Rules of the road
Driving in Germany
Every value below links to the official source it was checked against, with the date it was checked. What is not verified yet says so.
Quick answers about driving in Germany
- Which side of the road do you drive on in Germany?
- In Germany you drive on the right.
- How old do you have to be to drive in Germany?
- You must be at least 18 years old to drive in Germany. 17 is possible only in the accompanied-driving scheme, within Germany.
- What is the speed limit in Germany?
- No general limit on motorways, no general limit on dual carriageways, 100 km/h on country roads and 50 km/h in towns and cities. Those are the national default limits, which apply where no sign says otherwise.
- What is the drink driving limit in Germany?
- The legal limit in Germany is 0.5 g/l. 0.5 Promille. From 1.1 Promille driving is a criminal offence, and below 0.5 you can still be liable if driving is visibly affected. Drivers who passed their test recently are held to 0 g/l.
Which side of the road
Which side you overtake on
Left
Passing on the right is only for vehicles turning left, and for trams.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limits
Speed limit on the motorway
No general limit
No general limit for cars. 130 km/h is the official recommendation, and going faster can mean sharing liability after an accident. Signed limits apply on many stretches.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit on a dual carriageway
No general limit
Roads with structurally separated carriageways have no general car limit, like motorways. The 130 km/h recommendation applies. Signed limits are common.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit in towns and cities
50 km/h
Many streets are signed 30.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Alcohol
How much alcohol you may have in your blood
0.5 g/l
0.5 Promille. From 1.1 Promille driving is a criminal offence, and below 0.5 you can still be liable if driving is visibly affected.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Alcohol limit for drivers who passed their test recently
0 g/l
Zero alcohol for the two-year probationary period and for anyone under 21.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Your licence and age
Youngest age you may drive
18 years
17 is possible only in the accompanied-driving scheme, within Germany.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Looking to rent a car? The minimum age to drive is 18, but most car rental agencies have their own minimum rental age. Remember to check with your car rental agency before you book. We earn a commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.
Whether you need an International Driving Permit
Depends on where your licence is from
EU and EEA licences are accepted as they are. Other licences need a German translation unless the licence conforms to the 1968 Vienna Convention or an International Driving Permit is carried.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
What you must carry in the car
What you must carry in the car
- Warning triangle
- High-visibility vest
- First aid kit
Triangle and vest under StVZO §53a. The first aid kit (DIN 13164) is required separately by StVZO §35h: www.gesetze-im-internet.de/stvzo_2012/__35h.html
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Headlights
When you must switch your headlights on
Not required
Required for motorcycles only. Cars need lights at night and in poor visibility.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Phones at the wheel
Holding a phone while driving
Not allowed
The device may not be picked up or held at all. Head-mounted displays are banned.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Hands-free phone calls
Allowed
Voice control and mounted devices with brief glances are allowed.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Who goes first
Turning at a red light
Only where a sign allows it
Only where a green arrow plate (Grünpfeil) is mounted beside the red light, only turning right, and only after a complete stop.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Who has priority at a roundabout
Traffic already on the roundabout goes first
Where the roundabout sign is posted, traffic on the circle has priority and you must not indicate on entry — only on exit. An unsigned circle falls back to right-before-left.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Priority to traffic coming from the right
Yes — traffic from the right goes first at unmarked junctions
Right before left at any unsigned junction, including small residential ones.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Seatbelts and children
Age below which a child needs a child seat
12 years
A child needs a seat until age 12, unless already 150 cm tall.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Height below which a child needs a child seat
150 cm
A child shorter than 150 cm needs a seat until age 12.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Parking
Parking on the pavement
Only where signs or markings allow it
Only where a sign or marking explicitly allows it.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Parking facing against the traffic
Only on one-way streets
