FAQs
All precautionary safety information for motorcycles
- How can I tell when I need to have a main inspection?
- What do I require for the main inspection?
- Do I have to register for the main inspection separately?
- What happens if I don't have the main inspection performed on time?
- What do I do if the main inspection date for vehicles with seasonal licence plates is outside of the operating period?
- Can I extend the one-month period for re-inspection?
- By how long can I extend the main inspection date?
- Can I have the main inspection carried out abroad?
- What is inspected during the main inspection?
How can I tell when I need to have a main inspection?
The date for your next main inspection is shown in your registration document. At the same time, the date is also on the inspection sticker on your licence plate: The number in the middle of the sticker is the year of the next main inspection and the number pointing vertically upwards is the month.
For de-registered motorcycles, the date can only be the one in the de-registration document or the last inspection report.
If you already have new EU vehicle documents, the main inspection date is in the vehicle license part I (new registration document), which is no longer adhered to following de-registration.
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What do I require for the main inspection?
- The registration document, the vehicle title for de-registered vehicles and, if available, the vehicle licence part I (new registration document)
- In the event of a re-inspection, the inspection report for the previous main inspection
- Potentially the test certificates or modification acceptance documents for added parts such as special wheels, lower suspension springs and accessory steering wheels insofar as these have not been entered into the vehicle documents.
- We also recommend that you bring the test certificate for the last emissions inspection.
Do I have to register for the main inspection separately?
Our tip: The TÜV NORD appointment service with on-the-spot guarantee means long waits are a thing of the past. Simply make an appointment with the online appointment service at your local TÜV STATION.
Or call us: Toll-free service call number: 0800 80 70 600.
But you don't have to register.
What happens if I don't have the main inspection in time?
If you miss the main inspection date, you will have to pay a fine. But TÜV does not issue a fine.
If the registration office notices that the main inspection has expired when registering a vehicle, you will receive a provisional registration with which you can take the car for the main inspection. The date for the next main inspection is not backdated in the case of de-registered vehicles.
If the vehicle has been de-registered for longer than 84 months, you should clarify with the registration office whether a main inspection is sufficient or whether you require a complete vehicle inspection.
What do I do if the main inspection date for vehicles with seasonal license plates is outside of the operating period?
The main inspection must then be carried out in the first month of the operating period. In this case, the date for the next main inspection is not backdated.
Can I extend the one-month period for re-inspection?
The law states that you must remedy potential faults and have the vehicle re-inspected within one month of the main inspection. If this is a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday, the re-inspection must take place on the next working day. No further extension is permitted.
By how long can I extend the main inspection date?
You cannot extend the main inspection. The vehicle owner is responsible for adhering to the given deadlines. The fines for missing a main inspection are as follows:
- Two to four months: € 15,--
- Between four and eight months: € 25,--
- More than eight months: € 40 and 2 points in Flensburg
If considerable defects are identified during the main inspection or the safety inspection and you have exceeded the one-month re-inspection deadline, you could face a fine of 15 euros.
At TÜV NORD Mobility, we do not issue a fine in the event of non-adherence to the main inspection deadline. However, we will have to backdate the new main inspection to the date on which it would originally have had to be carried out.
Can I have the main inspection carried out abroad?
You can only have the main inspection carried out within the Federal Republic of Germany. Should your main inspection sticker expire during a longer trip abroad, you should take the expired test sticker to your nearest TÜV-STATION as soon as possible after crossing the border back into Germany. We recommend making an appointment in this case.
What is inspected during the main inspection?
Our independent experts inspect:
- Rear view mirror
- Protection against unauthorized usage: Steering wheel lock, for instance
- Fire safety
- Official registration plate
- Steering mechanism, e.g. steering head bearings, steering stops
- Frame condition
- Drive, engine, gearbox, coupling and exhaust system
- Electrical system, headlight settings, signalling units and noise suppression
- Seats and footrests
- Wheel covers
- Rear wheel rocker
- Brakes
- Power transmission
- Tyres, wheels, minimum tread depth (1.6 mm), wheel bearing play, tyre designations
- Parking mechanisms, e.g. side stands or centre stands
The following items are examined during the test run:
- Speedometer
- Steering
- Brakes
- Engine power
- Suspension / shock absorbers
- Driving noises
- Tracking
- Projecting edges
Technical modifications are inspected separately.
Better informed: Main inspection brochure
Download the brochure right now in PDF format.
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Main inspection and exhaust inspection
