StVG amendment as of 01.07.2026: Longer limitation period, points trading banned, scan cars coming

On 1 July 2026, the Fifth Act Amending the Road Traffic Act (Fünftes Gesetz zur Änderung des Straßenverkehrsgesetzes; promulgated on 18.05.2026, BGBl. 2026 I No. 142) entered into force. Here is what changes for you:

1. Limitation period for prosecution doubled: now 6 months

The most important change for all fine proceedings: the limitation period for prosecuting road traffic offences (Verfolgungsverjährung) is now a uniform 6 months (sec. 26 para. 3 StVG – Straßenverkehrsgesetz, German Road Traffic Act). Previously, 3 months applied as long as no fine notice (Bußgeldbescheid) had been issued.

What this means for you: The authorities now have twice as much time to serve you the fine notice. The previously common defence argument “the notice arrived too late” will therefore succeed far less often – for offences committed from 1 July 2026 onwards. This makes the other lines of attack all the more important: measurement errors, formal errors and driver identification.

2. “Points trading” is now expressly prohibited

The new sec. 4c StVG prohibits deceiving an authority about the person who committed a traffic offence – and likewise even offering such deception or brokering contact to third parties willing to deceive. This is aimed above all at commercial “points trading” (Punktehandel) schemes, in which a third party takes the blame for the offence in exchange for payment.

Violations are punishable under the newly worded sec. 23 StVG with fines of up to €30,000.

Important: Your statutory right to remain silent is unaffected. As the accused, you do not have to incriminate yourself, and relatives may refuse to testify – only active deception (“it was my friend, for money”) is prohibited. All the more reason to have what you enter in the hearing form (Anhörungsbogen) reviewed first.

3. Scan cars: automated parking enforcement permitted

The new sec. 63g StVG creates the legal basis for vehicles with automatic number plate recognition (“scan cars”) that document parking violations while driving past. The legislator has built in safeguards: no covert monitoring, blurring of persons and uninvolved number plates, automatic deletion within 24 hours where a valid parking authorisation exists, and a ban on profiling.

Practical consequence: In cities that deploy scan cars, the number of parking tickets is likely to rise significantly – and with the technology come new sources of error worth examining (capture quality, attribution, deletion periods).

4. Digital driving licence: adopted, but not here yet

The act lays the groundwork for a digital driving licence on your smartphone (sec. 2 para. 1a, sec. 2d StVG): it can be applied for at the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Motor Transport Authority) using the eID function of the German ID card, for card-format licences issued from 1999 onwards. Important: while a driving ban (Fahrverbot) is in effect, proof by digital driving licence is excluded.

But: These provisions only enter into force once the technical infrastructure is in place – the Federal Ministry of Transport will announce the date separately. So as of 1 July 2026, the digital driving licence does not exist yet.

What does not change

This amendment changes nothing about the catalogue of fines (Bußgeldkatalog) – fine amounts, points, driving bans – the points system in Flensburg or the probationary period. Our fine catalogue and the calculators remain valid unchanged.

One month earlier, however, as of 1 June 2026, quite a lot changed regarding the commencement of driving bans – the one-month deadline now applies as the default for everyone: all details in our news item.

Sources: Fifth Act Amending the Road Traffic Act and other road traffic provisions (Fünftes Gesetz zur Änderung des Straßenverkehrsgesetzes und anderer straßenverkehrsrechtlicher Vorschriften) of 12.05.2026, BGBl. 2026 I No. 142 · synopsis of the changes at buzer.de