Lkw-Fahrverbot an Sonn- und Feiertagen: Ausnahmegenehmigung

Would you like to drive your truck on Sundays and public holidays? Then you need a special permit.

In Germany, trucks with a gross vehicle weight of over 7.5 tons and trailers behind trucks are not permitted to drive on Sundays and public holidays between midnight and 10 pm.

The ban does not apply to

1. combined road-rail freight transport from the consignor to the nearest suitable loading station or from the nearest suitable unloading station to the consignee, but only up to a distance of 200 km
   1.a) combined port-road transport of goods between the place of loading or unloading and a port located within a maximum radius of 150 kilometers (arrival or departure)
2. the transportation of
   a) fresh milk and fresh dairy products
   b) fresh meat and fresh meat products
   c) fresh fish, live fish and fresh fish products
   d) perishable fruit and vegetables
3. empty journeys in connection with journeys under number 2
4. journeys with vehicles used in accordance with the Federal Benefits Act

The benefit certificate must be carried and handed over to the responsible persons for inspection on request.

Exceptions to the ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays:

Under certain conditions, exceptions to the ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays may be granted:

Granting an exemption is only justified in particularly urgent cases. Strict requirements must be met to prove such urgency. An individual permit may only be granted under certain conditions, e.g. to

• supplying the population with perishable foodstuffs
• timely loading and unloading of sea-going vessels
• maintaining the operation of public supply or transport facilities.

Economic or competitive reasons alone do not justify a permit under any circumstances.

An individual permit is valid for one journey with one vehicle or vehicle combination.

Informal application with precise justification and, among other things

• freight and accompanying documents
• For cross-border traffic, proof of clearance times at the border customs office for loads on trucks
• Motor vehicle and trailer license; for foreign motor vehicles whose registration documents do not state the permissible total weight and engine power, a corresponding official certificate is required.

A permanent exemption permit for up to three years and revocable at any time may only be issued if, in addition to the requirements for an individual permit, the need for regular transportation is also established and if the applicant can prove the urgency of the transportation by means of a certificate from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce or otherwise provide credible evidence.

The fee according to the scale of fees for road traffic measures (GebOSt) is currently between EUR 10.20 and EUR 767.00 per exceptional circumstance and per vehicle/person.

The calculation of the fee is based on the costs associated with the granting of the permit and any economic advantage accruing to the permit holder.

Exemptions can be granted

• be issued by the road traffic authorities (rural districts, independent cities, large cities belonging to a district) in whose district the load is taken up or
• by the road traffic authorities in whose district the applicant has his place of residence, registered office or a branch office.

The application for a special permit must be made in writing.