Baden-Württemberg

Stuttgart low-emission zone: map and entry rules

Active zoneVerified 2026-10-25

You need a green emissions sticker to drive in the Stuttgart low-emission zone unless your vehicle is exempt. This also applies to foreign-registered vehicles. Additional diesel bans apply, with stricter rules in the city centre.

Zone in force since 2008-03-01

Additional local restrictions

Euro 4/IV and older diesels are banned unless exempt. In the smaller zone covering the city centre, Bad Cannstatt, Feuerbach and Zuffenhausen, the ban also includes Euro 5/V diesels. A green sticker does not override these restrictions.

Order a green sticker16,50 €Getting your sticker

Check both your destination and the route before driving to Stuttgart. The low-emission zone extends across the city, well beyond the historic centre. For a diesel vehicle, also check the Euro emissions standard in its registration documents.

The smaller, stricter zone covers the Stuttgart basin and the districts of Bad Cannstatt, Feuerbach and Zuffenhausen. A normal diesel visit to this area requires Euro 6/VI and a green sticker, unless an exemption applies. A Euro 5/V diesel with a green sticker can enter the rest of the larger zone, but the route into the centre may still be prohibited.

If your car does not qualify, park outside Stuttgart’s zone and continue by public transport. The options below include a car park by Waiblingen station and P+R Q1 in Echterdingen. Plan the approach so that it also avoids restricted areas.

Zone map and boundaries

View the map image

Overview map showing the boundary of the Stuttgart low-emission zone

Overview based on German Environment Agency (UBA) boundary data. Street-level exemptions are not shown; consult the official local guidance.

Areas covered

Euro 4/IV and older diesels are banned throughout the larger zone unless exempt. Euro 5/V diesels are also banned in the smaller zone. For a normal diesel trip into central Stuttgart, you therefore need Euro 6/VI and a green sticker.

Through routes and roads outside the zone

Specified sections of Hafenbahnstraße, roads alongside the A8, and the B10/B27a between Korntal-Münchingen and Kornwestheim are exempt from the diesel ban. Use the official map for the precise routes. A diesel-ban exemption does not automatically waive the green-sticker requirement.

Official information about the zone ↗Download the map

Which vehicles do the rules apply to?

We check your registration documents to see whether your vehicle qualifies for a green sticker. Your vehicle must also meet any local entry requirements.

Sticker requirements and entry conditions by vehicle type
Vehicle	Sticker	Entry conditions
Passenger cars	Green sticker	Display a green sticker on the windscreen.
Vans	Green sticker	Display a green sticker on the windscreen.
Lorries	Green sticker	Display a green sticker on the windscreen.
Motorhomes	Green sticker	Display a green sticker on the windscreen.
Buses and coaches	Green sticker	Display a green sticker on the windscreen.
Electric vehicles / hybrids	Green sticker	Display a green sticker or a blue E sticker on the windscreen.
Motorcycles / mopedsTwo- and three-wheeled motor vehicles	Not required	Exempt under Annex 3 to the 35th BImSchV.

Local rules and exemptions

A green German emissions sticker (Umweltplakette) is required to enter the Stuttgart low-emission zone unless your vehicle is exempt. The requirement also applies to vehicles registered outside Germany.

Attach the sticker clearly to the inside of the windscreen. It must show your vehicle’s current registration number. Vehicle documents and an order confirmation do not replace the physical sticker. The same valid green sticker is accepted in every German low-emission zone.

Exemptions

National exemptions under Annex 3 to the 35th BImSchV include two- and three-wheeled motor vehicles, appropriately identified electric vehicles, certain emergency vehicles and qualifying historic vehicles. A vehicle’s age or hybrid powertrain alone does not create a general exemption.

Stuttgart lists further exemptions from its diesel bans, including commercial deliveries, certain journeys involving people with disabilities and medical emergencies. Approved emissions retrofits may qualify under specific conditions. The smaller zone also has an exemption for partially electric propulsion. Check the conditions and evidence required for your vehicle and journey.

People living outside Stuttgart’s zone may use specified park-and-ride sites under a direct-access exemption. For Euro 4/IV and older diesels, the conditions include a green sticker and a direct journey to the nearest relevant P+R. For the smaller zone, the city specifically lists Zuffenhausen Am Bahnhof, Zuffenhausen Parkplatz and Sommerrain for Euro 5/V and older vehicles. Keep any required public-transport ticket or parking receipt. Driving through the Stuttgart basin is not permitted under this exemption.

Individual permits are available in qualifying cases. Working in Stuttgart alone is not sufficient. The city assesses circumstances such as essential medical travel, serious social hardship and certain motorhome journeys. A separate application form is available for foreign number plates. Arrange the permit before departure and carry the required documents.

