Mandatory vehicle equipment - Germany

Mandatory vehicle equipment in Germany

💡 Daytime running lights

• Motorcycles must always have their daytime running lights on.
• Other vehicles must have their daytime running lights on when visibility is reduced.
• Lights on are mandatory in all tunnels!

🦺 Reflective vest

• A reflective vest is mandatory for drivers of vehicles registered in Germany.
• For drivers of vehicles registered outside Germany, the obligation only applies if they are driving a company vehicle.

⚠️ Warning triangle

• For vehicles up to 3.5 t registered in Germany, the warning triangle is mandatory (it does not apply to motorcycles). Vehicles over 3.5 t must also be equipped with a portable yellow flashing light.
• For vehicles that are not registered in Germany, the rules of the country of registration apply.
• In the event of a malfunction, the warning triangle must be located approx. 100 m behind the vehicle (200 m on the highway).

💊 First aid kit

• Only vehicles registered in Germany must be equipped with a first aid kit. It is only recommended for others.

❄️ Winter tires

• Winter tires are mandatory whenever the roads are covered with snow or ice.
• As of 2018, only those marked with the snowflake symbol are considered winter tires. Until 2024, it is also possible to use older tires marked M+S (mud and snow).
• Snow chains are allowed up to a speed of 50 km/h (they are mandatory on some mountain roads). Studded tires are prohibited.
• In winter, only winter mixture must be in the washers.

🧯 Fire extinguisher

• A fire extinguisher is not mandatory in Germany.

🪖 Helmet

• Both the motorcycle driver and his passengers are required to wear a safety helmet.

💺 Child car seat

• Children under 150 cm or 12 years of age must be transported in a child car seat.
• Children under 150 cm or 12 years old are also not allowed to sit on the front seat.

Basic information for motorists

🛣️ Speed limits

• city: 50 km/h
• out of city: 100 km/h
• highway: unlimited (if not regulated by traffic signs)

💰 Tolls in Germany

Germany is known for its first-class motorways, which are still free for passenger cars. However, the German government plans to toll the motorways, but it is not yet clear when this will happen.

• Vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes do not have to pay any motorway tolls, with the exception of the Herren Warnow tunnels in northern Germany.
• Vehicles over 7.5 tons must pay a toll. Payments are made via the on-board unit (Toll Collect, Toll2Go) or by pre-paying for the given route at the terminal in the car parks, the Toll Collect mobile application or on the website toll-collect.de.

🍺 Alcohol driving

• 0.00 ‰ - novice driver, younger than 21 years and with less than 2 years of experience
• 0.5‰ - experienced driver
• 0.00 ‰ - professional driver

📞 Important phone numbers

• Unified rescue system: 112
• Ambulance: 112
• Police: 110
• Firefighters: 122

🎥 On-board cameras

• Dashcams are not prohibited, but if you choose to publish the dashcam footage, they must not capture any license plates or faces.

❌ Anti-radar devices

• The use of radar detectors is prohibited in Germany.
• In addition, when using GPS navigation, the speed warning function must be turned off (the function is included in the mobile applications Waze, Here Maps and many others).

⚠️ Fines in Germany

Germany has a system of penalty points. After reaching 8 penalty points, there is a risk of having your driver's license revoked for 6 months.

• Alcohol while driving: from €500
• Running a red light: €90 to €360
• Exceeding the speed by 20 km/h: up to €35
• Speeding by more than 50 km/h: from €240
• Mobile phone behind the wheel: €100
• Failure to use seat belts: €30
• Failure to give priority in driving: up to €100
• Wrong overtaking: up to €250

✅ Are you buying a used car from Germany?

Are you going to go to Germany for a used car? Then don't forget to check its history. The times when it was used from Germany with a guarantee of a good purchase are over, and today it can be badly burned.

By checking the VIN in Germany, in addition to previous damage, you can also detect:

• Mileage history
• Service history
• Advertising history including photos
• and much more

Check vehicle history:

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DE version: Pflichtausstattung auto Deutschland