Low-emission zones to 2030: lifting and new limits
Independent, non-governmental site: not an authority’s service, no sticker sales.
The list shows the zones active today. Switch to “lifted” to see which cities have already abolished theirs.
Zones in this selection
35
35 active and 0 lifted
| Active in Germany | 35 |
| Lifted | 23 |
| List as of | 26 August 2026 |
Since 2023 more and more German cities have lifted their low-emission zones because the limits for particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide are being met: in Baden-Württemberg, for instance, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, Mannheim, Ulm, Tübingen and Freiburg, as well as Hanover and Mainz. In autumn 2026 the Federal Environment Agency still lists 35 active zones. At the same time the European Union is tightening the rules. Directive (EU) 2024/2881 on ambient air quality sets stricter annual limits from 1 January 2030: 20 instead of 40 micrograms per cubic metre for nitrogen dioxide, 20 instead of 40 for PM10 and 10 instead of 25 for PM2.5. Whether cities will need traffic restrictions again depends on local readings and future clean-air plans. Some cities are keeping their zone with 2030 in mind, such as Wiesbaden; Pforzheim keeps its zone because readings are not yet far enough below the limit. Leipzig, by contrast, has announced it will lift its zone in its current form with the 2027/2028 plan update. No new sticker colour has been adopted.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The limits compared
| Pollutant (annual mean) | until 2029 | from 2030 |
|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen dioxide NO₂ | 40 µg/m³ | 20 µg/m³ |
| Particulate matter PM10 | 40 µg/m³ | 20 µg/m³ |
| Particulate matter PM2.5 | 25 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ |
Zones lifted since 2023
Most liftings came from Baden-Württemberg, where the regional councils updated their clean-air plans; in the Karlsruhe district, according to the regional council, only Pforzheim remains. The full list with dates is on the lifted zones page.
Cities keeping their zone
Wiesbaden justifies keeping its zone with the future limits, while Leipzig announces lifting for 2027/2028. In Munich the nitrogen dioxide limit has been met across the city since 2024; the zone and diesel ban remain for now. The same goes for the diesel bans: they only end when the relevant clean-air plan says so.