Feinstaubplakette/ Umweltplakette Ausgabe

• § Section 40 (1) of the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) (traffic restrictions) https://www.landesrecht-bw.de/jportal/?quelle=jlink&query=BImSchG+%C2%A7+40&psml=bsbawueprod.psml&max=true
• § Section 47 of the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) (clean air plans, plans for short-term measures, state ordinances) https://www.landesrecht-bw.de/jportal/?quelle=jlink&query=BImSchG+%C2%A7+47&psml=bsbawueprod.psml&max=true
• Ordinance on the labeling of motor vehicles with a low contribution to pollution (35th BlmSchV) https://www.gaa.baden-wuerttemberg.de/servlet/is/16507/2_1_35.pdf

If you want to drive in an environmental zone, you need a fine dust sticker/environmental badge. You can obtain information here.

There are clean air plans for areas with poor air quality. Clean air plans contain measures to improve air quality. Low emission zones are one possible measure in such clean air plans. Low emission zones reduce particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide pollution. Vehicles with high pollutant emissions are not allowed to drive in low emission zones.

If you want to drive your vehicle in such an environmental zone, you must purchase a fine dust sticker/environmental sticker. The sticker is available in three different colors, each of which is assigned to a pollutant group. The classification of your vehicle into one of the pollutant groups is based on the emission code numbers. These can be found in the vehicle documents.

Note: A separate traffic sign indicates the environmental zones. The additional sign shows the colors of the stickers that allow vehicles to drive freely in the specific environmental zone.

Vehicle registration certificate (for older vehicles) or registration certificate part I (for newer vehicles)

To obtain an environmental badge, your vehicle must meet the criteria for pollutant groups 2, 3 or 4.

You cannot obtain a sticker for vehicles in pollutant group 1. These are

• Petrol vehicles without a regulated catalytic converter and
• older diesel vehicles with emission standard Euro 1 or worse.

Tip: Some urban and rural districts provide online services. You can use these to order an environmental badge. You pay by direct debit, bank transfer or credit card. The sticker will be sent to you by post. The exact regulations can be found on the websites.

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In most cases, you will receive the sticker immediately.

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An overview of environmental zones throughout Germany can be found at the Federal Environment Agency (https://gis.uba.de/website/umweltzonen/index.php).

If you are planning to drive into an environmental zone, try to purchase a fine dust sticker/environmental badge as early as possible. If there is a delay and you do not have a fine dust sticker/environmental badge, you will not be allowed to drive in the environmental zone.

You can lodge an objection. If the objection is not upheld, you can file a complaint with the competent administrative court.

Responsibility lies with the licensing authorities of the districts and independent cities.