Environmental Sticker Germany – Umweltplakette
What Is an Environmental Badge
An environmental badge, also called Umweltplakette or eco sticker, is a badge that you need to mark your car while entering some German cities. It is the law to have this badge, because it actually shows how much your vehicle pollutes the environment.
There are more types of environmental badge (green, yellow, red and none) and you will receive a certain type based on directive on emission issued by EEC/EC stated in the registration document.
Since 1st March 2007 German cities have the option to create so-called environmental zones. Only marked vehicles are allowed to enter these zones. These are typically located in a city centre or, alternatively, in its surroundings. For example: Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt am Main etc. (Where required?)
Which Vehicles Must Be Marked
The obligation to mark your vehicle with an environmental badge of the relevant type applies also to vehicles registered abroad. The badge has lifetime validity. The obligation applies to: cars, trucks and buses. It does not apply to motorcycles and tractors.
Traffic Signs
Environmental zones are indicated with a traffic sign “Umwelt ZONE” as you can see in the picture. An additional sign underneath with the writing “frei” then specifies what type of environmental badge you need.
You may have to pay the fine of up to 80 Euros if you enter these eco zones without a valid Umweltplakette.
Types of Environmental Badges
Here you can find out as well what type of an environmental badge you will get for your vehicle.
In the section Validity of Environmental Badges you can simply check out which German cities you can enter without environmental badge.
Environmental badges are related to the level of air pollution caused by a vehicle. They are divided into four classes. Therefore we talk about the four emission classes of environmental badges (the higher the emission class, the more environment-friendly the vehicle).
It follows from the list of environmental badges that vehicles that reach the fourth class of environmental sticker are the most ecological, therefore they pollute the environment the least. It is also apparent that environmental badges are labelled by colour - green sticker, yellow sticker and red sticker.
What Type of an Environmental Badge I Can Get
Types of environmental badges are important to differentiate vehicles that are allowed to enter the particular environmental zones. Most environmental zones allow only cars with a green badge to enter, although some of them also allow vehicles with yellow badges to enter. You can find out more about what German cities require marking your car with what type of an environmental badge in the above mentioned section - Validity of Environmental Badges.
You can easily find out what type of an environmental badge you will obtain for your vehicle in the following summarizing table. (Euro level stands for the directive on emission issued by EEC/EC stated in your registration document.)
The type of a badge depends on the particular (your) vehicle. To obtain an environmental badge you need the original registration document. The emission class of an environmental badge is then determined according to the directive on emission issued by EEC/EC (ECE regulation), which is stated in the registration document.
If there is not the directive on emission issued by EEC/EC or ECE regulation stated in your registration document, it is necessary to obtain the directive emission or the regulation along with the statement of the vehicle manufacturer or authorized test centre DEKRA Automotive PLC.
In case that the owner of a vehicle is a leasing company and it is stated in the registration document, you need an original registration document or the copy of it together with a vehicle registration certificate or MOT certificate to purchase an environmental badge.
Most of the cars with petrol engines that have a three-way catalytic converter (which is the norm since the 90s), can obtain a green badge on the basis of data stated in the registration document. The situation is more complicated for diesel cars which produce fine dust. Therefore only modern cars made in recent years most likely will obtain a green badge (usually cars made after 1.1. 2006).
How To Get Eco Badge
The obligation to have an environmental badge applies to everybody (also for foreign vehicles). Through this website you can easily order an environmental badge and you will obtain one by post within the maximum of 7 days. There is no extra delivery charge. The environmental badge always has an unlimited length of validity for the license plate of the vehicle for which it was issued.