Check exemptions from the diesel ban separately from exemptions from the sticker requirement. Do not assume that a permit issued by one city is valid in another zone.

When the rules apply

All year, 24 hours a day, including weekends and public holidays.

Penalties

The German penalty schedule sets a standard fine of €100 for a low-emission-zone offence. Administrative fees and expenses may be added. Other traffic offences are assessed separately.

Practical travel tips

Check the route to your hotel or car park

A hotel booking or reserved parking space does not itself provide an exemption. For a Euro 5 diesel, a destination outside the smaller zone is only useful if the entire approach also avoids the restricted area, unless you qualify for an exemption.

P+R access has specific conditions

Certain named park-and-ride sites accept affected diesels under a conditional direct-access exemption. It covers the trip to the car park and back, rather than a drive through the centre. The diesel-ban exemption does not replace the green sticker.

The number 4 does not mean Euro 4

The 4 on a green sticker is the German emissions-group number. Both Euro 4 and Euro 6 diesels may have one, yet their right to enter Stuttgart differs. Check the Euro standard in your vehicle documents.

P+R Bahnhof Waiblingen – Innerer Weidach

This multi-storey car park at Innerer Weidach 8 in Waiblingen is outside Stuttgart’s zone. Continue to Stuttgart by train from the station. Approaching from the east, head directly to Waiblingen without a detour through Stuttgart. Check current parking conditions and train services.

P+R Q1 Echterdingen

This car park by Echterdingen station, at In den Gärtlesäckern 45 in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, is outside Stuttgart’s zone. Continue by S-Bahn. The operator lists 24-hour opening and a 2 m height limit. Check current charges, access and any service disruptions.

Frequently asked questions

Do foreign-registered vehicles need a sticker?

Yes. Vehicles registered outside Germany are covered by the same sticker requirement. Unless your vehicle qualifies for an exemption, attach a valid green sticker to the windscreen before entering the zone.

Where does the zone apply?

Stuttgart’s low-emission zone extends across the city, including its outer districts. A smaller area has stricter diesel restrictions: the Stuttgart basin, including the city centre, and the districts of Bad Cannstatt, Feuerbach and Zuffenhausen. Euro 4/IV and older diesels are banned throughout the larger zone unless exempt. Euro 5/V diesels are also banned in the smaller zone. For a normal diesel trip into central Stuttgart, you therefore need Euro 6/VI and a green sticker.

Can I drive a Euro 5 diesel into Stuttgart?

With a green sticker, you can enter the larger zone outside the smaller restricted area. Euro 5 diesels are banned in the Stuttgart basin, Bad Cannstatt, Feuerbach and Zuffenhausen unless exempt. Check the whole approach route as well as the destination.

Is a green sticker enough for a Euro 4 diesel?

No. Euro 4/IV and older diesels are banned in Stuttgart’s zone even if they have a green sticker. Entry requires an applicable exemption or use of a specifically exempt road under its signed conditions.

Does a Euro 6 diesel still need a sticker?

Yes, unless a statutory exemption applies. Meeting Euro 6 does not replace the green sticker. Stuttgart’s current area-wide diesel bans do not include Euro 6/VI vehicles.

Can I reach a P+R without a sticker?

The direct-access exemption for certain P+R sites concerns the diesel ban and does not automatically waive the sticker requirement. Without a sticker or another exemption, choose a site and approach outside the zone, such as the options in Waiblingen and Echterdingen listed here.

Can I apply for an exemption with foreign number plates?

Yes, in qualifying circumstances. Stuttgart provides a separate form for foreign-registered vehicles. Arrange any required permit and supporting documents before travelling.

Where can I get a green sticker for Stuttgart?

You can order a German green emissions sticker through this website. Current delivery options and estimated delivery times are shown when you order. If you drive a diesel, check its Euro standard first: a sticker does not by itself allow entry to every part of Stuttgart.

Do the rules apply at weekends and for a short visit?

Yes. The zone operates around the clock, all year, including nights, weekends and public holidays. A short stay or a direct trip to a hotel does not itself create a general exemption.

Do electric cars and hybrids need a green sticker?

Vehicles displaying electric-vehicle identification recognised under section 11 FZV have a statutory exemption. This may be a German E registration, a blue German E sticker or equivalent foreign identification. Electric or hybrid propulsion alone is insufficient without the required identification. For a diesel hybrid, also check the local diesel restrictions.

← All cities and the low-emission zone map

Sources and updates

Information last checked: 2026-10-25.

Aktualizováno 2026-10-28

Based on the UBA zone register, the relevant local authority’s guidance and the legislation linked below. Local details follow the source package checked on 25 October 2026; key national rules and zone status were checked again on 28 October 2026.