Park on the right edge in the direction of travel; one-way streets allow the left.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
How far you must park from a junction or crossing
- A junction — 5 m
8 m where a marked cycle path crosses.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Winter driving
Winter tyres
Required whenever the road is icy or snowy
Condition-based, not date-based: winter tyres (3PMSF) are required whenever there is snow, slush or ice on the road, at any time of year.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Motorbikes and scooters
Helmets on a motorbike or scooter
Required for rider and passenger
Rider and passenger must wear a suitable helmet on any motorbike or moped built to go faster than 20 km/h. Not needed where the vehicle has seatbelts and they are worn.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Largest motorbike or scooter you may ride on a car licence
- Engine up to 50 cc
- Power up to 4 kW
- Top speed up to 45 km/h
A German category B licence includes class AM. The speed limit applies to every AM machine; the engine limit is for petrol engines and the power limit for diesel or electric. The rule itself is in FeV §6, which names only the EU class L1e-B; the figures are from the federal motor transport authority's licence-class table. With a short training course and no exam, drivers aged 25 or over who have held B for five years can add code B196 for 125 cc, 11 kW motorbikes. B196 is valid only inside Germany.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Youngest age you may ride the smallest class of scooter
15 years
Until the 16th birthday the AM licence is valid only inside Germany.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
What a rider must wear or carry
Nothing beyond a helmet
Only the helmet is required by law. Protective clothing is strongly advised, and courts may reduce compensation after a crash if none was worn.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Riding between lanes of slow traffic
Not allowed
Weaving between queued vehicles counts as overtaking on the right, which is banned. Passing on the left is allowed in theory but needs a full safe side gap, which a traffic jam rarely leaves. Using the emergency corridor (Rettungsgasse) is banned.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Smallest motorbike allowed on the motorway
- Top speed at least 60 km/h
Framed as a design speed, not a vehicle class or engine size: only vehicles whose design speed is more than 60 km/h may use motorways and motor roads, so exactly 60 km/h is not enough. A 45 km/h moped does not qualify.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Headlights on a motorbike in daytime
Required at all times
Dipped headlight or daytime running lights must be on in daylight.
Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source
Tolls and city charges
How you pay for motorways
- None
Motorways are free for cars and motorcycles — the toll applies to trucks. A few tunnels and private roads charge individually.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Low-emission zones
In many cities
Around 39 Umweltzonen, including Berlin, Munich, Cologne and Stuttgart. A green windscreen sticker is required, including on foreign cars — order it before travelling.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
If something goes wrong
Emergency number
112
112 for fire and ambulance. 110 reaches the police.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
Fines
Whether police can fine you on the spot
Yes
Minor offences up to 55 euros can be settled on the spot as a warning fine. Larger fines are billed — but drivers without a German address can be required to pay a security deposit immediately.
Checked 3 Aug 2026 · official source
More questions about driving in Germany
- What do you have to carry in your car in Germany?
- You must carry a warning triangle, a high-visibility vest and a first aid kit.
- Do you need an International Driving Permit for Germany?
- Depends on where your licence is from.
- Can you use your phone while driving in Germany?
- No. Holding a phone while driving is against the law in Germany. Hands-free: allowed. The device may not be picked up or held at all. Head-mounted displays are banned.
- Can you ride a scooter or small motorbike on a car licence in Germany?
- Yes, engine up to 50 cc, power up to 4 kW and top speed up to 45 km/h.
Each answer comes from the rules above, where you can also see the official source and the date it was checked.
16 rules not yet verified for Germany
These rules exist, but no value has been checked against an official source yet. Missing beats wrong.
- Speed limit in living and residential zones
- Speed limit in rain or snow
- Speed limit for drivers who passed their test recently
- Speed limit when towing a trailer or caravan
- Alcohol limit for professional drivers
- How long you may drive on your own licence
- What you should carry, but do not have to
- Headlights in tunnels
- Youngest age a child may sit in the front
- What the lines and painted kerbs mean
- How you pay to park
- What happens if you park wrongly
- When winter tyre rules apply
- Snow chains
- Congestion charges
- Typical fines