Parking regulations

Parked incorrectly, fined. Parking your car incorrectly is one of the most common traffic offenses. But where are you not allowed to park and how long can you leave your car parked? How expensive can parking be? With so many rules and penalties, it’s no wonder that drivers don’t always know their way around.

In the following article you will find more detailed information about parking regulations. DE-PARK tells you the most important rules to avoid such mistakes. We also inform you about the fines that await you for parking illegally.

Where is parking prohibited? – Parking regulations at a glance

• According to the German Road Traffic Regulations (StVO), parking on the left-hand side is generally not permitted. The exceptions are one-way streets or streets with streetcar tracks on the right-hand side of the road. Otherwise, you may only park on the right-hand side in the direction of travel.

• According to the parking regulations, unauthorized parking is not permitted in disabled parking spaces. The penalty for this is a fine and the vehicle being towed away.

• If you want to keep a parking space free, you may even be liable to prosecution.

• Even if many are easily tempted, parking on footpaths and cycle paths is prohibited by parking regulations. Car drivers and motorcyclists can only avoid a fine if there are explicit markings permitting such parking.

• It is not permitted to park on narrow streets opposite exits. According to the parking regulations, a road is considered narrow if parking on the opposite side obstructs the driveway.

• If the parked car is obstructing construction work, an otherwise properly parked vehicle can also be towed away. The prerequisite for this is that appropriate signs about the stopping ban have been put up 72 hours before the start of the construction work.

• If you keep parking your vehicle incorrectly despite fines, you can even lose your driver’s license.

• Parking outside the period of validity of a seasonal license plate on public roads and squares is not permitted.

• The relevant parking regulations stipulate that a parking disk must be used at defective parking meters and that parking is only permitted up to the corresponding maximum parking time.

• Beware of accidents in parking lots! The principle of mutual consideration applies and not right before left. In some cases, such as when reversing, an increased duty of care applies, which puts more strain on the side in question in the event of an accident.

Parking regulations – how high can fines be?

This year there was a change to the regulation on fines, which now makes parking even more expensive.

• With a few exceptions, parking in the second row is not permitted according to the corresponding parking regulations. However, cab drivers are allowed to stop in the second row and let passengers on or off and unload or load luggage. Anyone who stops in the second row, apart from cab drivers, must expect a warning fine of €15 and €20 for parking.

• Anyone who exceeds the maximum parking time by up to 30 minutes must pay a fine of €10. If the time limit is exceeded by up to one hour, the charge is €15, up to two hours €20 and up to three hours €25. If the overrun lasts longer than three hours, the fine is €30.

• Fines are also due if motor vehicles of any kind park illegally on footpaths and cycle paths. New fines come into force this year. Drivers who park their vehicles illegally on footpaths and cycle paths must pay €55. In addition, there is a fine of €70 for parking with an obstruction, €80 for endangering, €100 for damage to property, etc.

• Anyone who obstructs the flow of traffic and endangers others when leaving a parking space must pay a fine of €30. Leaving the parking space must be clearly announced.

• According to the parking regulations, parking is not permitted in front of property entrances and exits with the exception of the owner and his guests. However, if the property is accessible via a lowered kerb for wheelchair users or baby carriages, for example, the property owner may not park either. The penalty for this is 10 €.

• Parking on a sharp bend or in areas where the road is unclear is not permitted. There is a fine of 15 € for this. A penalty of EUR 25 is imposed for obstruction. If an emergency vehicle is obstructed in the process, a fine of €60 is payable.

• Anyone who does not display their official parking permit legibly may be fined between €10 and €30.

• Parking on the left-hand side of the road could also cost the driver between €10 and €30.

• In addition, a fine of €20 is currently planned for all those who park illegally on a cycle lane.