A vehicle may only be put into service with number plates fitted according to the rules. This page sets out the requirements of the German Vehicle Registration Ordinance for the trade.
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
Where must number plates be fitted on the vehicle?
| Vehicle | Fitting |
|---|---|
| Motor vehicle | front and rear, firmly fixed |
| Trailer | rear |
| Motorcycle | rear |
| Single-axle tractor | front is sufficient |
| Vehicle with interchangeable plates | common part and vehicle-specific part each firmly fixed |
Which dimensions and angles apply to the front plate?
- The lower edge is at least 200 mm above the road.
- The vehicle's existing ground clearance must not be reduced.
- The plate may be tilted up to a vertical angle of 30 degrees against the direction of travel.
- Front and rear plates must be readable from at least 20 metres within an angle of 30 degrees on either side of the vehicle's longitudinal axis.
What must the plate itself be like?
The lettering is black on a white background with a black border. The plate must be reflective and comply with standard DIN 74069 in the October 2022 edition. On the front it bears the DIN test and monitoring mark with register number.
It must not reflect glare, be covered or be dirty. Glass, films or similar covers are not permitted. Shape, size and lettering follow Annex 4 of the ordinance.
What applies to lighting and covered plates?
The rear plate needs a lighting device that makes the whole plate readable from up to 20 metres.
If a load carrier or the load covers the rear plate fully or partly, the plate must be repeated on the vehicle or on the load carrier. That plate does not need a registration sticker.
Which drives are allowed with unstamped plates?
Drives connected with the registration procedure may be made with unstamped plates, for example to have the registration sticker attached or for the general inspection. They are limited to the registration district and one adjacent district.
The condition: the authority has allocated the plate in advance or a reservation exists, and motor liability insurance covers the drive. Return drives after the sticker has been removed are allowed until the end of the day of deregistration if the insurance covers them.
Which signs may appear next to the plate?
Apart from the number plate, only the distinguishing sign of the state of registration may be fitted; for Germany this is the capital letter D. Signs that can be confused with number plates or impair their effect are prohibited.
What does this mean for dealers?
The keeper may only order or allow the vehicle to be put into service if plate, fitting, lighting and registration sticker meet the requirements.
Zevra is the B2B platform for digital vehicle registration for dealerships and registration services. Registration costs from €10 per case, deregistration €2 net, plus official fees.
- 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
Read more
- Number plate types in Germany: all vehicle plates compared
- Number plates in the digital registration case: own press or order with shipping
- Seasonal plates, E plates and H plates: applying online in Germany
- Interchangeable plates (Wechselkennzeichen): one plate for two vehicles
- Short-term plates or red plates: what dealers need for test and transfer drives
- Export plates: exporting vehicles – what dealers need to know
- Low-emission sticker (Umweltplakette): what dealers should know
- 100 km/h plaque for trailers: requirements and procedure
- Reserving a number plate: term, fee and rules for personalised plates
- Green number plates: plates for tax-exempt vehicles in Germany
- Keeping your number plate: what applies when moving or changing keeper
- Insurance plate: which vehicles need it and how long it is valid
- Red plates 06: permitted drives, vehicle document booklet and return
- Red historic vehicle plates 07: permitted drives and duties
- Red insurance plate: drives, structure and reporting to the register
- Insurance plate as a film: carrier plate, hologram and expert report
- Car dealerships
- Registration services
- Fleet operators
- Motorcycle dealers
- Caravan dealers
- Pricing
Sources: Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 12 – Ausgestaltung und Anbringung der Kennzeichen · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) Anlage 4 – Ausgestaltung der Kennzeichen · Sources · FZV sections § 12