Can I get the TÜV done at a garage?
Yes. “TÜV” is the everyday name for the general inspection (Hauptuntersuchung, HU). The garage does not test the car itself: only an officially recognised expert of the regional Technische Prüfstelle (technical inspection body) or an engineer of a recognised inspection organisation may do it – at a test centre or at a garage that serves as an inspection point. For a car, the official fee at the technical inspection bodies is €32.90 to €51.60, plus the emissions test for petrol and diesel cars and small extra fees. Inspection organisations set their own prices and must display them. Compare the total price at three places or more.
📋 What the law requires
- Only officially recognised experts or inspection engineers of recognised inspection organisations may test – everywhere to the same technical standards
- Where: a test centre or an inspection point at a garage entered in the Handwerksrolle (trade register)
- The technical inspection bodies must run enough test centres that no town centre in their area is more than 25 km from one as the crow flies (exceptions possible)
- Cars: inspection every 24 months, new cars first after 36 months; motorbikes every 24 months
- The next deadline runs from the month of the inspection – go earlier and you are due earlier next time
- Price list at inspection organisations: their fee, a garage price for the emissions test and a surcharge for using the garage, each shown separately
- The test covers brakes, steering, visibility, lights and electrics, axles, wheels and tyres, frame and body, seat belts and airbags, warning triangle, high-vis vest and first-aid kit, exhaust and noise, and the vehicle identification number
🔓 What to watch out for
- Emissions test in advance: a garage approved for it may do it up to one month before the inspection; the certificate goes to the inspector
- Gas-powered cars (LPG, CNG): an approved garage may also do the gas-system check up to one month beforehand
- Fully electric cars: no emissions test – it only applies to petrol and diesel engines
- Seasonal plates: if the inspection falls due outside the season, it is due in the first month of the next season
- Taken off the road (außer Betrieb gesetzt): the duty pauses; an inspection that fell due is done when the car goes back on the road
⚠️ Costs and fines
Costs: at the technical inspection bodies the official fee for a car inspection is €32.90 to €51.60, plus €1.60 in extra fees, the emissions test for petrol and diesel cars and, where due, VAT; inspection organisations display their own prices. If your car's inspection is more than two months overdue, the fine is €15 (up to 4 months), €25 (up to 8 months) or €60 and 1 penalty point (more than 8 months); coming late to the re-inspection costs €15. Without a valid sticker the competent authority can ban the vehicle from use. With major or dangerous defects there is no sticker: have them repaired and come back for the re-inspection within one month of the inspection, otherwise a new full inspection is due. Sticker already expired? Deadlines and what follows are on the page “Expired TÜV”.
📎 Official sources
- § 29 StVZO · inspection of motor vehicles and trailers →
- Annex VIII StVZO · intervals, defects, re-inspection →
- Annex VIIIa StVZO · what the inspection covers →
- Annex VIIIb StVZO · fees and supervision of inspection organisations →
- Annex VIIId StVZO · test centres and inspection points →
- GebOSt · official fee schedule, nos. 413–416 →
- BKatV · fines catalogue, nos. 186–187a →
- Annex 13 FeV · penalty points, no. 3.5.1 →
- § 6 HwO · trade register (Handwerksrolle) →
Sponsor this page → One labelled block, €100 a month. Founding price €75 until 31 January 2027.
❓ Frequently asked
How much does the TÜV cost for a car in 2026?
At the technical inspection bodies the official fee schedule sets €32.90 to €51.60 for the inspection of a car up to 3.5 t. On top come the emissions test for petrol and diesel cars (at the test centre or beforehand at an approved garage), €1 for the test specifications, €0.60 for the sticker and, where due, VAT. Inspection organisations set their own fees and must display them – compare the total price at three places or more.
Garage or test centre: what is the difference?
The test itself is the same: at a garage, too, it is an approved expert or inspection engineer, not the garage, who tests the car, to the same standards. The garage may charge a surcharge for the use of its premises and equipment, which inspection organisations must display separately. Defects fixed during the inspection – at the latest on the same calendar day – are noted on the report with the time.
What do I need to bring for the TÜV?
Bring registration certificate part I (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I), where the inspector enters the next due date, and your last inspection report, which you must keep until the next inspection. If an approved garage did the emissions test in advance, hand the certificate to the inspector. Check lights, tyres, wipers, warning triangle, high-vis vest and first-aid kit yourself beforehand.
How long do I have for the re-inspection?
One month from the day of the inspection. If you come later or without the inspection report, a new full inspection is due instead, and presenting the car late can cost a €15 fine. If defects must be fixed before a new sticker can be issued, your current sticker stays valid for one more month.
Does the TÜV cost more if it is overdue?
Yes, once it is more than two months overdue. The inspector then has to test more thoroughly, and at the technical inspection bodies the inspection fee rises by 20%. For cars, a fine comes on top: €15 (up to 4 months), €25 (up to 8 months) or €60 and 1 penalty point (more than 8 months).
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “how much does tuv cost in germany”
- “tuv cost in germany”
- “tuv inspection germany”
- “tuv inspection appointment”
- “tuv germany sticker”
- “what is tuv germany”