Chic but rarely allowed - the sticker on the car!

Using a sticker on the car sounds tempting. There is no need to screw on a conventional license plate holder and optically, a flexible sticker can look more appealing on some models than a normal, rigid license plate. Especially if it may be a reduced version. However, certain prerequisites are required to be able to affix a license plate.

License plates must meet specifications

License plates must be attached to every vehicle that takes part in road traffic. And that at the front and back, screwed on according to fixed specifications, clearly visible, legible and they have to be provided with a valid inspection sticker. This is particularly important for the authorities in order to identify the owner of the vehicle on speed camera photos or camera shots, or to be able to quickly call up all important information about the vehicle and owner during traffic controls. The license plate also offers security for individual road users. Every driver, pedestrian or cyclist can thus write down the number plate of a fugitive opponent in order to file a criminal complaint. To ensure that this is possible in an emergency, license plates must meet certain requirements. They must not reflect, they should not be dirty and they must always be legible. A license plate must not be covered in any way. That also excludes various Films, Glass or other covers, unless these have been expressly approved beforehand. The area of ​​the label must be reflective and correspond to the current DIN standards as well as have DIN test and surveillance marks including the registration number.

Who gets approval for a sticker?

The official test seal is usually missing on adhesive labels. Therefore, it is not a substitute for a normal license plate and must not be exchanged as desired and attached to the vehicle. It is only permitted in exceptional cases, with a special permit and then also receives a test seal from the authority. Aesthetic reasons are not reason enough to get a special permit for an adhesive label. Mostly there are technical reasons that must be present. An example of a technical reason that would speak against the use of conventional license plates: It is a classic car or sports car on which, due to the position of the radiator grille, screwing on a license plate would cause the engine to overheat, for example.

Conclusion on the subject of adhesive labels

Adhesive labels are not permitted in Germany. However, if you are allowed to call a very special model your own, you can find out from the responsible registration authority whether a license plate may be stuck on in exceptional cases. However, there must be good reasons for this, such as damage to the vehicle due to a normal license plate. As soon as the use is approved, a sticker can be ordered from various providers on the Internet. If an adhesive label is used without obtaining a special permit, this is an administrative offense and will be punished and punished accordingly. Incidentally, the new e-scooters are the only road users who have to use an adhesive license plate because it is not possible to attach a license plate to them.

to summarize the most important information:

• only permitted if a corresponding exemption has been issued by the responsible approval body
• Special approval / exceptional approval only if technical reasons speak against the use of normal license plates
• Penalty: administrative offense or criminal offense (misuse of license plates or falsification of documents is conceivable)
• Adhesive labels only legal if a valid test seal has been applied
• aesthetic aspects are irrelevant
• Adhesive labels are currently not a legal alternative that is permitted in Germany

Of course that had not been the case.

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