Feinstaubplakette Ausgabe

To enter an environmental zone, you need a fine dust sticker valid for this zone for the vehicle used, which must be visibly affixed to the windshield of the car.

The current license plate number must be entered on the sticker.

Motor vehicles and commercial vehicles are divided into pollutant groups 1 to 4.

Depending on the pollutant group, no, red, yellow or green fine dust stickers are issued for motor vehicles.

A green sticker is now required in almost all cases to enter a low emission zone.

Low emission zones are set up by the responsible authorities of the federal states to improve air quality. Only vehicles that meet certain emission requirements are allowed to enter environmental zones.

Low emission zones are mostly found in urban areas. No sticker is required outside the environmental zones.

A. Vehicles registered in Germany:

1) Passenger cars and commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tons

A green fine dust sticker (pollutant group 4) is issued to

• all electric cars
• all petrol cars with a regulated catalytic converter of the first generation and petrol cars from emission stage Euro 1,
• Diesel cars from emission stage Euro 4,
• Euro 3 diesel cars that have been retrofitted with an approved particulate reduction system.

A yellow fine particle sticker (pollutant group 3) is issued:

• Diesel cars of emission stage Euro 3,
• Euro 2 diesel cars that have been retrofitted with an approved particulate reduction system

A red fine particle sticker (pollutant group 2) is issued to

• Diesel cars of emission stage Euro 2,
• Euro 1 diesel cars that have been retrofitted with an approved particulate reduction system

All other vehicles (pollutant group 1) do not receive a fine particle sticker.

2) Commercial vehicles over 3.5 tons

Commercial vehicles and buses with Euro 1 and better emissions standards are assigned accordingly:

Receive a green fine particle sticker (pollutant group 4):

• All electric vehicles
• Diesel vehicles of emission stage Euro 4 and better
• Euro 3 diesel vehicles that have been retrofitted with an approved particulate reduction system

Receive a yellow fine particle sticker (pollutant group 3):

• Euro 3 diesel vehicles
• Euro 2 diesel vehicles that have been retrofitted with an approved particulate reduction system

Receive a red fine particle sticker (pollutant group 2):

• Diesel vehicles of emission stage Euro 2
• Euro 1 diesel vehicles that have been retrofitted with an approved particulate reduction system

All other vehicles (pollutant group 1) do not receive a fine particle sticker.

B. Vehicles registered outside Germany

As the owner of a vehicle that is not registered in Germany, you can also obtain a fine particle sticker or must have a valid fine particle sticker visibly affixed to the windshield of your car if you wish to drive in an environmental zone.

1. If your car is not registered in Germany, it will be assigned to the pollutant group on the basis of the European emission class according to which your vehicle was registered, provided this is recognizable from the vehicle documents or can be proven in another way (see regulations for "Vehicles registered in Germany").
2. If the pollutant group cannot be verified, stickers are issued to foreign vehicles in a simplified procedure based on the date of first registration of the vehicle.

The following vehicles receive a green fine particle sticker (pollutant group 4):

Petrol vehicles: first registration from 01.01.1993

Diesel vehicles:

• under 3.5 tons: First registration from 01.01.2006
• over 3.5 tons: First registration from 01.10.2006

The following vehicles receive a yellow fine dust sticker (pollutant group 3):

Diesel vehicles:

• under 3.5 tons: First registration from 01.01.2001 to 31.12.2005
• over 3.5 tons: First registration from 01.10.2001 to 30.09.2006

The following vehicles receive a red fine dust sticker (pollutant group 2):

Diesel vehicles:

• under 3.5 tons: First registration from 01.01.1997 to 31.12.2000
• over 3.5 tons: First registration from 01.10.1996 to 30.09.2001

All other vehicles (pollutant group 1) do not receive a fine dust sticker.

C. Exceptions

The following are exempt from the regulations on traffic bans and fine dust stickers

• Mobile machinery and equipment
• work machines
• Agricultural and forestry tractors
• two- and three-wheeled motor vehicles
• Ambulances, doctor's vehicles with appropriate markings used for medical care of the population
• Motor vehicles driven or driven by persons who are exceptionally disabled, helpless or blind and can prove this with the "aG", "H", "Bl" mark on their severely disabled person's pass
• Vehicles for which special rights according to § 35 StVO can be claimed
• Vehicles of non-German troops in the context of military cooperation
• Civilian vehicles on behalf of the Bundeswehr for journeys that cannot be postponed for the performance of official duties
• classic cars (pursuant to Section 2 No. 22 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance) bearing a license plate pursuant to Section 9 (1) or Section 17 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance, as well as vehicles registered in another member state of the European Union, another contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or Turkey, if they meet equivalent requirements. The license plates of vehicles registered in Germany that fall under this exemption end with an H. In the case of red license plates, the number begins with 07 after the distinguishing letter of the registration district.

In special, justified cases, the competent road traffic authority (road traffic authority in whose district the low emission zone is located) may, upon application, grant temporary exemptions from the traffic bans associated with the low emission zone.

• For domestic vehicles: registration certificate part I (vehicle registration document)
• For foreign vehicles: Vehicle documents

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Online application:

• Apply for the fine dust sticker online.
• Enter all the requested data and upload the required documents.
• Select a payment method and pay.
• After a few days you will receive the fine dust sticker.

Apply on site:

• Visit the vehicle registration authority / service center for citizens' and road traffic matters in your city / district.
• (Please note that an appointment may have to be made).
• Bring the registration certificate part I (vehicle registration document) with you.
• Your data will be recorded.
• You pay and receive the sticker directly.

In some independent cities / districts, it is possible to apply for the fine dust sticker informally by post. Please enquire at your responsible vehicle registration authority / service center for citizens and road traffic matters.

You can obtain the stickers

• at the vehicle registration authorities / at the Service Center for Citizen and Road Traffic Matters.
• at all recognized emissions testing companies and testing organizations (e.g. TÜV, DEKRA, GTÜ).

It is not permitted to enter an environmental zone without a sufficient fine particle sticker. A standard fine of 80.00 euros has been set (as of 16.10.2020).

Apply for a fine dust sticker (environmental sticker)

• To enter an environmental zone, a sufficient fine dust sticker (usually green) is required
• Vehicles are categorized into pollutant groups 1 to 4
• Depending on the pollutant group of the vehicle, there are different colored fine dust stickers: red, yellow and green; vehicles in pollutant group 1 do not receive stickers
• owners of vehicles registered abroad must also apply for a fine particle sticker to enter an environmental zone
• There are exceptions to the regulations on fine dust stickers

• the vehicle registration authorities
  • City district: the city administration
  • District: the district administration

• the bodies recognized to carry out exhaust emission tests (AU), e.g. AU workshops, approved test organizations such as Dekra, GTÜ, KÜS, TÜV, FSP or technical test centres

The issuing offices for stickers are

• the vehicle registration authorities
  • City district: the city administration
  • District: the district administration
• the bodies recognized to carry out exhaust emission tests (AU), e.g. AU workshops, approved test organizations such as Dekra, GTÜ, KÜS, TÜV, FSP or technical test centres