Short-term plates in Germany: five days for transfers and test drives
You bought a car that is not registered and it has to get home or to the test centre: that is what the yellow short-term plate (Kurzzeitkennzeichen) is for. What it costs, who gets one and when it is the wrong choice.
Under section 42 of the vehicle registration ordinance (FZV), a short-term plate (Kurzzeitkennzeichen) allows test drives and transfer drives with a vehicle that is not registered. It consists of the district code and a number beginning with 03 or 04, with a yellow field on the right showing the expiry date: it is valid until the end of the 5th day after allocation. It may be issued by the applicant’s registration office or by the office where the vehicle is located. The plate is tied to one vehicle, whose data appear in a special registration document. You need short-term insurance with an eVB number, a valid roadworthiness test or a trip made directly to one, and an approved vehicle type. Under number 221.4 of the road traffic fee schedule (GebOSt), last amended by Art. 6 of the Ordinance of 12 August 2026, the fee is €10.20, or €13.40 with the Federal Motor Transport Authority’s register entry. Plates and insurance have no official price. You cannot apply online.
Short-term plate: what does it add up to?
Total for five days
€13.40
| GebOSt fee no. 221.4 | €10.20 |
| Federal Motor Transport Authority no. 124 | €3.20 |
| Plates and insurance (your figures) | €0.00 |
Plates and insurance have no official price: enter the quotes you have.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
What the short-term plate is for
The ordinance names two purposes: test drives, for example to try a car before buying or to check it after a repair, and transfer drives, for example from the seller to your home, to a garage or to the test centre. It is not meant for everyday use. If you want to drive a car regularly, register it; if you only want to lay it up for the winter, use a seasonal plate.
What it costs, and what the alternatives cost
The table compares the short-term plate with the two routes that often come into question. In all three cases you add plates and insurance, which you buy yourself.
| Route | Fee | With small items, no plates | Valid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term plate | €10.20 | €13.40 – €13.40 | 5 days, Germany only |
| Register at home straight away | €30.00 | €34.60 – €36.10 | unlimited |
| Export plate | €31.40 | €32.80 – €35.00 | up to 12 months |
So a short-term plate is not cheaper than registering. It is worth it when the car can only be registered at your home address later, for instance because the purchase is not complete, the inspection is missing or the papers are in the post. If you already have every document, it is often better to register the car online straight away and collect it with your own plates.
Short-term plate: what does it add up to?
Total for five days
€13.40
| GebOSt fee no. 221.4 | €10.20 |
| Federal Motor Transport Authority no. 124 | €3.20 |
| Plates and insurance (your figures) | €0.00 |
Plates and insurance have no official price: enter the quotes you have.
The requirements in detail
Vehicle. It must match an approved type or have an individual approval. If it has neither, the ordinance only allows trips connected with obtaining a new approval, and only within the district and neighbouring districts.
Roadworthiness test. Valid proof must exist. If the inspection (HU) has expired, only trips to the test centre and back are allowed, and the restriction is entered in the registration document.
Insurance. Short-term third-party insurance with an eVB number. The insurer reports its end date too.
Documents. ID, registration certificate part II or other proof of the vehicle data, the inspection report and, if someone else applies, a power of attorney.
Who issues it
The registration office for your home address or the office in whose district the vehicle is located. That is handy: if you buy a car in another city, you can get the short-term plate there and drive off. You need an appointment as for any registration, though many offices also issue short-term plates at counters without one. The search by town or postcode gives the office and its address.
The plate and the registration document
The plate shows the district code and a string of digits only, starting with 03 or 04; there are no letters in the number, so no personalised version either. The yellow field on the right shows the expiry date. The plates need not be screwed on permanently, but they must be secure and legible. You also receive a separate registration document in the applicant’s name, which you carry on every trip.
Common mistakes
The most common is using the plate for more than the transfer, such as a holiday trip: the purpose does not cover it. The second is a trip abroad without checking whether the insurance and the destination country accept the plate. The third concerns the expiry date: the day counts, not the hour, and the day of allocation is not included. The fourth is passing the plate on to a second car, which is not allowed. Incidentally, if you need to move a registered car with a seasonal plate outside its season, you may use a short-term plate for it, as long as the seasonal plate is not fitted at the same time.
Short-term plate or export plate?
If the car is to leave Germany for good, the export plate is the intended route. It lasts longer, up to 12 months, is covered by insurance for foreign vehicles and is better known abroad. A short-term plate is legally enough for the drive to the border within Germany, but beyond it the risk begins. The fee calculator works out each option with every item.