Diesel bans on top of the low-emission zone
Independent, non-governmental site: not an authority’s service, no sticker sales.
Stuttgart is preset with a Euro 5 diesel. Change city, norm and date: the check shows sticker and diesel ban together.
May I drive into Stuttgart?
Yes, you may enter
Stuttgart zone: a green sticker is enough.
| Zone | Stuttgart |
| State | Baden-Württemberg |
| Green only since | 1 January 2012 |
| Status | active |
- Also in the small inner zone: diesels up to Euro 5, since 1 July 2020 (deliveries and residents exempt)
Sources: Federal Environment Agency list · stuttgart.de · vm.baden-wuerttemberg.de
A diesel driving ban is not the same as a low-emission zone, and a green sticker does not protect you from it. It also rests on section 40 of the Federal Immission Control Act and on a clean-air plan, but it depends on the diesel engine’s Euro norm, not on the emission group. In 2026 such bans exist mainly in two cities. In Stuttgart, a year-round ban on diesels of Euro 4/IV and below has applied across the whole city since 1 January 2019, and since 1 July 2020 the so-called small low-emission zone, covering the central basin and the districts of Bad Cannstatt, Feuerbach and Zuffenhausen, also bans Euro 5/V; the city notes that the Euro 5 ban is subject to further court rulings. In Munich, diesels of Euro 4/IV and below have been barred from the zone inside the Mittlerer Ring since 1 February 2023, with deliveries and residents exempted by signage; the planned extension to Euro 5 was never put into force. Euro 6/VI diesels are not affected in either city.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Diesel bans at a glance
| City | since | affected | area | exemptions (extract) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuttgart | 1 January 2019 | diesel Euro 4/IV and below | whole city | deliveries, disability, emergencies, P+R |
| Stuttgart | 1 July 2020 | diesel Euro 5/V and below | small low-emission zone | as above |
| Munich | 1 February 2023 | diesel Euro 4/IV and below | zone including Mittlerer Ring | deliveries, residents, taxis, tradespeople |
| Darmstadt | 1 June 2019 | diesel up to Euro 5, petrol up to Euro 2 | two streets | not confirmed |
Darmstadt: not confirmed
Route bans on two streets have been known in Darmstadt since 2019. The city’s clean-air pages could not be reached during our check, and the state of Hesse’s page lists the zone, not the route bans. Whether they still apply in 2026 is therefore not confirmed; the check includes them as a precaution.
What this means for your vehicle
A Euro 5 diesel with a green sticker may enter the zone in Munich and the city of Stuttgart, but not Stuttgart’s small zone. A Euro 4 diesel with a retrofitted filter has green but stays out of both cities unless an exemption applies. Details are on the Stuttgart and Munich pages; individual permits are described on the exemption permit page.