Hanover low-emission zone: lifted
Independent, non-governmental site: not an authority’s service, no sticker sales.
The preset is an old diesel without a sticker. The check shows that since the lifting it may enter Hanover again.
May I drive into Hanover?
Yes, zone lifted
Hanover zone lifted on 22 February 2024.
| Zone | Hanover |
| State | Lower Saxony |
| Green only since | 1 January 2010 |
| Status | lifted on 22 February 2024 |
Sources: Federal Environment Agency list · hannover.de
Hanover lifted its low-emission zone in early 2024. The zone covered about 50 square kilometres within the city and had been at the green stage since 1 January 2010. The basis for the lifting is the Hanover clean-air plan 2023, an update of the 2011 air quality plan, dated 31 January 2024. It finds that the annual nitrogen dioxide limit has been met at all monitoring stations since 2020 and therefore provides for lifting the driving bans in the zone. Its overview of measures says “lifting as of 1 January 2024”; the German Environment Agency, however, lists 22 February 2024 as the lifting date. The later date is probably the day the lifting was formally published, but we have not found official proof of that. The check uses the Agency’s date, so that for trips in January and February 2024 it errs on the strict side. For trips today the difference does not matter: you no longer need a sticker in Hanover, whether by car or by truck. In Lower Saxony only the Osnabrück zone remains.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The Hanover zone in figures
| Stage | from |
|---|---|
| Stage 1: red, yellow, green allowed | 1 January 2008 |
| Stage 2: yellow and green allowed | 1 January 2009 |
| Stage 3: green only | 1 January 2010 |
| Lifted | 22 February 2024 |
Two dates for one lifting
| Source | Lifting date |
|---|---|
| Hanover clean-air plan 2023 (31 Jan 2024), overview of measures | 1 January 2024 |
| German Environment Agency list | 22 February 2024 |
The check uses 22 February 2024. More cities that have abolished their zones are on the lifted zones page.
Through Hanover and beyond
On the way to Berlin or the Ruhr there are further zones, and towards Bremen as well. The route check shows where a sticker is needed.