51 km/h over the limit in Germany: two months and the question of intent
From 51 km/h over, a ban in town doubles to two months, and at this level authorities start asking whether the speeding was deliberate.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
51 km/h: two months in town
Total including fees
€591.50
| Excess after tolerance | 51 km/h |
| Points | 2 |
| Driving ban | 2 months |
| Probation | A offence |
Driving a car 51 to 60 km/h too fast in Germany costs €560, two Flensburg points and a two-month Fahrverbot (driving ban) in a built-up area. Outside towns it is €480, two points and one month. With the costs under Section 107 OWiG, the notices come to €591.50 and €508.50. In town this is the first band where five per cent of the fine exceeds the €25 minimum fee. Every catalogue amount assumes negligence. If the authority finds that you sped deliberately, Section 3(4a) of the fine catalogue ordinance doubles the standard fine, to €1,120 in town and €960 outside towns. The length of the ban stays the same. If you had no ban in the two years before the offence, you can choose the start within 4 months of the decision becoming final; the two months then run without a break.
Double the ban in town
At 51 km/h over, German speeding fines change character in town. The ban doubles from one month to two, and the fine rises from €400 to €560. Outside towns the ban stays at one month and the fine is €480. In a 50 zone, this band means more than twice the limit; in a 30 zone, over 80 km/h past houses and pavements. At these speeds, fine offices look harder at whether it can still have been a lapse, which is why intent becomes a practical question here.
Negligence, intent and the doubling rule
The catalogue figures are set, under Section 1(2) BKatV, for negligent offences in ordinary circumstances. For intent, Section 3(4a) has a fixed rule: any standard fine above €55 is doubled and rounded down to the whole euro, even if it was already increased for endangering others or causing damage. The ordinance does not say when intent applies, and there is no speed at which it is automatic. The effect on the numbers, though, is exact:
| Case | Fine | Costs | Total | Points | Ban |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In town, negligent | €560 | €31.50 | €591.50 | 2 | 2 mo. |
| In town, intentional | €1,120 | €59.50 | €1,179.50 | 2 | 2 mo. |
| Outside towns, negligent | €480 | €28.50 | €508.50 | 2 | 1 mo. |
| Outside towns, intentional | €960 | €51.50 | €1,011.50 | 2 | 1 mo. |
Only money changes with intent. The fee grows because it is five per cent of the fine, while the ban and the points are identical in both columns.
Spotting intent on the notice
A notice that treats the offence as deliberate says so in the description and shows the doubled amount, €1,120 instead of €560 for this band in town. If your German is not yet fluent, look for the words "vorsätzlich" (intentional) and "fahrlässig" (negligent) in the text. The notice becomes final 2 weeks after delivery, and until then an objection is possible under Section 67 OWiG. The fine notice page explains the layout line by line.
Living without a car for two months
One month can often be absorbed by a holiday. Two months take planning. The ban runs as one block from the day the authority holds your licence (Section 25 StVG); it cannot be split into two separate months. With no ban in the previous two years, you choose the start within 4 months of the decision becoming final. If you had a ban in that period, the new one starts no later than one month after it becomes final. For an EU licence held by a resident, the licence itself goes to the authority. The driving ban guide covers the handover.
Readings near the line
In town, readings above 100 km/h lose 3 per cent, not the flat 3 km/h. In a 50 zone, 105 km/h on the device becomes 101 km/h, which is 51 km/h over; 104 km/h gives only 50 and a one-month ban. On a 100 km/h road you need a reading of 156 km/h to reach the band. The fine calculator shows both the negligent and the intentional figure.
Lorries, trailers and buses
Professional drivers face a stricter scale. In a lorry over 3.5 tonnes or a car towing a trailer (table 1 a), 51 to 60 km/h over costs €700 with a 3-month ban in town and €600 with 2 months outside. A bus carrying passengers or a hazardous goods vehicle (table 1 b) pays €900 in town. For anyone who drives for a living, the ban hits harder than the money, and intent doubles only the fine, never the ban.
What comes next in the table
This band scores two points under annex 13 of the Driving Licence Ordinance, deleted 60 months after the decision is final. In town the ban grows to three months from 61 km/h over; outside towns to two months from 61 and three months from 71. The top of the table is on the page on 71 km/h over.