Motor vehicle license plate - apply for short-term license plate

• You need the vehicle for
  - a test drive, on which you can determine and prove the serviceability or
  - a transfer journey to bring the vehicle to another place.
• You have your own concrete need for the allocation of a short-term license plate.
• You must specifically name the vehicle at the registration office and prove the data about the vehicle.
• The vehicle must have an EC type-approval or type-approval certificate.
• You must provide proof of a valid main inspection (HU) and, if applicable, a safety inspection (SP) for the vehicle during the entire validity period.
• You must not have any overdue fees and expenses from previous registration processes.
• You must not have any vehicle tax debts.

If your vehicle does not have EC type approval or type approval, you may only use a short-term license plate for journeys that are related to obtaining the required certificates. Then you may only drive to the nearest appraisal center in the district that assigned the license plate or in the adjacent district with the short-term license plate.

If your vehicle does not have a valid HU or SP, it will receive a short-term license plate only for driving

• to the nearest inspection center in the registration district and back, or
• to the nearest repair shop in the registration district where the license plate was issued or to an adjacent district and back for immediate repair of any significant or minor defects found.

This does not apply to vehicles that have been determined to be unsafe for road use.

You yourself or an authorized person must apply for the short-term license plate at the responsible registration authority.

Note:
As an applicant who is not registered in Germany, you can apply for the short-term license plate at the vehicle registration authority if you can name a person authorized to receive the license plate who is resident in Germany.

• Identity card or passport
• Insurance confirmation for short-term license plates (eVB no.)
• Front and back of the current registration certificate part I or vehicle registration document. If these are not available: Registration certificate part II or vehicle registration document (original or copy). If none of these documents are available: COC paper/EC certificate of conformity from the vehicle manufacturer or individual approval from a testing organization (original or copy).
• Current HU report in the original or current HU stamp in the registration certificate part I or in the vehicle registration document
• Completed application form  for short-term license plates PDF-File 36,91 kB
• Authorized representatives require a power of attorney, their own ID and that of the person granting the power of attorney
• In the case of registration services and car dealerships that apply for several short-term license plates for different owners at the same time, the corresponding purchase contract must also be submitted

Forlegal entities/companies:

• Extract from the commercial register (copy is sufficient)
  
• Business registration (copy is sufficient)
  
• Extract from the register of associations (copy is sufficient)

Note: You will receive the insurance confirmation for the motor vehicle liability insurance from an insurance company of your choice. You can usually request this from your insurance company by telephone.

A short-term license plate is valid for five days (including the day of application).

The short license plate is issued directly on site at the vehicle registration office.

You can make an appointment for this service online:  Online appointment (opens in a new tab).

Apply for short-term license plate (motor vehicle)

Costs: 12,80 Euro

Further information: The license plates must be paid for separately at the plate manufacturer.

If you need the short-term license plate for longer, you must apply for a new one. You can dispose of the short-term license plates yourself once the validity period has expired.