Whether a used car can be transferred digitally today depends on the date on the inspection report. All intervals come from Annex VIII of the Road Traffic Licensing Regulations (StVZO).
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 Mohamed Gabal, owner
Which HU interval applies to which vehicle?
| Vehicle | first general inspection | afterwards |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars | 36 months | 24 months |
| Cars for passenger transport (e.g. taxi) | 12 months | 12 months |
| Motorcycles | 24 months | 24 months |
| Goods vehicles up to 3.5 t | 24 months | 24 months |
| Goods vehicles over 3.5 t up to 7.5 t | 12 months | 12 months |
| Trailers up to 0.75 t or without own brake system | 36 months | 24 months |
| Trailers over 0.75 t up to 3.5 t | 24 months | 24 months |
| Motorhomes up to 3.5 t | 36 months | 24 months |
| Self-drive rental vehicles | 12 months | 12 months |
Why do taxis and rental cars have a shorter interval?
Passenger cars used for passenger transport under the Passenger Transport Act must be inspected every 12 months. The same applies to vehicles rented out commercially without a driver that are not registered to the renter.
What applies to heavy vehicles?
- goods vehicles over 3.5 t up to 7.5 t: every 12 months
- goods vehicles over 7.5 t: every 12 months, plus safety inspections
- motorhomes over 3.5 t up to 7.5 t: every 24 months in the first 72 months, then every 12 months
- trailers over 3.5 t up to 10 t: every 12 months
How is the HU checked in online registration?
The deadline for the next general inspection is retrieved from the Central Vehicle Register or verified via the check digit of the last report. For the first registration of a new vehicle it is not asked for.
What applies after a long deregistration?
Before re-registration the vehicle must pass a general inspection if, under the Annex VIII intervals, an inspection would have been due in the meantime.
What does this mean for the dealership?
Check the due date before creating the case in the Zevra dealer portal: with an expired HU the procedure rejects transfer and re-registration.
With Zevra, registration costs from €10, deregistration from €2 per case, net and plus official fees.
Read more
- New registration online: register new cars digitally and hand over the same day
- Vehicle deregistration online: take vehicles out of service digitally – for dealers and fleets
- Transfer online: re-register a used car to the buyer digitally
- Re-registration online: put deregistered vehicles back into service digitally
- Day registration online: first registration for one calendar day – digitally from the dealership
- eVB number in vehicle registration: proof of third-party insurance in the digital application
- Digital registration power of attorney: how the dealership registers for the customer with legal certainty
- Vehicle registration without online ID: why the customer needs no eID when the dealership registers
- Number plates in the digital registration case: own press or order with shipping
- Digital vehicle registration in the dealership: the complete guide
- i-Kfz for companies and dealers: portal, large-customer interface or service
- Vehicle registration by the dealer – also in another federal state
- Who offers digital vehicle registration for companies in Germany?
- Uncovering the security code: registration certificate part I, part II and stickers
- Registration certificate part II lost: procedure, deadlines and consequences for the trade
- Short-term plates or red plates: what dealers need for test and transfer drives
- Export plates: exporting vehicles – what dealers need to know
- Registering motorcycles and trailers online: what is the same for dealers – and what differs
- i-Kfz stage 4: what is new – and what does it mean for dealerships?
- Registering a company car: which documents does each legal form need?
- Registration service, authority or i-Kfz: which route pays off for dealers?
- Registering a leased vehicle: who is the keeper – and where does the registration certificate part II stay?
- Registration service at the dealership: how does registration become a selling point?
- Registration for used-car dealers: which vehicles work online?
- Registration service costs: what does a dealership pay per registration?
- How long does online vehicle registration take in Germany?
- Seasonal plates, E plates and H plates: applying online in Germany
- Low-emission sticker (Umweltplakette): what dealers should know
- Change of address after a move: re-registering a vehicle online
- Registering motorhomes and caravans online: what dealers need to know
- Interchangeable plates (Wechselkennzeichen): one plate for two vehicles
- Vehicle registration in Germany: official figures, deadlines and key dates
- Vehicle registration fees in Germany: official fees at the counter and online
- Registration without a valid HU: what is possible when the inspection has expired
- Importing an EU vehicle and registering it in Germany: what dealers need to know
- Registering an electric car in Germany: tax exemption and E plate
- Keeper's change of name: having the vehicle documents changed
- Documents for vehicle registration: printable checklist per case
- Reserving a number plate: term, fee and rules for personalised plates
- Registering rental cars and taxis: reporting the use and meeting deadlines
- Certificate of destruction (Verwertungsnachweis): scrapping and deregistering a car
- Green number plates: plates for tax-exempt vehicles in Germany
- Online registration rejected: common reasons and solutions
- Becoming a KBA large customer: requirements, details and duties
- Vehicle tax at registration: SEPA mandate and tax arrears
- Temporary registration proof: content, validity and duties
- CoC (certificate of conformity): the proof at first registration
- Car dealerships
- Registration services
- Fleet operators
- Leasing companies
- Rental & car subscription
- Banks & insurers
- Manufacturers & importers
- Remarketing & resellers
- Pricing
Sources: Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO) Anlage VIII – Untersuchung der Fahrzeuge · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 22 – Nachweis der Hauptuntersuchungen · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 16 – Außerbetriebsetzung, Wiederzulassung