Administrative services A-Z

Clean air plans exist for areas with poor air quality. Clean air plans contain measures to improve air quality. Environmental zones are one possible measure of such clean air plans. Environmental zones reduce particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide pollution. Vehicles with high pollutant emissions are not allowed to drive in environmental zones.

If you want to drive your vehicle in such an environmental zone, you must purchase a fine dust sticker/environmental sticker. The sticker is available in three different colors, each of which is assigned to a pollutant group. The classification of your vehicle into one of the pollutant groups is based on the emission code numbers. You can find these in the vehicle documents.

Notice: The environmental zones are indicated by a separate traffic sign. The additional sign indicates the colors of the stickers with which vehicles have free passage in the specific environmental zone.

In order to obtain an environmental badge, your vehicle must meet the criteria of pollutant groups 2, 3 or 4.

You cannot obtain a sticker for vehicles in pollutant group 1. These are

• gasoline vehicles without a regulated catalytic converter and
• older diesel vehicles with emission standard Euro 1 or worse.

Vehicle registration document (for older vehicles) or registration certificate part I (for newer vehicles)

Depending on the city or district, AU workshop or test organization: usually EUR 5.00 - 8.00

Some municipalities and counties provide online services. Through them, you can order an environmental badge. You pay by direct debit, bank transfer or credit card. The sticker will be sent to you by mail. You can find the exact regulations on the websites.

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The issuing offices for stickers are

• the vehicle registration authorities
  • City district: the city administration
  • County: the district administration
• the bodies recognized for carrying out exhaust emission tests (AU), e.g. AU workshops, approved test organizations such as Dekra, GTÜ, KÜS, TÜV, FSP or technical test centres

• Annex 2 to Section 2 (2) of the Ordinance on the Labeling of Motor Vehicles with a Low Contribution to Pollution (35th BImSchV)
• §§ 40 ff. Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG)
• § Section 40 (1) of the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) (traffic restrictions)
• § Section 47 of the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) (clean air plans, plans for measures to be taken in the short term, state ordinances)
• Ordinance on the Labeling of Motor Vehicles with a Low Contribution to Pollution (35th BlmSchV)

If you are planning to drive into an environmental zone, make every effort to purchase a fine dust sticker/ environmental sticker as early as possible. If there are delays and you do not have a fine dust sticker/ environmental badge, you will not be allowed to drive in the environmental zone.

An overview of environmental zones throughout Germany can be found at the Federal Environment Agency (https://gis.uba.de/website/umweltzonen/index.php ).

For certain journeys, you can obtain an exemption from the traffic restrictions in environmental zones.

Ministry of Transport Baden-Württemberg