Private propertyGermany
An introduction to the traffic rules and road signs of Germany. Learn about driving, road safety and much more in our illustrated book, with answers to frequently asked questions.
For informational purposes only. Always follow official regulations. Some content and images were created with AI assistance.
122. Private property
Private property is land, buildings or other property owned or controlled by a private person, company or organisation rather than by a public authority. Examples can include private homes, driveways, company grounds, private car parks and access roads.
Private property may be completely closed to the public or may allow access to customers, visitors or other authorised users. The traffic rules that apply depend not only on ownership but also on whether the area is open to public traffic and how it is legally classified.
Wikimedia.org • Günter Haase • CC BY-SA
What is private property?
Private property is property belonging to a private person or group, rather than being available for everyone’s use. In a road context, check the actual access rules before entering private land.
🔗 dictionary.cambridge.org • Cambridge Dictionary, ordinary private-property definition
Do road traffic rules apply on every private driveway?
Not necessarily. The applicable rules depend on the legal status and accessibility of the area. A driveway used only by its owner is different from a privately owned road that is open to general traffic.
🔗 ris.bka.gv.at • Austria, StVO section 1, scope of roads with/without public traffic
🔗 gesetze-im-internet.de • Germany, StVO section 10, entering from property
What should you do when leaving private property and entering a road?
Enter carefully and follow the applicable rules for joining traffic from a driveway or adjoining property. In many countries, the driver entering the road must give way to road users already using it.
🔗 ris.bka.gv.at • Austria, StVO section 1, scope of roads with/without public traffic
🔗 gesetze-im-internet.de • Germany, StVO section 10, entering from property

Traffic rules
Germany