Ban active NOW in Germany until 20:00 local time (trucks over 7.5 t).
Germany bans commercial goods transport by trucks over 7.5 t permissible gross vehicle weight and by any truck with a trailer on every Sunday and on listed public holidays from 00:00 to 22:00, on all public roads. From 1 July to 31 August 2026 the same vehicles are additionally banned on Saturdays from 07:00 to 20:00 on 32 listed motorway and federal-road stretches under the Ferienreiseverordnung. Legal basis: § 30 StVO and the FerReiseV.
Next 30 days
| Date | Time (local) | Restriction |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00–20:00 | Seasonal, over 7.5 t. Summer Saturday ban (Ferienreiseverordnung): A1, A2, A3, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A45, A61 (specified sections, through-traffic) | |
| 00:00–22:00 | Sunday, over 7.5 t. Sunday & public-holiday ban (year-round, nationwide, all roads; trucks >7.5t and all truck-trailer combinations) | |
| 07:00–20:00 | Seasonal, over 7.5 t. Summer Saturday ban (Ferienreiseverordnung): A1, A2, A3, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A45, A61 (specified sections, through-traffic) | |
| 00:00–22:00 | Sunday, over 7.5 t. Sunday & public-holiday ban (year-round, nationwide, all roads; trucks >7.5t and all truck-trailer combinations) | |
| 07:00–20:00 | Seasonal, over 7.5 t. Summer Saturday ban (Ferienreiseverordnung): A1, A2, A3, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A45, A61 (specified sections, through-traffic) | |
| 00:00–22:00 | Sunday, over 7.5 t. Sunday & public-holiday ban (year-round, nationwide, all roads; trucks >7.5t and all truck-trailer combinations) | |
| 07:00–20:00 | Seasonal, over 7.5 t. Summer Saturday ban (Ferienreiseverordnung): A1, A2, A3, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A45, A61 (specified sections, through-traffic) | |
| 00:00–22:00 | Sunday, over 7.5 t. Sunday & public-holiday ban (year-round, nationwide, all roads; trucks >7.5t and all truck-trailer combinations) | |
| 07:00–20:00 | Seasonal, over 7.5 t. Summer Saturday ban (Ferienreiseverordnung): A1, A2, A3, A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10, A45, A61 (specified sections, through-traffic) | |
| 00:00–22:00 | Sunday, over 7.5 t. Sunday & public-holiday ban (year-round, nationwide, all roads; trucks >7.5t and all truck-trailer combinations) |
Rules & exemptions
| Ban | When | Time | Where | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday and public holiday ban | Every Sunday and the public holidays listed in § 30 Abs. 4 StVO | 00:00–22:00 | All public roads nationwide, including motorways, federal roads, regional roads and roads inside towns | Trucks over 7.5 t GVW and any truck with a trailer, regardless of combination weight, used for commercial goods transport including related empty runs. Commercial goods transport may resume from 22:00 on the Sunday or holiday evening. Regional holidays such as Epiphany (6 January) or Assumption Day (15 August) are not truck-ban days unless listed in § 30 Abs. 4 StVO. |
| Summer holiday Saturday ban (Ferienreiseverordnung) | Every Saturday from 1 July to 31 August | 07:00–20:00 | 32 listed motorway and federal-road stretches, in both directions | Trucks over 7.5 t GVW and any truck with a trailer, used for commercial goods transport including related empty runs. The stretch list was amended on 17 June 2026 (BGBl 2026 I Nr. 180) and now covers 32 stretches. Ban Saturdays in 2026: 4, 11, 18, 25 July and 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 August. |
Public holidays with truck bans in Germany 2026
| Date | Holiday | Ban time | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day (Neujahr) | 00:00–22:00 | Nationwide | |
| Good Friday (Karfreitag) | 00:00–22:00 | Nationwide | |
| Easter Monday (Ostermontag) | 00:00–22:00 | Nationwide | |
| Labour Day (Tag der Arbeit) | 00:00–22:00 | Nationwide | |
| Ascension Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) | 00:00–22:00 | Nationwide | |
| Whit Monday (Pfingstmontag) | 00:00–22:00 | Nationwide | |
| Corpus Christi (Fronleichnam) | 00:00–22:00 | Only in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland | |
| German Unity Day (Tag der deutschen Einheit) | 00:00–22:00 | Nationwide | |
| Reformation Day (Reformationstag) | 00:00–22:00 | Only in Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia | |
| All Saints' Day (Allerheiligen) | 00:00–22:00 | Only in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland; the Sunday ban applies nationwide on this date | |
| Christmas Day (1. Weihnachtstag) | 00:00–22:00 | Nationwide | |
| Boxing Day (2. Weihnachtstag) | 00:00–22:00 | Nationwide |
Summer holiday Saturday ban (Ferienreiseverordnung)
1 July – 31 August 2026 · 07:00–20:00
Applies in both directions on 32 listed motorway and federal-road stretches to trucks over 7.5 t GVW and any truck with a trailer used for commercial goods transport. The FerReiseV stretch list was amended on 17 June 2026 (BGBl 2026 I Nr. 180); newly added stretches include the A 4, A 9, A 113, A 115, A 831 and A 980. Ban Saturdays in 2026: 4, 11, 18, 25 July and 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 August.
