31 km/h over the limit in Germany: why location decides the ban
Nowhere else in the German speeding table do the town and country columns drift as far apart as between 31 and 40 km/h over.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
31 km/h: driving ban in town
Total including fees
€288.50
| Excess after tolerance | 31 km/h |
| Points | 2 |
| Driving ban | 1 month |
| Probation | A offence |
Driving a car 31 to 40 km/h too fast in Germany shows the biggest gap in the fine catalogue between towns and open roads. In a built-up area the band costs €260, two Flensburg points and a one-month Fahrverbot (driving ban); with fees the notice comes to €288.50. Outside towns it costs €200 and one point with no ban, €228.50 in total. The difference also lasts longer: two points stay until 5 years after the decision is final, one point until 2.5 years. What counts is whether the camera stood inside a built-up area, marked by the yellow town sign, not the speed limit itself. One trap remains outside towns: if a fine for at least 26 km/h over became final less than a year before, 31 km/h outside towns also brings a one-month ban. For drivers on probation the band is an A offence everywhere.
Same speed, two different outcomes
For a car, 31 to 40 km/h over is the first band with a driving ban in town and still an ordinary one-point offence outside. The reasoning is about who else is on the road. In a town, 31 km/h over a 50 limit means more than 60 per cent above it, close to schools, cyclists and driveways. On a 100 km/h road the same excess is under a third. Many expats first notice the split when two people in the same office get very different letters for what sounds like the same speed.
| Over the limit | In town | Points / ban | Outside towns | Points / ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 km/h | €180 | 1 / none | €150 | 1 / none |
| 31 km/h | €260 | 2 / 1 month | €200 | 1 / none |
| 40 km/h | €260 | 2 / 1 month | €200 | 1 / none |
Learning to read German town signs
The legal line is the yellow town sign, sign 310 in the road traffic regulations, with the place name in black. The built-up area begins there and ends at the matching sign with a red diagonal stripe. Drivers from countries where the speed limit itself defines urban zones tend to misjudge this. A wide through-road posted at 70 km/h behind the yellow sign counts as in town; a 50 km/h approach before it counts as out of town. The hearing form states which applies. All the in-town bands are on the page about speed cameras in town.
Why two points last twice as long
An offence with a driving ban is classed in annex 13 of the Driving Licence Ordinance as particularly serious and scores two points. Under Section 29 StVG, a two-point entry is due for deletion 60 months after the decision is final, a one-point entry after 30. So the in-town version follows you for five years rather than two and a half. If you plan to exchange your foreign licence or apply for a job that involves driving, those years matter. The written reminder stage starts at 4 points.
The open-road trap
Outside towns this band sits above 26 km/h, which brings in the repeat rule. If a fine for 26 km/h or more became final less than a year before this offence, a one-month ban usually follows here as well: the fine stays at €200, with a ban of 1 month. This notice also becomes the first strike for the next twelve months. The page on 26 km/h over walks through the timing.
From 30 to 31: the readings that tip it
In town, readings up to 100 km/h lose a flat 3 km/h. In a 50 zone, 83 km/h on the device means 30 km/h over; 84 km/h means 31 km/h and a ban. In a 30 zone, 64 km/h is the reading that tips it. Out of town most readings exceed 100 km/h, so three per cent comes off: 135 km/h becomes 130 km/h. The fine calculator works this out from the device reading.
On probation, location matters less
For drivers in their Probezeit, any recorded speeding offence is an A offence, whether it scored two points in town or one outside. Both lead to a remedial course and 2 more years of probation. In town, the ban comes on top and is imposed by the fine office, while the course order follows later from the licensing office, so expect two separate letters from two authorities. The probationary licence page has the sequence.
Serving a ban as a newcomer
If this is your first ban in two years, you can choose when to start it within 4 months of the decision becoming final (Section 25 StVG). An EU licence held by a resident goes to the authority for the month; a licence from outside the EU receives a note of the ban instead. The driving ban guide has the details on sending in your licence and getting it back.