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Hauptuntersuchung (HU)

Technical testing centre or monitoring organisation · § 29 StVZO

On siteObligation of the vehicle holderNot an authority

A sentence up front, because it sets the roles straight: TÜV and DEKRA are not authorities. Annex VIII StVZO transfers the Hauptuntersuchung to two private, state-recognised figures — the officially recognised experts or examiners for motor vehicle traffic (aaSoP) of the technical testing centres and the test engineers (PI) of the officially recognised supervisory organisations. They certify, they do not impose sanctions. Who may prohibit the operation of a vehicle is set out in § 29 StVZO and is a different body: “the authority competent under state law”. The Bußgeldstelle, in turn, imposes the regulatory fine. Three roles, three addressees.

The intervals are set out in Anlage VIII StVZO and are straightforward for passenger cars: the first periodic roadworthiness test (Hauptuntersuchung, HU — commonly called ‘TÜV’) is due 36 months after first registration, with every subsequent one every 24 months. A brand-new car is therefore registered without HU evidence — which is occasionally mistaken for an error on the part of the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle (vehicle registration office), but is not one. Other vehicle types follow their own cycles, and some are also subject to the Sicherheitsprüfung (safety inspection), which passenger cars do not have.

What is examined is set out in Anlage VIIIa StVZO and is a fixed catalogue: braking system, steering, visibility, lighting equipment, axles, wheels and tyres, chassis and bodywork, safety equipment, noise, fluid leaks, and environmental impact — under which exhaust emissions are listed. From this follows something many people do not know: the exhaust emission inspection (Abgasuntersuchung, AU) is not a separate appointment, but part of this examination.

The inspection sticker is not a receipt, but a statement about a point in time. § 29 StVZO puts this precisely: through it “it is certified that the vehicle at the time of this examination complies with the regulations …”. It says nothing about the condition tomorrow — and therefore replaces neither maintenance nor the vehicle holder’s responsibility between two appointments.

Last updated29 August 2026
Legal basis§ 29 StVZO, Anlage VIII
VerificationChecked against StVZO, Annex VIII and VIIIa, the catalogue of fines (Bußgeldkatalog) and the Driving Licence Ordinance (Fahrerlaubnis-Verordnung, FeV)
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information website: we are not TÜV, DEKRA or any other testing organisation, not an authority and not a paid advice service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain language; binding information always comes from the competent body. No legal advice and not an official authority. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.
First HU36 monthsAfter first registration
After thatEvery 24 monthsPassenger cars, Anlage VIII
Who carries out the testaaSoP or PINot an authority
PriceFreely pricedNo fixed fee schedule
Required documents

What you need

Registration certificate Part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I)

The registration certificate Part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I, formerly Fahrzeugschein). Without it the vehicle cannot be identified beyond doubt, and the testing centre may refuse the examination.

The most recent test report

It shows what was noted as a minor deficiency last time. This is not a formality: these exact points are looked at again.

Evidence of modifications

Component certificate (Teilegutachten), general type approval (ABE) or confirmation of a modification approval (Änderungsabnahme) under § 19 Abs. 3 StVZO. If these are missing where a modification is apparent, the HU ends without a sticker — not because of a technical deficiency, but because of the paperwork.

A drivable, accessible vehicle

A high-visibility vest and warning triangle are part of the equipment, the spare wheel must be accessible, and the boot should be empty enough to allow the underbody and brakes to be assessed.

No appointment without a prior check of the lighting

Defective bulbs are the most common avoidable deficiency of all. They cost a few euros beforehand and a re-test afterwards.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Read the due month off the sticker

    The number at the top of the sticker is the month, the year is in the middle. The examination is due by the end of that month — not on the exact day.

  2. 2

    Check the obvious beforehand

    Lighting, tyre tread, wiper blades, high-visibility vest, first-aid kit with a valid date. These points disproportionately often decide between a sticker and a re-test.

  3. 3

    Choose a testing centre or monitoring organisation

    You are free to choose between the recognised providers; the result is the same everywhere, the price is not. Garages often offer the HU on site, because a PI visits them regularly.

  4. 4

    Interpret the result correctly

    Five levels from “no deficiencies” to “not roadworthy”. With minor deficiencies the sticker is still issued; with significant deficiencies it is not, and you then have one month for the re-test.

