When does a vehicle count as historic? This page sums up § 23 of the German Road Traffic Licensing Regulations and § 10 of the Vehicle Registration 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
Which requirements must a historic vehicle meet?
- first entered traffic at least 30 years ago,
- largely in original condition,
- in a good state of preservation,
- serving to preserve motoring heritage.
What counts is the time of the assessment as a historic vehicle.
Who writes the historic vehicle report?
A report by an officially recognised expert, examiner or test engineer is required.
The assessment follows a guideline published in the official transport gazette. The report is issued on the template laid down there.
Is a general inspection part of it?
Yes. As part of the assessment, an examination to the extent of a general inspection is also carried out.
This is not needed when a report under § 21 is drawn up together with the assessment.
What does the historic plate look like?
| Feature | Rule |
|---|---|
| Structure | district code and identification number |
| Addition | code letter H after the identification number |
| Note | in the registration certificate part I and part II |
The plate is assigned on application once the report exists.
Can periods outside road traffic be counted?
In individual cases, yes. The registration authority can count periods before the vehicle first entered traffic in which it was operated outside public road traffic.
What does this mean for dealers?
For dealers in classic vehicles, the report is the basis for registration with an H plate.
With Zevra the dealer files registration and deregistration in the dealer portal. 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
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- Individual operating licence under § 21 StVZO: application, expert report and retention
- 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)
- E-scooter and other small electric vehicles in Germany: operating licence, insurance sticker and minimum age (eKFV)
- 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)
- Car dealerships
- Registration services
- Fleet operators
- Pricing
Sources: Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO) § 23 – Gutachten für die Einstufung eines Fahrzeugs als Oldtimer · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 10 – Oldtimerkennzeichen, grüne Kennzeichen und Saisonkennzeichen · Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung (FZV) § 2 – Begriffsbestimmungen · Sources · FZV sections § 10 · FZV sections § 2