FAQs
Everything you ever wanted to know about the main inspection
Drivers ask, TÜV NORD Mobility answers
- How can I tell when I need to have a main inspection?
- What do I require for the main inspection?
- Do I have to register for the main inspection?
- What happens if I don't have the main inspection in time?
- What do I do if the main inspection date for vehicles with seasonal license plates is outside of the operating period?
- Can I extend the one-month period for re-inspection?
- By how long can I extend the main inspection date?
- Can I have the main inspection carried out abroad?
- What changes relate to the main inspection reform?
How can I tell when I need to have a main inspection?
The date for your next main inspection is shown in your registration document. At the same time, the date is also on the round inspection sticker on your rear license plate: The number in the middle of the sticker is the year of the next main inspection and the number pointing vertically upwards is the month.
For de-registered vehicles, the date can only be the one in the de-registration document or the last inspection report.
If you already have new EU vehicle documents, the main inspection date is in the vehicle license part I (new registration document), which is no longer adhered to following de-registration.
What do I require for the main inspection?
- The registration document, the vehicle title for de-registered vehicles and, if available, the vehicle licence part I (new registration document)
- In the event of a re-inspection, the inspection report for the previous main inspection
- Potentially the test certificates or modification acceptance documents for added parts such as special wheels, lower suspension springs and accessory steering wheels insofar as these have not been entered into the vehicle documents.
We also recommend bringing
- The test certificate for the last emissions inspection.
Do I have to register for the main inspection?
Our tip: The TÜV NORD appointment service with on-the-spot guarantee means long waits are a thing of the past. Simply make an appointment with the online appointment service at your local TÜV STATION.
Or call us: Toll-free service call number: 0800 80 70 600.
But you don't have to register.
What happens if I don't have the main inspection in time?
If you miss the main inspection date, you will have to pay a fine. But TÜV does not issue a fine.
If the registration office notices that the main inspection has expired when registering a vehicle, you will receive a provisional registration with which you can take the car for the main inspection. The date for the next main inspection is not backdated in the case of de-registered vehicles.
If the vehicle has been de-registered for longer than 84 months, you should clarify with the registration office whether a main inspection is sufficient or whether you require a complete vehicle inspection.
What do I do if the main inspection date for vehicles with seasonal license plates is outside of the operating period?
The main inspection must then be carried out in the first month of the operating period. In this case, the date for the next main inspection is not backdated.
Can I extend the one-month period for re-inspection?
The law states that you must remedy potential faults and have the vehicle re-inspected within one month of the main inspection. If this is a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday, the re-inspection must take place on the next working day. No further extension is permitted.
By how long can I extend the main inspection date?
You cannot extend the main inspection. The vehicle owner is responsible for adhering to the given deadlines. The fines for missing a main inspection are as follows:
For cards, motorcycles, light trailers (vehicles not subject to safety inspections):
- Two to four months: € 15,--
- Between four and eight months: € 25,--
- More than eight months: € 40 and 2 points in Flensburg
For commercial vehicles requiring a safety inspection:
- Up to two months: € 15,--
- Between two and four months: € 25,--
- Between four and eight months: € 40 and 2 points in Flensburg
- More than eight months: € 75 and 2 points in Flensburg
If considerable defects are identified during the main inspection or the safety inspection and you have exceeded the one-month re-inspection deadline, you could face a fine of € 15.
At TÜV, we do not issue a fine in the event of non-adherence to the main inspection deadline. However, we will have to backdate the new main inspection to the date on which it would originally have had to be carried out.
Can I have the main inspection carried out abroad?
You can only have the main inspection carried out within the Federal Republic of Germany. Should your main inspection sticker expire during a longer trip abroad, you should take the expired test sticker to your nearest TÜV-STATION as soon as possible after crossing the border back into Germany. We recommend making an appointment in this case.
What changes relate to the main inspection reform?
Electronic vehicle systems
Modern vehicles include ever more safety- and environment-related vehicle installations with electronic components such as ABS, airbags and engine control devices. Innovative assistance systems such as drive-dynamic stability systems, braking assistants, active steering systems, distance warning devices and turning lights are increasingly common.
These systems only function with flawless electronic control units, sensors, actuators and electronic contacts and wiring.
This technical development is also reflected in the road traffic regulations: Safety-relevant electronic vehicle components/systems must be regularly inspected.
For vehicles with on-board diagnostics (OBD vehicles), we inspect the system data for the following eight electronic vehicle components/systems:
| Components/systems | Examples |
| Braking system | ABS, electro-mechanical parking brake, braking assistant |
| Steering system | Electronically-controlled variable transmission (active steering), electro-mechanical steering |
| Active lighting installations | Bend drive lights, turning lights, automatic light width control, adaptive braking lights, automatic light activation |
| Seat belts and other retaining systems | Automatic seat belt tighteners, pre-safe when identifying danger (uprighting seats and headrests, closing windows, etc.) |
| Airbags | Front, side, head and knee airbags, airbag control and activation/deactivation depending on the seat allocation |
| Dynamic roll-over protection | In the event of danger (parameters: delay, tilt and pitch angle), automatic extension of the roll-over bar in convertibles |
| Speed governors | Max. speed governors, speed control systems |
| Drive-dynamic control systems with brake system intervention | Electronic stability program (ESP), automatic locking differential (ASD), active speed control (cruise control), drive slip regulator (ASR) |
The system data can include:
- Installation and position information as well as identification features
- Error codes
- Defined testing processes
- Measurement values for physical variables
- Manipulation-secure displays
There are the following testing options for electronic components/systems:
- Identification and version control of components (control devices, OBD, bus systems)
- Comparison with reference data (mesaurement values, displays)
- Working according to a prescribed testing algorithm, e.g.
- Activating and deactivating the ignition in a specific sequence taking the defined lighting up/extinction of control lamps into account
- Activation of pedals, steering wheel and switches switches in a specific sequence
- Inspection of the reactions of the dashboard displays and the lighting up/extinction of control lamps
- Carrying out a "test run" at walking speed (max. 8 km/h)
Read-out of the error memories is currently not planned for the main inspection.
The system data inspection is designed to ensure that:
- All mandatory safety systems have been installed
- The correct versions of the electronics and programs are present
- The systems function safely and flawlessly
Better informed:
Main inspection brochure
Download the brochure right now in PDF format (in GERMAN).
