What does an e-scooter need before it may go on the road? This page summarises § 1, § 2 and § 3 of the German Small Electric Vehicles Ordinance.
Zevra is the B2B platform for digital vehicle registration for car dealers, registration services and fleets: cases are entered in the dealer portal and filed nationwide by power of attorney with qualified electronic signature – from €10 per registration, no base fee, no minimum volume.
Last updated: · Zevra editorial team · Reviewed by M. Gabal, owner
What is a small electric vehicle?
| Feature | Limit |
|---|---|
| maximum design speed | more than 6 km/h and no more than 20 km/h |
| handlebar or holding bar | at least 500 mm with a seat, at least 700 mm without a seat |
| continuous rated power | no more than 500 watts |
| dimensions | width at most 700 mm, height at most 1400 mm, length at most 2000 mm |
| vehicle mass without rider | no more than 55 kg |
For self-balancing vehicles a continuous rated power of no more than 1400 watts applies when at least 60 percent of the power is used for self-balancing.
What does the e-scooter need for the road?
- a general operating licence for the type or an individual operating licence,
- a valid insurance sticker under § 56 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance,
- a vehicle identification number and a manufacturer's plate,
- brakes, lighting and an audible warning device as required by the ordinance.
The data confirmation or the certificate of the individual operating licence is kept and handed over to competent persons on request.
Who grants the operating licence?
The general operating licence follows § 20, the individual operating licence § 21 of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations.
The licence is granted when the vehicle has the features of a small electric vehicle and meets the technical requirements of the ordinance.
Who may ride an e-scooter?
Persons who have reached the age of 14 are entitled to ride a small electric vehicle.
What applies to the keeper?
The keeper must not order or allow use on public roads when the vehicle does not meet the requirements.
This also applies when the operating licence has lapsed. Breaches are administrative offences.
What does this mean for dealers?
For dealers this means: an e-scooter is not registered; it needs an operating licence and an insurance sticker.
With Zevra the dealer files registration and deregistration in the dealer portal. Registration costs from 10 € per case, deregistration 2 € net, plus official fees.
- Insurance plate: which vehicles need it and how long it is valid
- Insurance plate as a film: carrier plate, hologram and expert report
- General operating licence for vehicle types in Germany: grant, duties and lapse (§ 20 StVZO)
- Individual operating licence under § 21 StVZO: application, expert report and retention
- Temporary registration proof: valid for 10 days
- Documents posted by the authority: within 6 days
- Digital deregistration: documents from 01.01.2015
- Digital registration: documents from 01.01.2018
- Registration with Zevra: €10 net
- Deregistration with Zevra: €2 net · base fee: €0
Deadlines and cut-off dates according to: Bundesministerium für Verkehr
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- Vehicle registration fees in Germany: official fees at the counter and online
- Operating licence lapsed: when modifications to the vehicle end it (§ 19 StVZO)
- Individual operating licence under § 21 StVZO: application, expert report and retention
- Historic vehicle report under § 23 StVZO: requirements for the H plate
- Compulsory motor insurance in Germany: duty to insure, term and penalty
- Minimum insured sums in German motor liability insurance: amounts per claim
- Making, selling and issuing number plates: notice duty under § 6b StVG
- Number plate misuse under § 22 StVG: punishable acts and penalty
- Fines in German vehicle registration: standard rates from the schedule of fines
- German vehicle tax: car rates by engine size and CO₂ (§ 9 KraftStG)
- German vehicle tax liability: start, end and minimum term under § 5 KraftStG
- German number plate size and font: dimensions, FE font and character count (annex 4 FZV)
- Paying German vehicle tax: yearly, half-yearly or quarterly (§ 11 KraftStG)
- German vehicle tax for motorhomes, vans and trucks: rates by total weight
- German vehicle tax and severe disability: exemption and reduction under § 3a KraftStG
- Trailer without vehicle tax in Germany: green plate and trailer surcharge (§ 10 KraftStG)
- Operating licence for vehicle parts under § 22 StVZO: licence, inspection and type mark
- Claims history statement in Germany: deadline, content and equal treatment (§ 5c PflVG)
- Foreign vehicle in Germany: insurance, Green Card and frontier insurance
- General operating licence for vehicle types in Germany: grant, duties and lapse (§ 20 StVZO)
- Design approval for vehicle parts in Germany: duty, test mark and exceptions (§ 22a StVZO)
- Vehicle tax notice in Germany: assessment, reassessment and tax base (§ 12 and § 8 KraftStG)
- German vehicle tax: who is the tax debtor and what is taxed? (§ 7 and § 1 KraftStG)
- Provisional cover in German motor liability insurance: start, end and duties (KfzPflVV)
- Logbook order in Germany: order, entries and retention for keepers (§ 31a StVZO)
- Keeper liability for stopping or parking offences in Germany: when the keeper bears the costs (§ 25a StVG)
- Individual approval for vehicles in Germany: conditions, expert report and revocation (§ 13 EG-FGV)
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- Fleet operators
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Sources: Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge-Verordnung (eKFV) § 2 – Anforderungen an das Inbetriebsetzen · Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge-Verordnung (eKFV) § 1 – Anwendungsbereich · Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge-Verordnung (eKFV) § 3 – Berechtigung zum Führen · Sources · Vehicle figures: tax, insurance, fines