Affected road sections (32)
- A 1 AD Erfttal – Kreuz Lotte/Osnabrück
- A 1 Bremen Brinkum – Bremer Kreuz
- A 2 AK Oberhausen – AK Bad Oeynhausen
- A 3 AK Oberhausen – AK Köln-Ost
- A 3 Mönchhof Dreieck – AK Nürnberg
- A 4 Kirchheimer Dreieck – Thuringia state border (Herleshausen)
- A 5 Hattenbacher Dreieck – Bad Homburger Kreuz
- A 5 Darmstädter Kreuz – AS Karlsruhe-Süd
- A 5 AS Offenburg – AD Neuenburg
- A 6 AS Schwetzingen-Hockenheim – AK Nürnberg-Süd
- A 7 AS Schleswig/Jagel – AD Bordesholm
- A 7 AS Soltau-Süd – AK Hannover-Ost
- A 7 AD Schweinfurt/Werneck – federal border at Füssen
- A 8 AD Karlsruhe – AS München-Obermenzing
- A 8 AS München-Ramersdorf – AS Bad Reichenhall
- A 9 / E 51 AD Potsdam (Berliner Ring) – AS München-Schwabing
- A 10 AD Werder – AS Berlin-Spandau
- A 45 AS Dortmund-Süd – Seligenstädter Dreieck
- A 61 AK Meckenheim – AD Hockenheim
- A 67 Darmstädter Kreuz – Viernheimer Dreieck
- A 81 AS Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen – AS Gärtringen
- A 92 AD München-Feldmoching – AS Oberschleißheim
- A 92 AK Neufahrn – AS Erding
- A 93 AD Inntal – AS Reischenhart
- A 99 AD München Süd-West – AK München-Süd
- A 113 AK Schönefeld – AD Neukölln
- A 115 AK Zehlendorf – AD Funkturm
- A 831 AS Stuttgart-Vaihingen – AK Stuttgart
- A 980 AK Allgäu – AS Waltenhofen
- A 995 AS Sauerlach – AK München-Süd
- B 31 AS Stockach-Ost (A 98) – AS Sigmarszell (A 96)
- B 96 / E 251 Berlin state border – B 104 in Neubrandenburg
Exempt from the ban
Fines for violations
- Driver: €120
- Vehicle owner who ordered or allowed the trip: up to €570
- Driver and owner the same person: up to €570
- Legal basis: § 49 StVO (administrative offence)
Speed limits for trucks in Germany
Inside built-up areas: 50 km/h. Outside built-up areas: 80 km/h for trucks up to 7.5 t and 60 km/h for trucks over 7.5 t. On motorways: 80 km/h for trucks over 3.5 t unless a lower posted limit applies. Posted signs and vehicle-specific rules take precedence.
Driving and rest times
Germany applies the EU driving-time rules for commercial road transport: daily driving time up to 9 hours, extendable to 10 hours twice per week; a break of at least 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving; a daily rest period of at least 11 hours, subject to the standard EU reductions and exceptions.
Alcohol limit
The general blood-alcohol limit in Germany is 0.5 permille. A zero-tolerance limit applies to novice drivers during the probationary period and to drivers under 21.
FAQ
Are trucks allowed to drive on Sundays in Germany?
No for commercial goods transport if the vehicle is over 7.5 t GVW or is a truck with a trailer. The ban applies on Sundays from 00:00 to 22:00 on all public roads in Germany, and driving may resume from 22:00.
What trucks are affected by the German Sunday ban?
Trucks over 7.5 t permissible gross vehicle weight and any truck with a trailer, regardless of the total combination weight, when used for commercial goods transport including related empty runs.
When is the summer truck ban in Germany in 2026?
Every Saturday from 1 July to 31 August 2026, from 07:00 to 20:00: 4, 11, 18, 25 July and 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 August.
Does the summer truck ban apply on all roads?
No. The summer Saturday ban applies only on the 32 motorway and federal-road stretches listed in the Ferienreiseverordnung, in both directions. The Sunday and public holiday ban applies on all public roads.
Was the summer ban route list changed in 2026?
Yes. The Ferienreiseverordnung was amended on 17 June 2026 (BGBl 2026 I Nr. 180) and the list was extended to 32 stretches. Newly added stretches include the A 4, A 9, A 113, A 115, A 831 and A 980, and the B 96 stretch now runs to the B 104 in Neubrandenburg.
What are the fines for violating the truck ban in Germany?
The driver faces a fine of €120. The vehicle owner who ordered or allowed the trip faces up to €570.
Which goods are exempt from the German truck ban?
Exempt transports include combined rail-road and port-road transport, fresh milk, meat and fish products, easily perishable fruit and vegetables, live bees, breakdown and recovery vehicles, transports under the Bundesleistungsgesetz, and military transports for the Bundeswehr, NATO and EU forces.
Do regional public holidays trigger the truck ban?
Only if the holiday is listed in § 30 Abs. 4 StVO, and then only within the federal states where it is officially recognised. In 2026 that means Corpus Christi in 6 states, Reformation Day in 9 states and All Saints' Day in 5 states.
Official source
- § 30 StVO (Sunday and public holiday driving ban, exemptions in Abs. 4)
- Ferienreiseverordnung (FerReiseV)
- § 49 StVO (administrative offences)
- BGBl 2026 I Nr. 180: Sixteenth Ordinance amending the Ferienreiseverordnung (17 June 2026)
- BALM (Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility): truck driving bans
- BMV: ban on the driving of HGVs during the holiday season
Rules can change on short notice. Verify with the official sources above before dispatch.