Germany: low-emission zones and the green sticker

The boundaries are drawn as the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) publishes them: schematic and without exemptions. The road signs at each zone take precedence.

Source Umweltbundesamt 2 ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

Marburg's boundary is missing from the UBA dataset, so the map shows Marburg as a dot.

• Petrol cars, and other cars with a spark-ignition engine, of Euro 1 or newer.
• Diesel cars of Euro 4 or newer.
• Battery-electric and fuel-cell cars.
• No green sticker: Euro 3 diesels (yellow), Euro 2 diesels (red), older diesels and petrol cars without a regulated catalytic converter (no sticker).

Source Gesetze im Internet 2 3 · TÜV SÜD · Land Berlin ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

For a car registered abroad, the issuer goes by the European emission standard shown in the vehicle documents or proven otherwise. If that is not possible, the date of first registration decides: petrol cars first registered from 1 January 1993 and diesel cars from 1 January 2006 get the green sticker.

Source TÜV SÜD · Gesetze im Internet ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

Exempt without a sticker: motorcycles and other two- and three-wheelers, historic vehicles with a German historic plate or an equivalent historic vehicle registered in another EU or EEA country or in Türkiye, vehicles carrying a person with the disability marks aG, H or Bl, and electric cars with the German electric-vehicle plate.

Source Gesetze im Internet ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

Vehicle registration offices and the stations approved for emission tests issue the sticker, also for cars registered abroad. These sell it online:

Source Gesetze im Internet · Land Berlin · TÜV SÜD · TÜV NORD · DEKRA ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

• Berlin vehicle registration office (online) from EUR 5.95

  Public authority

  Average processing time 3 to 4 weeks; apply about 3 weeks before the trip.

  Source Land Berlin ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

• TÜV SÜD EUR 17.50

  Issues the sticker

  Card payment; delivery up to two weeks.

  Source TÜV SÜD · Gesetze im Internet ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

• TÜV NORD EUR 19.90 for a car registered abroad

  Issues the sticker

  Paid on invoice.

  Source TÜV NORD · Gesetze im Internet ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

• DEKRA EUR 19.90

  Issues the sticker

  Paid on invoice.

  Source DEKRA · Gesetze im Internet ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

The sticker carries your number plate and goes clearly visible on the inside of the windscreen. It destroys itself when removed, so it cannot move to another car.

Source Gesetze im Internet ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

Driving in a low-emission zone without the required sticker costs EUR 100.

Source Gesetze im Internet ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

The rule is the same in every zone in force: green sticker only. The dates show when each zone reached stage 3, the stage in which only the green sticker is accepted.

Source Land Berlin · Umweltbundesamt ·Checked 3 Nov 2026

Source Umweltbundesamt ·Checked 3 Nov 2026