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Attachment of the license plate: new regulation against Velcro & magnet?

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Recently updated on April 3, 2023 at 12:34 am

Attachment of the license plate: new regulation against Velcro & magnet?

For years, there was no clear regulation as to which specific attachment option should be used to attach the license plate to the vehicle. That is why countless vehicle owners used options such as using Velcro or magnet. But now the concrete fastening method fixed. While using one's initials, date of birth (License plates) are further allowed and also the external appearance (Carbon look, Engschrift etc.) can still be designed individually, this no longer applies to the attachment.

Update 15.03.2023: at the end of the post

Attachment of the license plate: new regulation against Velcro & magnet?

But now it has been determined that an alternative attachment using Velcro, magnet or suction cup not enough. In a traffic sheet announcement published on February 15, 2023, under the Section 10 paragraph 5 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinancethat number plates firmly attached have to be. This means that they must be attached in such a way that they can only be removed with great mechanical effort or special tools. This means that magnets, for example, are no longer permitted unless they have their own approval. At least that's our opinion. 

What if the attachment is insufficient?

Then it can be counted as an offence. This will result in a fine of at least €60. In some cases, further travel may even be prohibited. There is a possibility that the Continuation solange is prohibited, until the License plate "fixed" mounted are. Whether the officials or the general inspection inspector even check how the license plates are attached to the vehicle is a completely different topic!

There is a Update on the subject:

Due to many inquiries, we have now dealt with the topic in more detail. In fact, in our opinion, it is that up-to-date save change in regulation has taken place. It is still only pointed out that "License plates must be present and firmly attached to the front and rear of the motor vehicle". The interpretation, "which means solid", is still, in our opinion, an undefined legal term, which, however, can also be interpreted in such a way that attachment with just a magnet is not permitted. However, a change is planned for September 2023. So before a new regulation comes into force, the current version continues to apply.

In the systematic context of Section 10 (5) sentence 2 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance, the following question remains unanswered: Citation - In the case of variable license plates within the meaning of Section 8 Paragraph 1a, the common license plate part and the vehicle-related part must each be permanently attached.

  • In our opinion, this can now be interpreted in such a way that a number plate that can be changed quickly is also firmly attached as long as it lasts, even if it can be changed quickly. Alternatively, it can be interpreted in such a way that a license plate that is actually intended to be changed quickly must be attached using tools / license plate frames / screws etc.

We are currently of the opinion that the regulation is too vague! And that could probably remain so in the future, because after a first review (Page 31 of the new PDF shows the draft § 12 Para. 6 FZV, which will in future prescribe how the attachment has to look like, justification on page 301) only seems to regulate how the angle and the size of the license plates should look in relation to certain vehicle classes. To have the type of attachment with regard to screws, magnets or velcro we can't find anything!

This post is not legal advice! It only reflects our experience/assessment with this topic!

Attachment of the license plate: new regulation against Velcro & magnet?

Of course, that wasn't the end of it.

tuningblog.eu has a lot of other articles on the subject of auto & tuning in stock. Do you want to see them all? Just click HERE and look around. But also planned changes in the law, violations in road traffic, current regulations in the field of STVO or on the subject inspection we would like to inform you regularly. Everything you can find in the category "Test sites, laws, offenses, information". Click on one of the following posts!

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Attachment of the license plate: new regulation against Velcro & magnet?

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About Thomas Wachsmuth

Thomas Wachsmuth - He has been an integral part of tuningblog.eu since 2013. His passion for cars is so intense that he invests every available penny in them. While he dreams of a BMW E31 850CSI and a Hennessey 6x6 Ford F-150, he currently drives a rather inconspicuous BMW 540i (G31/LCI). His collection of books, magazines and brochures on the subject of car tuning has now reached such proportions that he himself has become a walking reference work for the tuning scene.  More about Thomas

6 comments

  1. Section 10 (5) has been the legal position in Germany in this wording for decades. Why is this being brought up again now? Nothing has changed.

    • Hello and thank you for the message. After consultation with a lawyer, WE are currently of the opinion that the "normal" common license plate holders no longer comply with the regulation. For example, if the license plate can be removed by a child without any effort or effort, then we do not consider this to be a "fixed" attachment. And according to our RA, the chances of a court taking a similar view are very high. In principle, in our opinion, the legal situation is NOT clear until a judgment in such a matter. We may be leaning a bit too far out of the window with our statement, but we may not be. As a tuning magazine, we naturally wish that magnets or Velcro would continue to be allowed. Especially the Velcro version (which is also used on our vehicles) is stronger than any license plate holder.

      VG Tom from tuningblog

      • Hi all,

        Paragraph 10 of the FZV has not changed. What has changed is the explanation of the law on the term "FEST". As before, this was specified in paragraph 60 of the StVZO and as by the Cologne Higher Regional Court many years ago in the 10th. Accordingly, fixed means that it can only be loosened with a tool or with a great deal of mechanical effort... You can discuss Velcro, I always notice when I check many times that Velcro holds, but the glue doesn't.

        Best Regards

  2. I tried it. Car plate with number plate reinforcement attached to the car without tools = dismantling 6 seconds, with Velcro without tools = no chance without total damage, with spatula 43 seconds ...... what is this directive supposed to do ???

  3. George Gabriel

    Hi all,

    Below is an excerpt from your text:

    For years, there was no clear regulation as to which specific attachment option should be used to attach the license plate to the vehicle. That is why countless vehicle owners used options such as Velcro or magnets. But now the concrete fastening method has been determined.

    It should be noted that the new traffic sheet has the same content as the old one from 2021. It is more about the topic "only with great effort or using tools". In the case of magnets, the matter should be clear. With Velcro fasteners, on the other hand, there are systems that can really only be removed with a great deal of force or with a tool - if they are attached according to the manufacturer's instructions. In this case, the Velcro fasteners are even more resistant than many other fastening systems. The FZV states that the license plates must be permanently attached. What about the number plate amplifiers used millions of times? As a rule, only the holders are fixed, but not the license plate .... Should you think about it.

  4. magnetic holder

    Can you link the texts mentioned "(Page 31 of the new PDF shows the draft § 12 Para. 6 FZV, which will in future prescribe how the attachment has to look like, justification on p. 301)", i.e. the pdf and this justification on p. 301 ? I just can't find it and would like to read it myself

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