is true online, where the check is automatic.
Bottom line
The month on your sticker is the date to plan around, so book the inspection before it passes. Buying a used car? Ask about the inspection first, because the registration office will not re-register the car without a valid one.
Part of driving in Germany. Related: car registration · buying a used car · Umweltplakette · winter tires.
Frequently Asked Questions
TÜV is the name of a group of technical inspection organizations. Because they inspect most cars, Germans use the word for the inspection itself, whose legal name is Hauptuntersuchung. Other recognized organizations, DEKRA among them, do exactly the same inspection.
A new passenger car after 36 months, then every 24 months. Motorcycles every 24 months, taxis every 12. The due month is shown on the sticker on the rear plate and in registration document part I.
No. The emissions test is part of the inspection. A recognized workshop may carry out that part up to one month beforehand, and the inspector takes the result. For newer cars it is read from the on-board diagnostics, for older ones measured at the exhaust.
The law does not set the price. Each inspection organization publishes its own, and it differs between states. Ask for the price of the inspection including the emissions test when you book.
The sticker expires at the end of its month. Being more than two months late costs €15, more than four months €25 and more than eight months €60, and the registration office can stop you using the car. A car with an expired sticker cannot be re-registered until it passes.
You can sell it, but the buyer cannot re-register it until it passes the inspection, so most buyers either expect a fresh inspection or a lower price. The last inspection report must be handed over with the car.
Sources and legal basis
Sources and legal basis (retrieved on 4 November 2026)
- Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (road traffic licensing regulation), section 29: inspection at the keeper’s expense, sticker on the rear plate, month and year in registration document part I, sticker expires at the end of the month, authority may restrict or stop use, report to be kept until the next inspection.
- Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung, Annex VIII: scope of the inspection (safety, environment, construction rules), emissions test as part of it and up to one month beforehand at a recognized workshop, intervals (36 and 24 months, seven-month rule, motorcycles, taxis), start of the clock, inspection by recognized experts or monitoring organizations, result classes and the one-month re-inspection.
- Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung, section 47a: repealed, the separate emissions test no longer exists.
- Bußgeldkatalog-Verordnung (fine catalog), Annex, numbers 186.2 (€15, €25, €60 by delay), 187 (re-inspection, €15) and 187a (use despite a ban, €60).
- Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (vehicle registration regulation), section 8: inspection before registration of a car previously registered abroad.
- City of Berlin, change of keeper: a valid inspection is required for re-registration. Federal Ministry of Transport, online vehicle registration: the online check of a valid inspection.
- Federal Ministry for the Environment, Umweltplakette and Umweltzone: names TÜV and DEKRA as examples of monitoring organizations.
The price of the inspection is not regulated and is therefore not stated on this page.