Motorcycles, scooters and trikes in low-emission zones
Independent, non-governmental site: not an authority’s service, no sticker sales.
For two- and three-wheelers the check shows the Annex 3 exemption; for a quad registered as a car, choose “Ordinary car”.
Motorcycle, scooter
Exempt, no sticker needed
Annex 3 no. 4 of the 35th BImSchV
| Without sticker in a zone | €0 |
| Otherwise possible | city exemption permit (s. 1(2)) |
For the diesel bans in Stuttgart, Munich and Darmstadt, the exemptions of each city’s own order apply.
35th BImSchV, Annex 3: vehicles exempt from the sticker · BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 278
Riding a motorcycle, scooter or three-wheeled trike, you need no sticker in any German low-emission zone. There are two complementary reasons. First, under section 1(1) the 35th BImSchV only applies to motor vehicles of classes M and N, meaning passenger and goods vehicles with at least four wheels; motorcycles belong to class L and are outside the ordinance altogether. Second, Annex 3 number 4 expressly exempts two- and three-wheeled motor vehicles from the zone bans, even without a sticker. The Federal Environment Agency sums this up by saying that low-emission zones only concern cars, trucks and buses. You cannot even get a sticker for a motorcycle, since there is no key number that assigns it an emission group. Four-wheelers registered like a car or truck are a different matter: a quad or light vehicle registered as M1 or N1 needs the green sticker like any other car. What counts is the vehicle class in field J of the registration certificate.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Which two- and three-wheelers are exempt
| Vehicle | Class | Sticker needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle, light motorcycle | L3e | no |
| Scooter, moped | L1e, L3e | no |
| Trike, sidecar combination | L4e, L5e | no |
| Quad registered as a motorcycle | L6e, L7e | no, none can be issued |
| Quad registered as a car or truck | M1, N1 | yes, green |
Riding through several zones
For tours through the Ruhr area, to Berlin or other large cities the exemption applies everywhere in the same way; it requires no permit or registration. If you bring the motorcycle on a trailer, though, the towing vehicle needs the right sticker. The route check shows which places on the way have a zone.
Checks
Since two-wheelers are not marked, there is no fine for a missing sticker either. Riders of car-like trikes should carry the registration certificate so the class is clear in a check.