  5. 5

    Keep the test report

    It is the proof for buyers, insurance and re-registration. The sticker alone only confirms the appointment date, not the content.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Deadlines, roles and costsThe HU is not an administrative service
First HU (passenger cars)36 months after first registration
Subsequent HU (passenger cars)Every 24 months
Carried out byaaSoP or test engineer
Exhaust emission inspection (AU)Part of the HU
PriceFreely priced
Prohibition of operationOnly by the authority

Unlike registering a vehicle or changing its registration, where the Fee Schedule for Measures in Road Traffic (Gebührenordnung für Maßnahmen im Straßenverkehr, GebOSt) applies, there is no official tariff for the HU. It pays to compare.

Good to know

Important notes

The result has five levels, not three — numbers 3.1.4.1 to 3.1.4.5 of Anlage VIII. No deficiencies: sticker. Minor deficiencies: the sticker may still be issued, but the deficiencies must be remedied without delay. Significant deficiencies: no sticker, re-test required. Dangerous deficiencies: also no sticker, with greater urgency. And not roadworthy — the strictest level: there, under number 3.1.4.5, “the existing inspection sticker is to be removed”. The vehicle therefore loses its valid sticker on the spot, not only once the deadline expires.

The sticker certifies a point in time, not a lasting condition. Between two appointments, the vehicle holder remains responsible — which is why a passed test does not relieve anyone of responsibility for a deficiency that arises later.

Anyone who has modified their vehicle should settle the paperwork before the appointment. Without a component certificate, general type approval (ABE) or modification approval under § 19 Abs. 3 StVZO, the HU ends without a sticker, even if everything is technically in order.

No figure is given here as a nationwide amount for the prices. The Hauptuntersuchung is not an administrative fee and has no fee ordinance: it is calculated by the respective supervisory organisation or testing centre and varies between providers and regions. The binding information is that of the body where you book your appointment — and it is worth asking, because the range is real.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Mistaking the TÜV for an authority. It certifies; only the authority competent under state law can prohibit operation.

Looking for the exhaust emission inspection separately. It is part of the HU, not a second appointment.

Arriving with defective lighting. The most common avoidable reason for a re-test.

Presenting modifications without paperwork. Without evidence there is no sticker, regardless of the technical condition.

Mistaking the sticker for proof of condition. It applies to the time of the examination, nothing else.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

When must a new car first go for the HU?

After 36 months. For passenger cars, Anlage VIII StVZO sets the first periodic roadworthiness test at three years after first registration, and every 24 months thereafter. A brand-new car is therefore registered without HU evidence — this is not an oversight by the vehicle registration office, but the rule.

Is the TÜV an authority?

No. The periodic roadworthiness test is carried out, under Anlage VIII StVZO, by officially recognised experts or examiners of the technical testing centres as well as test engineers of officially recognised monitoring organisations. They certify the condition; only the authority competent under state law can prohibit the operation of a vehicle under § 29 StVZO, and the regulatory fine is imposed by the Bußgeldstelle (fines office).

Do I have to have the exhaust emission inspection done separately?

No. Anlage VIIIa StVZO lists exhaust emissions under environmental impact as part of the scope of the periodic roadworthiness test. No separate appointment for the exhaust emission inspection (AU) is provided for; the test report shows its result together with the rest of the examination.

What results are there?

Five: no deficiencies, minor deficiencies, significant deficiencies, dangerous deficiencies and not roadworthy. With minor deficiencies the sticker is issued, but the deficiencies must be remedied. With significant and dangerous deficiencies there is no sticker. With “not roadworthy”, under number 3.1.4.5 of Anlage VIII, even the existing sticker is to be removed.

What does the periodic roadworthiness test cost?

There is deliberately no nationwide figure given here. The HU is not an administrative fee and has no fee ordinance: every testing centre or monitoring organisation calculates its own price, and the differences between providers and regions are noticeable. When booking the appointment, ask for the total price including the exhaust emission inspection.

Where do I find the due month?

On the inspection sticker on the rear licence plate: the number at the top denotes the month, the large number in the middle the year. The examination is due by the end of that month. The last test report states the same date.

Related official procedures

Re-test
One month — then a new HU
Nr. 3.1.4.3 Annex VIII
Test overdue
No points, no extended examination
€15 to €75
Exhaust emission inspection (AU)
Part of the HU, not a separate appointment
Included in the HU

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