The German fine catalogue 2026, in English and with every amount

How the catalogue works

Every standard traffic offence in Germany has a numbered line in the annex to the BKatV. The line describes the offence in legal German, cites the rule broken and gives the standard fine in euros, plus a driving ban in months where one applies. Speeding and tailgating are the exception: their lines point to tables in an appendix, because the fine depends on how far over the limit or how close you were. Section I of the catalogue covers negligent offences, Section II intentional ones such as drink-driving and driving after cannabis use. The amounts assume ordinary circumstances. If the authority finds intent, a fine above €55 is doubled; if someone was endangered or property damaged, table 4 raises it.

What the catalogue does not say is how many points you get. Those come from annex 13 of a second regulation, the Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung (FeV, Driving Licence Ordinance), which sorts catalogue numbers into one, two or three points. We have read both official texts and linked them, so the search box at the top shows, for each offence, the fine, the points, any ban and whether it counts as an A or B offence during the probationary period.

Why an English page needs the German wording

Your letter from the authority quotes the offence in German, often word for word from the catalogue. That is why our search accepts German keywords: type a word from the letter, such as Gehweg (pavement), Rotlicht (red light) or Parkschein (parking ticket), and you will find the exact line. The explanations around it are in English, and the German terms you will meet again, from Anhörungsbogen to Rechtskraft, are explained the first time they appear.

The offences people search for most

Each has its own page with a calculator: red-light fines, phones at the wheel, drink-driving and parking fines. For speed, separate pages cover the thresholds that change the outcome: one km/h separates 20 from 21 km/h over, and with it no points from one point.

What sets our numbers apart

A large part of the German search results for Bußgeldkatalog is run by sites that earn money by passing readers to law firms. Their summaries are written by hand and age quickly. In October 2026 we found a police calculator still quoting a minimum of 23.50 euros for fees, while Section 107 OWiG now sets €25 plus €3.50, and well-known guides still explaining a three-month limitation period that Section 26(3) StVG replaced with six months on 1 July 2026. Our tables are generated from the official XML of the ordinance by a script, and the engine is checked by automated tests before each update. The method page lists every source with its date.

From camera flash to final decision

The vehicle keeper is usually contacted first, with a hearing form. If someone else was driving, the form is where you say so; information about your identity is compulsory, comments on the offence are not. The fine notice follows. From the day it is delivered you have two weeks to object; after that it is final, the fine is due and any points are reported to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) in Flensburg. Our page on what happens after speeding includes a deadline calculator, and the fine notice page explains each line of the bill.

Points, probation and losing the licence

The points system in Section 4 StVG has four steps: noted at one to three points, a reminder at four or five, a warning at six or seven, withdrawal at eight. Each entry expires on its own clock: two and a half years for one point, five years for two, ten for three, counted from the day the decision became final and followed by a further year before deletion. One point can be removed once every five years with a driver improvement seminar while you have one to five points. Our points calculator works out the dates.

If you passed your test recently, the two-year probation (Probezeit) adds a second track: an A offence such as 21 km/h over triggers a remedial course and extends probation by two years, and zero alcohol applies. Moving to Germany with a licence from another EU country does not escape this; the time since you passed is credited. Details are on the probationary licence page, and expats arriving with a non-EU licence should read the page on exchanging a foreign licence.

The yearly costs of keeping a car

Fines are occasional; vehicle tax is not. German car tax depends on engine size and CO2 for combustion cars and on weight for electric cars, which stay tax-free for up to ten years if first registered by the end of 2030, until 2035 at the latest. Our vehicle tax calculator matches the Federal Finance Ministry calculator to the euro in 21 test cases and shows each part of the bill. The MOT, called HU and often simply TÜV, is due every two years for cars; its cost is partly regulated. For trips south, the Austrian vignette page compares the options for 2026.

What we do not do

We do not review fine notices, recommend lawyers or collect data: every calculator runs in your browser. The results show the standard rate that the ordinance sets for ordinary circumstances, and authorities or courts may depart from it in an individual case. This is general information and calculation, not advice on your situation. If you spot an error or a rule that has changed, the about page explains how to reach us.