Environment zone in Stuttgart
Tips and information about the particulate emissions sticker for visitors and tourists
The city of Stuttgart have an environment zone which may only be entered by vehicles displaying the required environment sticker. As a valid sticker is also obligatory for visitors from abroad if they intend to drive through this green zone, the following information may be of assistance:
What are environment zones?
Environment zones are indicated by special traffic signs. An additional sign will inform drivers that only vehicles displaying an environment sticker are allowed to drive within this area.
How large is the environment zone in Stuttgart?
The environment zone, where no vehicles without a sticker are allowed, encompasses the whole of the city of Stuttgart with all its 23 districts.
The only exceptions are:
· the motorways
· in S-Zuffenhausen/-Stammheim the link between the B 10/B 27 and the B 27a
· in S-Obertürkheim the link to the Stegwiesen - Hafenbahnstrasse - B 10
· in S-Plieningen the link B 312 - Scharnhausen via the Mittlere Filderlinie - Neuhauser Strasse and the access road (parallel to the motorway) to the Trade Fair Centre.
Other environment zones in Baden-Württemberg
In Baden-Württemberg there are also environment zones in Ilsfeld, Ludwigsburg, Leonberg, Mannheim, Reutlingen, Schwäbisch Gmünd and Tübingen.
Which vehicles are affected?
All vehicles are classified in one of 4 groups according to the level of their pollutant emissions. In Stuttgart the ban applies to all vehicles in Group 1. The emission code number in your vehicle documents will tell you which group your vehicle belongs to.
Which vehicles are exempt?
In accordance with the air pollution prevention scheme of the Regierungspräsidium Stuttgart, only vehicles are permitted to drive in the Stuttgart environment zone which display a Group 2 (red, valid up to 2012), Group 3 (yellow) or Group 4 (green) sticker.
How and where can the particulate emissions stickers be obtained?
Particulate emissions stickers are available from the city of Stuttgart for a charge of € 6.00 each. They can be ordered on-line or purchased from vehicle registration centres and local authorities. They are also available from private organisations and garages. Prices from € 5.- to 10.-.
Do tourists require a sticker?
Tourists from abroad and from other parts of Germany also require a sticker. The ADAC automobile association advises drivers to obtain a sticker well in advance of their trip as it usually takes 2-3 weeks for the sticker to arrive. The easiest way to buy one is through the internet. The ADAC provides useful tips under www.adac.de/umweltzonen. Hotels can also be of assistance in procuring a sticker for their guests if required. Those who prefer German friends to obtain a sticker for them must give them a copy of their vehicle documents. The sticker can then be purchased in Germany from the usual sources on their behalf. It is advisable to avoid internet purchases at unrealistic prices. The whole procedure should not cost more than € 10.-. In the case of last-minute trips, foreign visitors can also drive directly to one of the German sales points. If it is not possible to classify a vehicle by means of its documents, the date of the original registration will apply. Thus all petrol-driven cars registered after 01.01.1993 will receive a sticker. Diesel vehicles with no fine particulate air filter must have been registered after 31.12.1996 in order to qualify for one. Drivers without a sticker who wish to enter a green zone at the weekend must park their vehicle at the edge of the zone and continue their journey with the ÖPNV public transport network or by taxi.
Do tourists have to buy a different sticker for every town with a green zone?
No. Your sticker is valid for every environment zone in Germany.
Are motor caravans exempt from having to buy a sticker?
No.
Do bus companies also have to buy environment stickers for their coaches?
Yes. Only coaches displaying an environment sticker are permitted to enter green zones.
Can tourists get environment stickers from car hire companies?
Major car rental firms such as Avis, Europcar and Sixt say that their fleets of hired cars in Germany are provided with the required stickers.
What will happen to drivers whose vehicles are discovered without a sticker in an environment zone?
According to the Ministry of the Environment, infringement of the law will incur a fine of 40 euros and one point in the Traffic Offenders' Index in Flensburg.
What are environment zones?