Truck driving ban on Sundays and public holidays; application for a special permit

In Germany, trucks with a total mass of over 7.5 tons and trucks with trailers are prohibited from driving on all Sundays and on certain public holidays. Certain transports are legally exempt from the ban.

Ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays

Section 30 (3) of the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) stipulates that trucks with a maximum permissible mass of over 7.5 tons and trailers behind trucks are not permitted to drive on Sundays and public holidays between 00:00 and 22:00. The public holidays are defined in Section 30 (4) StVO.

The driving ban therefore applies both to trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of over 7.5 t operating individually and to any combination of a trailer and a truck, regardless of their weight. However, the driving ban does not apply to private truck traffic that does not serve a commercial purpose.

The ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays was introduced back in 1956. The main reasons were to protect the peace and quiet on Sundays and public holidays and to keep the road network free of heavy truck traffic in favor of car traffic to enable increased excursion traffic on Sundays and public holidays and as a contribution to increasing road safety on these days.

Certain transports, such as those of perishable fruit and vegetables or fresh milk and fresh dairy products as well as showmen and showwomen, are legally exempt from the ban. In addition, the road traffic authorities can grant exemptions for other urgent transports in individual cases.

Vacation travel ban

In addition to the ban on driving on Sundays and public holidays, there is a ban on truck driving under the Holiday Travel Ordinance to protect vacation travel. This driving ban applies to the same vehicles and vehicle combinations mentioned above on all Saturdays from July 1 to August 31 of each year, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., on all highways and federal roads specified in the ordinance. Further information can be found under "Related topics".

• Application for derogation to the competent authority
• Proof of the urgency of the promotion by the local Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK)
• Vehicle documents

  Vehicle registration certificate / registration certificate part 1 of the vehicles for which an exemption is requested

• other documents

  in individual cases: orders, shipping documents

However, such exemptions may only be granted if there is a public interest in carrying out the journey during the prohibited period (e.g. removal of emergencies, supplying the population) or if the refusal of the permit would represent an undue hardship for the applicant and proof is provided that transportation is not possible either by other means of transport or outside the prohibited period. Economic or competitive reasons alone cannot justify exceptions to the driving ban on Sundays and public holidays.