Bundesportal | Apply for a classic car license plate (H license plate) for a vehicle registered 30 or more years ago

More Information

Publisher

Hesse

Last update or date of publication

October 21, 2024

Contact

The government service telephone number 115 – your point of contact for questions related to the federal, state and local.

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Classic cars can be vehicles that were first registered or put on the road 30 years ago or earlier. Such vehicles, which largely correspond to their original condition and are in good condition, are cultural motor vehicle assets. Classic cars are often not intended for everyday use. However, there are historic vehicles with which you can take part in road traffic without restrictions. These vehicles have an "H" in the last position of the license plate, which stands for "historic".

An H license plate is associated with various advantages for you, for example

Tax relief
insurance benefits
Different regulations in environmental zones

The registration authority will issue you with the H license plate when you apply for a registration for a classic car. If you already have a registered vehicle and it is 30 years old, you can apply for a simple license plate change.

When applying for registration, you must submit an expert opinion on the classification of your vehicle as a classic car from an officially recognized expert. A general inspection (HU) is also carried out as part of this report.

You must also affix the license plates to classic cars in accordance with the legal requirements. Exceptions to the design and attachment must be legally permissible or entered in the registration certificate part I.

Expert opinion for the classification of a vehicle as a classic car by an officially recognized expert.
If a classic car license plate is allocated as part of a registration procedure, the following documents are also required:
- Vehicle registration document or
- foreign vehicle documents or
- the operating license for vehicles not requiring registration
the EC Certificate of Conformity (CoC), or data confirmation or full expert opinion
Proof of ownership
- Purchase contract or
- invoice
Proof of valid motor vehicle liability insurance (eVB number)
Bank details for the direct debit mandate to pay the vehicle tax

Label

Preconditions

First registration at least 30 years ago
good, largely original condition of the vehicle
Qualified certificate proving that the vehicle is a classic car

Additional requirements within the scope of a registration procedure are

no outstanding fees and expenses from previous registrations of more than EUR 30
no motor vehicle tax debts of EUR 5 or more, including all late payment penalties, interest and late payment penalties

in Hesse: no overdue fees and expenses from previous registrations of more than EUR 10 (including the resulting late payment surcharges)

Hints

The following information is available:

Vehicles may not be moved or parked in public areas without registration plates. The license plates must not be mirrored, covered or dirty and must be attached to the vehicle in accordance with the legal requirements.

Certain license plate combinations are prohibited in certain countries.

Certain license plate combinations are blocked for specific registration authorities.

Basis for legal action

Anlage 1 Verordnung über die Zulassung von Fahrzeugen zum Straßenverkehr (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung - FZV)

Anlage 4 Abschnitt 4 Verordnung über die Zulassung von Fahrzeugen zum Straßenverkehr (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung - FZV)

§ 10 Absatz 1 Verordnung über die Zulassung von Fahrzeugen zum Straßenverkehr (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung - FZV)

§ 12 Verordnung über die Zulassung von Fahrzeugen zum Straßenverkehr (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung - FZV)

§ 2 Satz 1 Nummer 22 Verordnung über die Zulassung von Fahrzeugen zum Straßenverkehr (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung - FZV)

§ 20 Verordnung über die Zulassung von Fahrzeugen zum Straßenverkehr (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung - FZV)

§ 23 Straßenverkehrs-Zulassungs-Ordnung (StVZO)

§ 26 Verordnung über die Zulassung von Fahrzeugen zum Straßenverkehr (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung - FZV)

§ 9 Verordnung über die Zulassung von Fahrzeugen zum Straßenverkehr (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung - FZV)

Legal Remedies

Klage

Procedure

When applying in person:

When you register your classic car with your local registration authority, you will be allocated a license plate combination on the spot. The registration authority may require you to present the vehicle. With this allocation:

have the license plates produced;
have the stickers affixed to the license plates by the registration authority;
attach the license plates firmly to the vehicle in the designated places.

When applying online:

You can only apply for a classic car license plate online if the vehicle has previously had a classic car license plate. If you apply for a classic car license plate via the i-Kfz Portal:

the allocation of a classic car license plate is entered directly into the Central Vehicle Register
you will receive the classic car license plate as a notification by e-mail or as a download
have the license plates embossed
attach the registration authority stickers to the license plates
attach them properly to the designated place on the vehicle

The following applies to both types of application:

When re-registering a vehicle, you can apply to have the previous license plates reassigned to you. This also applies if you have reserved the license plate for the re-registration of your vehicle.